Ed Lauter

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Ed Lauter
Born Edward Matthew Lauter II
(1938-10-30)October 30, 1938
Long Beach, New York, U.S.
Died October 16, 2013(2013-10-16) (aged 74)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1968–2013
Spouse(s) 4th wife: Mia Roberts Lauter (January 1, 2005 – October 16, 2013; his death)
Children 4 (total)

Edward Matthew Lauter II (pronounced LAW-tər;[1] October 30, 1938 – October 16, 2013), known as Ed Lauter, was an American actor and stand-up comedian.[2] He appeared in more than 200 films and TV series episodes in a career that spanned over 40 years.[3]

Personal life

Of both German and Irish descent,[4] Lauter was born and raised in Long Beach, New York,[3] the son of Sally Lee, a 1920s Broadway actress and dancer, and Edward Matthew Lauter.[1][5] After graduating from high school, he majored in English Literature in college and received a B.A. degree in 1961 from the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University.[1] While in college, he played basketball.[2]

Career

Lauter's first acting role was a small part in the Broadway production of "The Great White Hope", a boxing drama, in 1968.[2] Before that, he was a stand-up comedian.[2] His screen acting debut was in a 1971 episode of the television series Mannix.[3] His first theatrical film role was in the Western Dirty Little Billy in 1972.[3]

As a character actor, Lauter was known for his 6'2" height and balding looks.[2]

He starred with Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, Karen Black and William Devane in Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot.[1] Hitchcock was impressed by Lauter and asked him to play a major role in the romantic espionage thriller he planned as his next film; the director's failing health and eventual death in 1980 meant that The Short Night never went into production.[6]

Lauter appeared in many films, including half a dozen in 1972 alone. Among Lauter's most prominent film roles were The Longest Yard (a.k.a. The Mean Machine) (1974), King Kong (1976), Magic (1978), Death Hunt (1981), Death Wish 3 (1985), My Blue Heaven (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), Seraphim Falls (2006) and The Artist (2011).

Lauter's TV appearances included the role as the villain sheriff Martin Stillman in the How the West Was Won TV series and guest-performances on Psych, The X-Files (as Mulder's childhood hero, Gemini astronaut Col. Marcus Aurelius Belt in the season 1 episode "Space"), Kojak, The A-Team, Miami Vice, Booker, Charmed, Highlander: The Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation (as Lt. Cmdr. Albert in the season 5 episode "The First Duty"), The Equalizer and ER (with a recurring role as Fire Captain Dannaker).[7]

Death

On October 16, 2013, two weeks before his 75th birthday, Lauter died of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, having been diagnosed five months earlier in May.[2][3][8] Married four times, he is survived by his fourth wife, Mia Lauter, and his four children from previous marriages.[9] He continued to work until a few months before his death, completing roles in several films still to be released after his death.[10]

To honor his work, the Ed Lauter Foundation is being established, which will award a scholarship yearly to aspiring young actors.[3]

Reflecting on his lengthy career, Lauter said in a 2012 interview with the Los Angeles Times:[2]

A lot of people say, "I know you," but they don’t know my name. But I’ve had a great run.
— Ed Lauter,  Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2013, quoting 2012 interview

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "An Interview with Ed Lauter". Shock Cinema (New York City): 3–8, 48. Issue No. 38, published May 2010.  Cover photo, Lauter on bottom in a scene from the 1976 Hitchcock film Family Plot
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Ed Lauter, character actor in films and television, dies at 74". Retrieved October 18, 2013.  Los Angeles Times newspaper, October 17, 2013, " . . . died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles of mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects tissue surrounding internal organs."
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Prolific Character Actor Ed Lauter Dies at 74". Retrieved October 18, 2013.  The Hollywood Reporter online, October 16, 2013
  4. ↑ Stephens, Chuck (May/June 2012). "A Face in the Crowd: Ed Lauter". Film Comment (Film Society of Lincoln Center). Retrieved 2 November 2013. "Of German and Irish descent,..." 
  5. ↑ "General's Role Keeping SCV Acting Veteran Busy"
  6. ↑ "Ed Lauter On FAMILY PLOT & the Vanishing Hitchcock Movie". The Short Knight Hitchcock Blog. March 7, 2011. 
  7. ↑ Ed Lauter at the Internet Movie Database
  8. ↑ "Veteran character actor Ed Lauter dies at age 74". Retrieved October 18, 2013.  San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, October 17, 2013.
  9. ↑ Rogers, John (October 17, 2013). "Veteran Character Actor Ed Lauter Dies at Age 74". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved October 17, 2013. 
  10. ↑ "Character actor Ed Lauter dies at age 74". Fox News. Retrieved October 17, 2013. 

External links

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