He was one of the best and most recognizable character actors of the last 40 years. Ed Lauter, 74, has died.
"Lauter discovered in May that he had contracted mesothelioma, a terminal form of cancer most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos, publicist Edward Lozzi told The Hollywood Reporter," the trade publication reports.
The article says "Most recently, Lauter had recurring roles on the Showtime drama ‘Shameless’ as Dick Healey and on USA Network’s ‘Pysch’ as Deputy Commissioner Ed Dykstra. Earlier, he [had a recurring role] on ‘ER,’ playing Fire Captain Dannaker.
"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). He is listed with an incredible 204 acting credits on IMDb."
The Reporter also notes that Lauter "played the butler of Berenice Bejo’s character Peppy in the best-picture Oscar winner ‘The Artist.’ "
For cult movie fans, he’ll be forever remembered as Deborah Foreman’s Father, David Decker, in 1985’s Real Genius…