St Denis Medical star Josh Lawson is an ‘overnight success’ 35 years in the making

Josh Lawson must surely be one of Australia’s most prolific actors. In a career spanning more than three decades, he’s popped up in everything from Home And Away, Sea Patrol and Blue Heelers, to local comedy favourites like The Librarians, Wilfred, and Thank God You’re Here (this recurring role made him a household name).

It would have been easy to coast on this success. But rather than sit back and enjoy his notoriety, 15 years ago Lawson decided to take a leap of faith and move to Los Angeles —and his decision has paid off in spades.

He’s enjoyed incredible success over there too, popping up in big-name US productions like House Of Lies, Arrested Development, Superstore, Anchorman 2, and the recent Mortal Kombat movie.

In 2018, The Eleven O’Clock, a short film he wrote, was nominated for an Oscar.

But it’s his latest role, playing a narcissistic surgeon on the hugely popular NBC comedy St Denis Medical, that is getting him the most attention, and 35 years after stepping on to a TV set for the first time, Lawson is something of an “overnight sensation.”

“It’s insane (how long I’ve been doing all this), because I was a child actor as well,” Lawson tells Play over the phone from Sydney, pointing out his brother Ben, also a successful actor based Stateside, began their TV careers in shows like Skippy, Flipper, and The Wayne Manifesto.

“I have been doing this weird gig for, like, 35 years.

“I think my mum probably thought I’d have grown out of it by now, but, honestly, I think I am in too deep — I don’t have any other skill sets at this stage, so I have to keep going!”

St Denis Medical, which screens on free-to-air TV in the US (to incredible ratings) and here on 7Plus, is a comedy set in the emergency room of an underfunded fictional hospital in Oregon.

If you’ve ever seen an episode of Scrubs, then you’ll have an idea what to expect.

It has the potential to be every bit as popular.

“Everyone was aware that Scrubs would be the comparison, because it was just a Goliath of a show and it’s beloved, still,” Lawson says.

“But it’s been 20 years since it’s been on, and I think we definitely didn’t want to occupy the same space.

“And yeah, the word you used is ‘potential’, and that’s exactly what we thought as well. Like, ‘OK, there’s so much to explore here’.”

He’s right — the show, well written and superbly acted by its ensemble cast, which includes Allison Tolman, Mekki Leeper, David Allen Grier and Kaliko Kauahi, sets itself up beautifully for more seasons.

This could be a tad problematic for Lawson, who decided to move back to Australia permanently during COVID-19.

“I was in LA for about 15 years — Ben is still there and now lives in New York,” he says.

“We both became citizens because we spent so much time there, but during COVID, I just fell back in love with Australia.

“I think after being away for so long and coming back, I was like, ‘That is what I needed: to get out and explore.’

“I did what I needed to do in Hollywood, but now I am old enough that I just want to be in Australia, and to be able to order a flat white — it just felt like home, finally.”

These days, actors can be based anywhere and still audition for roles online — that’s how Lawson came to be back working Stateside for St Denis.

Now it’s been approved for a second season, he’ll be heading back there for six months soon to film the next season — not that he’s complaining.

In fact, far from it — Lawson says he’s struck the perfect balance, and relishes being able to work across two different continents.

“When I stepped on to the set of this and started doing St Denis, it kind of occurred to me, ‘Oh, I have been working my whole life towards this sort of thing,” Lawson says.

“Because this is exactly what I watched when I was a kid: I was a kid who used to watch Golden Girls, Family Ties — all those types of shows.

“Driving through Universal Studios and walking on to the soundstage, and feeling like ‘I think I kind of belong here’ — that is a weird feeling.

“And it got me thinking: I didn’t just get this from one audition, I think I got this from doing 35 years of working.”

Lawson can’t quite believe his luck.

“Every day, I swear to you, every single day — and this is not just me being twee — when I drive through those gates, I say to myself, ‘This is what you always wanted. This is what you dreamed of, and it’s actually happened!’

“And that’s so cool.”

St Denis Medical is streaming now on 7Plus.