Lawrence Wheaton Gates (September 24, 1915 – December 12, 1996) was an American actor.

His notable roles include H.B. Lewis on daytime's Guiding Light and Doc Baugh in the film version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). He played the role of H.B. from 1983 to 1996 and won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor at the 1985 awards. (He had previously played the role of District Attorney Eric Van Gelder on Guiding Light in 1977 and 1978.)

Gates may be best remembered for his role in the 1967 film version of In the Heat of the Night, where his character Eric Endicott is part of a famous scene involving him slapping Sidney Poitier's face and getting slapped in return.

Early years
Gates was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As a chemical engineering student at the University of Minnesota, he acted in student plays. Some of his early acting experience came at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. His interest in acting led him to change his collegiate focus, and "he ultimately concluded his college career with a speech major".