Ed Lauter Passes Away

Ed Lauter Passes Away

Ed Lauter, whose career spans across five decades, has died at the age of 74.

The veteran character actor died mesothelioma, which is a rare kind of cancer that is mainly caused through exposure to asbestos. The along, angular face of Lauter makes him an easily recognizable figure in numerous movies and television shows in his career.

Although he may play a character that is bumbling rather than menacing, his specialty was playing the role of an intimidating character in movies or TV shows.

He played a prison guard opposite Burt Reynolds on the 1974 movie, “The Longest Yard.”

He teamed up with the vigilante played by Charles Bronson on “Death Wish 3.” One of his most recent roles was a butler on the Oscar winning movie, “The Artist,” in 2011. During an interview in 2010, Ed Lauter revealed that he was a “turn” actor or an actor who turns the plot when he shows up on the movie.

A number of real-life characters in Long Beach were credited by Lauter as his inspiration for the roles that he portrayed in movies. He also revealed that people normally recognize him in public due to the roles that he played.

Some of his past movies include, “Born on the Fourth of July,” Trouble With the Curve,” The New Centurions,” and “Revenge of the Nerds 2.”

He also appeared in a number of television shows, including “The Rockford Files,” “Murder She Wrote,” and “The Office.” Ed Lauter revealed during his 2010 interview that “The Longest Yard” was among his favorite roles.

He said that he had to accompany director Robert Aldrich to a part where he was asked to throw a football. He got the role when he was able to hit the jersey number of former NFL player Pat Studstill on his first pass. Studstill was a stuntman on the movie.

Ed Lauter was able to complete a number of movies before he died.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Saturday October 19 2013, 9:41 AM EST. Ref: USA Today. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0