Ed Lauter Dies: Veteran Character Actor Died At 74 From Rare Cancer

We've all seen him as the brutal prison guard who was Burt Reynolds' nemesis in the 1974 comedy-drama "The Longest Yard," or as the sleazy gas station attendant in Alfred Hitchcock's last film, "The Family Plot." Maybe as 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 in "Death Wish 3," or more recently as the butler to Berenice Bejo's French ingenue in the 2011 Oscar-winning film "The Artist."

Still doesn't ring a bell? You might have caught him in small roles in TV shows such as "Kojak," "Charlie's Angels," "Magnum P.I.," "Miami Vice," "The X-Files," "Law and Order," "ER," and "Grey's Anatomy." The list goes on. The truth is, Ed Lauter made quite an impression in Hollywood, and today, the industry mourns his loss, as he passed away Wednesday at age 74 of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure, his publicist said. Lauter was one of those character actors whose name is unknown but is instantly recognizable, as he is listed with an incredible 204 credits as an actor on IMDb.

A native of Long Beach, N.Y., Lauter made his TV debut on a 1971 episode of "Mannix" and arrived on the big screen for the first time in the Western "Dirty Little Billy" (1972). However, Lauter, who went to college on a basketball scholarship at C.W. Post on Long Island and worked as a stand-up comic, made his Broadway debut first, in the original 1968 stage production of "The Great White Hope" starring James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander. Lauter also was known to do excellent impersonations of Burt Lancaster, George C. Scott, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart.

"What good fortune to be married to a man who so easily combined love, kindness, caring and a sense of humor ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous," said his wife of eight years, Mia. "Our marriage, as they say in the business, was one hell of a run. I'll miss him dearly as well as his family and countless friends. Ed Lauter really mattered." She added that The Ed Lauter Foundation and a scholarship fund is being established to honor his work, and the scholarship will be awarded annually to aspiring young actors. Mia asks that donations be made to the foundation.

Lauter, who continued to work until a few months ago, had completed roles in three films still to be released, "The Town That Dreaded Sundown," "Becker's Farm" and "The Grave."