Actor Ed Lauter has passed away on Wednesday at the age of 74 after a long battle with cancer. Lauter had a rare form of it, mesothelioma, which is commonly obtained through exposure to asbestos.
The character actor’s resume includes small parts in television such as Miami Vice, Charlie’s Angels, The X Files, Grey’s Anatomy, Law and Order and more, and his most recognizable role is probably Captain Knauer in The Longest Yard.
Despite being diagnosed with cancer, Lauter worked right up until his death. He was in the Oscar winning film The Artist and he had three films that haven’t even been released yet, CNN reports.
Lauter discovered he had mesothelioma in May, his publicist Edward Lozzi confirmed to THR.
Lauter, a graduate of C.W. Post on Long Island, who went there on a basketball scholarship, was apparently a man of many talents. He was also a stage actor and made his Broadway debut in 1968 in The Great White Hope. He also dabbled in stand-up.
Lozzi said of Lauter, “He was a pal, not just a PR client. His former stand-up comedy days would always entertain us behind the scenes with his most incredible impersonations. He called me as Clint Eastwood from the set of Trouble With the Curve last year. We really thought it was Eastwood!”