May God bless you and your...
A belated farewell my friend. Thanks for the memories and encouragement ! Rip Ed
Nancy Hawthorne
October 11, 2019 | Las Vegas, NV | Friend
1938 - 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Veteran character actor Ed Lauter, whose long, angular face and stern bearing made him an instantly recognizable figure in scores of movies and TV shows during a career that stretched across five decades, died Wednesday. He was 74.
Lauter died of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer most commonly caused by asbestos exposure, said his publicist, Edward Lozzi.
Whether he was an irascible authority figure, a brutal thug or a conniving con man, Lauter's presence made him all but impossible to miss in any film he was in. That was so even on those occasions when he was playing a character more bumbling than menacing, although menacing was clearly his forte.
He was the brutal prison guard who was Burt Reynolds' nemesis in the 1974 comedy-drama "The Longest Yard" and the sleazy gas station attendant in Alfred Hitchcock's last film, "The Family Plot." In "Death Wish 3," he was the violent cop who teams with Charles Bronson's vigilante to rid New York City's streets of criminals, not by incarcerating them but by killing them.
More recently he was the butler to Berenice Bejo's French ingenue in the 2011 Oscar-winning film "The Artist."
Lauter described himself in a 2010 interview with Cinema Shock magazine as a "turn" actor, someone who shows up at some point in the film and suddenly turns the plot in a different direction.
He credited the cast of real-life characters he grew up observing in his native Long Beach, New York, as inspiring many of the characters he would go on to portray.
He laughed at being someone frequently recognized in public for his roles.
"But sometimes people don't know my name," he said. "They'll say, 'Oh, yeah! There's that guy! You were in ... you were in ... "
He was in "Trouble With the Curve" in 2011 with Clint Eastwood and in "Born on the Fourth of July" with Tom Cruise. He was also in "The New Centurions" with George C. Scott and in "My Blue Heaven," ''Revenge of the Nerds 2" and "Not Another Teenage Movie," among many other films.
TV appearances included "The Office," ''ER," ''Murder, She Wrote" and "The Rockford Files."
Among his favorite roles, he said in 2010, was "The Longest Yard."
He recalled that director Robert Aldrich told him he didn't have to read for the part but would have to accompany Aldrich to a nearby park so the director could ensure that he could throw a football like a quarterback would. When he hit former NFL receiver Pat Studstill, who was a stuntman in the movie, right in his jersey number with the first pass, Lauter said Aldrich told him he had the job.
Lauter, who continued to work until a few months ago, had completed roles in several films still to be released.
He is survived his wife, Mia, and four children.
JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press
Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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A belated farewell my friend. Thanks for the memories and encouragement ! Rip Ed
Nancy Hawthorne
October 11, 2019 | Las Vegas, NV | Friend
God is a God of all Comfort and he will Comfort the Family's...My condolences to the lauter Family's..
September 14, 2019
Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.
August 01, 2018 | Ellenwood, GA
Rest Ed, until you hear at dawn,
the low, clear reveille of God.
Thank you for your service to this nation.
Harry Simpson
October 16, 2017 | Buckeye, AZ
I am a little bit late to this site. I was a little surprised to hear of Mr. Lauter's passing. He always seemed so strong and healthy in his many roles on screen. I saw him in so many movies. He was so versatile, as well as being so good at his profession. He was a credit to his craft and leaves a terrific legacy. My belated condolences to his family.
Mike Hillman
March 19, 2017 | Harper Woods, MI
Valenda Newell
November 09, 2016 | Indianapolis, IN
I was friends with Ed, everytime I saw him on the screen/tv I couldn't tell you why but "The Rockford Files" comes to mind and so does Charles Bronson in the DW#3.he was just enjoyable to watch.
May God Bless you his family and thank you for sharing him with us.
TonyW.Lee (Poplar Bluff.MO).
July 17, 2016
May God be for you a refuge and supply you with strength, comfort, and peace to endure in the days ahead.
October 16, 2015 | NC
Jeez only found out few days ago this iconic actor is no more.But his legend lives on.RIP
Tariq Ali
April 07, 2015 | Birmingham United Kingdom