Lawrence O’Donnell is the host of The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC. O’Donnell brings his extraordinary background in politics, entertainment and news to the nightly program, providing the last word on the important issues and most compelling stories of the day.

O'Donnell was an MSNBC political analyst since the network’s launch in 1996 and had previously appeared as a frequent guest host on MSNBC’s primetime programs.

O’Donnell was an Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer for the NBC series The West Wing and creator and executive producer of the NBC series, Mister Sterling.

From 1989 through 1992, O'Donnell served as Senior Advisor to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. In 1992, he was Chief of Staff to the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. From 1993 through 1995 he was the Chief of Staff of the Senate Finance Committee. He first began working with Sen. Moynihan as Director of Communications in the Senator's 1988 re-election campaign.

A writer prior to entering politics and government, O'Donnell published the book Deadly Force (1983), which was adapted as a CBS movie in 1986. He was a political columnist for New York Magazine and has written essays and articles for several publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, People, Spy, and Boston Magazine. O'Donnell has also appeared on NBC News’ Nightly News, Today, Good Morning America, Nightline, and several other programs. Suffolk University awarded O'Donnell an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, in 2001.

Since 2010, O'Donnell has forged a partnership between MSNBC and UNICEF to help kids in Malawi get desks for schoolwork in their school buildings. K.I.N.D., or Kids in Need of Desks, also gives scholarships to girls to help them complete secondary school, so they do not have to drop out if they cannot pay school fees. 

Born in Boston, O'Donnell is a graduate of Harvard College.