John Cotten Towler Sr. (July 5, 1939 – December 16, 2015) was an American Democratic politician, lawyer, screenwriter and actor.

Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, to the former Jane Cotten Nolan and her career United States Army officer husband, William Albert Towler Jr., the family moved several times during his childhood.

Using his GI Bill benefits, Towler received his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center, after also clerking for Virginia Senator William Spong.

Towler married his first wife, Elizabeth Davis, in 1965, and they had three sons (John Jr., Grayson and Everett) before her death in an automobile accident.

In 1971, Towler won election to the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the multi-member 7th district alongside Republican Ray Garland, but only served one term, since fellow Democrat Vic Thomas was the top vote-getter in 1973, and thus served alongside Garland and several other politicians in what became a long legislative career.