Edward Matthew "Ed" Lauter II (pronounced Law-ter; October 30, 1938 – October 16, 2013) was an American actor and stand up comedian.

Life and career

Lauter was born and raised in Long Beach, Long Island, New York, the son of Sally Lee, who was a Broadway actress and dancer in the 1920s, and Edward Lauter. He was related to actress Elaine Stritch. After graduating from high school, he studied English Literature in college and received a B.A. degree in 1961. He had been married four times, had four children and was married to Mia.

He starred with Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, Karen Black and William Devane in the final film of director Alfred Hitchcock, Family Plot. 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.

Lauter's TV guest appearances included performances on Psych, The X-Files, Kojak, The A-Team, 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).

On October 16, 2013, Lauter died of mesothelioma. He was 74.

Filmography

• The Last American Hero (1973)
• Executive Action (1973)
• The Midnight Man (1974)
• The Longest Yard (1974)
• Breakheart Pass (1975)
• Family Plot (1976)
• King Kong (1976)
• Magic (1978)
• Death Hunt (1981)
• Time Rider (1982)
• Cujo (1983)
• Lassiter (1984)
• Real Genius (1985)
• Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)
• Death Wish 3 (1985)
• Youngblood (1986)
• Raw Deal (1986)
• Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987)
• Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
• The Rocketeer (1991)
• School Ties (1992)
• True Romance (1993)
• Under Wraps (1997)
• Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
• Purple Heart (2005)
• Camille (2007)
• A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper (2007)
• The Artist (2011)