She is best known for her role as the lady-in-waiting Anne Parr in the Showtime historical fiction television series The Tudors.
After graduating, she appeared in the Ian Fitzgibbon-directed TV movie Showbands II produced by Parallel/RTÉ and made her theatre debut in Adrenalin, directed by Karl Shiels, as Boo for Semper Fi Theatre Company at the Dublin Theatre Festival Fringe.
Also, she appeared in The Worst Thing directed by Eoghan McLaughlin at Andrew's Lane Studio, God’s Grace directed, again by Karl Shiels for Semper Fi Theatre Company, and also appeared as Bianca in a Second Age production of Othello directed by Alan Stanford and as Miranda in The Tempest directed by Pat Kiernan for the Corcadorca Theatre Company.
She continued her theatrical appearance as Betty Paris in the acclaimed production of The Crucible directed by Patrick Mason at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin.
Lawlor also appeared as Shirley in Inspector George Gently featuring Martin Shaw, directed by Euros Lyn for BBC One.