Lawrence Fitzgerald Schneider is a minor character in One Day at a Time. He is Schneider's father. He is portrayed by Alan Ruck.
Personality
Lawrence is similar to Nikki Maxwell, as he is clearly not a good person and only cares about money and making himself look good. He does not care how his actions affect others, especially his son, and has little to no problem in belittling his own flesh and blood, Schneider, about his ’mistakes,’ like how he insults his son about being sensitive.
One example of this is when Schneider stands up to his father and admits he is angry with him because Lawrence never once said ’I love you’ to Schneider his entire life, while Lawrence mocks him on this instead.
This shows that Lawrence is morally corrupt as both a parent and a person, and cares nothing about Schneider, having a very jaded view on how men are and he believes Schneider is a failure for not being like him, showing a rather arrogant and egotistical side. He also seems to have no problem in marrying multiple women and is racist. According to Schneider, his wives are purely there for pleasure or to forget the one before, implying there is a sexist and misogynistic side to his father.
Physical Appearance
Lawrence is a man with grey combed-over hair who is well-dressed and well-groomed. He wears thick black glasses and looks like an older version of his son Schneider.
He is seen wearing a grey suit with a white collared button-down shirt, purple necktie, and dress shoes.
Bio
Lawrence Fitzgerald Schneider is Schneider's father. He has a dysfunctional relationship with his son and does not seem to care about Schneider in the least unless Schneider fits his standards. He calls his son "Golden Boy" or "Goldie" because he was a bed-wetter. He has been married and divorced several times.
Storyline
Season 3
In "The Man," Schneider tells the Alverezes he is stressed about his father's visit as it has been eight years since they last saw each other.
Later, in the living room, Alex and Lydia are getting ready to do laundry. Lydia then says she is excited to do laundry with Alex like they are besties. He then says he's excited too and asks what happened to him. Schneider knocks on the door and is seen wearing a suit. Penelope then asks him since when does he knock on the door and dresses like "American Psycho." Schneider then says he always knocks for tenants as a courtesy seeing that he's a landlord and presents his father Lawrence Fitzgerald Schneider.
Penelope then smiles and shakes Lawrence's hand saying it's very nice to meet him. Lawrence then guesses Penelope must be Avery which Penelope shakes her head no to. Schneider then clarifies Penelope is his tenant and Avery will be arriving soon. Lawrence then expresses relief about this and shakes hands with Alex and Lydia.
Lawerence talks to Lydia in Spanish and tells him his Spanish is very good. Lawrence then says Escobar was an old friend and it's a shame what happened. Lydia looks shocked at this. Alex then introduces himself and complements Lawrence on his suit. Lawrence then thanks him saying a little boy like Alex made it. Upon hearing this Penelope gets ready to take off her earrings and punch Schneider's father in the throat. Schneider restrains Penelope before she can do so.
Lawrence then looks around the apartment and comments that this is what a typical unit looks like. Schneider makes a mad dash to switch off the lights and his father says that's much better. Schneider then gestures towards Alex and Lydia saying it looks like they were about to check out the new top-of-the-line laundry room. As they leave he reminds them not to give him the rent late.
Schneider's father then says he brought his son something. He opens the box he has had in his arms saying it is a bottle of Don Julio Real. Schneider, clearly uncomfortable, says that's very thoughtful of him but reminds his father he is now sober. Schneider puts the box down and hesitantly says it's still alcohol.
There is then a knock at the door. Schneider then says that must be Avery at the door and his father will love her. Schneider opens the door and Avery enters the apartment. Lawrence says that's more like it. Penelope once again gets ready to attack Schneider's father but is once again restrained by Schneider. Avery and Lawrence start talking to each other and it is revealed Lawrence knows Avery's father.
Penelope then looks confused and asks if that conversation was even English. Schneider then tells her it was "cha-ching-lish" as he leaves the apartment.
In the hallway, Schneider tells Penelope he was showing his father the new sconces. Lawrence the compliments Schneider on the renovations and calls him Son—both of which make Schneider happy. Schneider's father then leaves after getting a call from Dick Cheney.
Inside the apartment, Penelope says Lawrence was almost not awful. Schneider then exclaims that Lawrence loves the building. Elena then asks what Lawrence liked the best and Schneider tells her he took credit for her work because it's his father. Schneider then says his father loved Avery, saying she'd make a great first or fifth wife. Elena questions how that is a compliment.
Schneider goes on to explain the cycle of marriage in wealthy society cycles back to breeding. Schneider then says his father thought it was ingenious that he picked the neighborhood he did because property values have gone up. Elena, sounding concerned, explains that's not a great thing—it's gentrification.
Schnider tries to tell her that everything is worth more. Elena explains that property values go up for the owners but the businesses and working-class people get pushed out of their own neighborhoods because they can't afford to pay rent anymore. Schneider excitedly says that's the best news of all because they will be tearing down the apartment and replacing it with condos. He then starts making condo-related puns and dancing but stops in confusion when he realizes Elena and Penelope are not as excited as he is.
Penelope then asks if he's serious. Elena then calls herself the "white devil" realizing her work contributed to gentrification before running to her room.
Penelope, sounding hurt, tells Schneider she thought he was only trying to get through this and is confused that he is now selling the building. Schneider says he knows but Lawrence said some things that made a lot of sense to him and it's a new project they could work on together as father and son. Schneider then tells her he's been waiting for this his entire life.
Penelope points out how this could affect families like the Alvarezes and tells Schneider she's hurt because she and her family invited him into their home and included him in their family but at the end of the day, he doesn't care and just sees them as his tenants. She then asks Schneider to leave which he does sadly.
Later, Penelope goes over to Schneider's apartment and he invites her in. Schneider apologizes saying he doesn't know what to say. Penelope then says it's his building and he caught her off guard. She admits it is a good business decision and if the shoe was on the other foot she would have done the same thing. Penelope then says she knows Schneider can't push his father away because of their friendship.
Penelope says she understands the value of family and reassures Schneider that the Alvarezes will be OK and so will their relationship as friends. Penelope then tells Schneider he doesn't need to try so hard to be the man his father wants him to be because the man he already is fine the way he is.
Lawrence walks in and says he got an appraisal on the units and realizes it's much higher than he thought it would be. Schneider then tells Lawrence he is not going to take the building condo. Both Penelope and Lawrence look shocked by this. Lawrence then says Schneider is screwing up the one thing he has done right in the last twenty years. Schneider then says the building is filled with people he cares about and people who care about him and he does not want to screw that up. Schneider then says he has enough money and doesn't care about that.
Lawrence then says he sent Schneider to school in America so he could forget that polite Canadian crap and learn some decent values. His father then says he's given him everything but Schneider has been a constant disappointment and he has put Schneider through rehab three times. Schneider tells him if he were a better father he would know it was actually five times.
Schneider then says Lawrence has not given him everything as he never once told Schneider he loved him. Lawrence then says he officially gives up on his son and Schneider kicks him out of the building. Once he's gone Penelope says that was amazing and asks where Schneider's newfound confidence comes from. She then invites him over for dinner as she leaves.
Outside, Elena is unscrewing the sconces and Penelope stops her saying they are staying which Elena is grateful to hear. Schneider looks through the peephole to see if Elena and Penelope are gone. He then locks the door. He opens the box containing the Don Julio Real and takes it out and the episode ends with him looking at it crying.
Trivia
- The episode "The Man," episode shows Schneider's alcoholism and how his father may have been a catalyst for him ending his eight-year sobriety.
- In "The Politics Episode" Lawrence is indirectly mentioned when Schneider says he hates his father.
