- Born
- Died
- Birth nameEdward Matthew Lauter II
- Height6′ 1½″ (1.87 m)
- Edward Matthew Lauter II was born on October 30, 1938 in Long Beach, New York. In a film career that extended for over four decades, Lauter starred in a plethora of film and television productions since making his big screen debut in the western Dirty Little Billy (1972). He portrayed an eclectic array of characters over the years, including (but not limited to), authority/military figures, edgy villains, and good-hearted heavies. Many will remember him for his appearance as the stern Captain Wilhelm Knauer in The Longest Yard (1974) (Lauter also made a cameo in the 2005 remake). Lauter also worked with Alfred Hitchcock, Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Jim Carrey and Liam Neeson. With a face that seemed to appear without warning everywhere, Lauter remained in demand for roles on both films and television. Ed Lauter died of mesothelioma in his home in Los Angeles, California on October 16, 2013, less than two weeks before his 75th birthday.- IMDb Mini Biography By: aladdinsane85
- SpousesMia(May 26, 2006 - October 16, 2013) (his death)Marnie Melissa Savion(March 16, 1985 - ?) (divorced, 1 child)Jennifer Holmes(1978 - 1984) (divorced, 2 children)Wanda "Future" Fulton(November 1964 - October 31, 1972) (her death)
- ParentsEdward Matthew LauterSally Lee Lauter
- RelativesElaine Stritch(Cousin)
- Often played menacing, sinister villains
- Often played unsavory authority figures
- Often cast as policemen ("True Romance", "Death Wish 3").
- Had appeared with Charles Bronson in four films: Death Wish 3 (1985), Death Hunt (1981), The White Buffalo (1977) and Breakheart Pass (1975).
- Worked as a stand-up comedian before entering films.
- Besides Burt Reynolds, he was the only other actor to appear in both The Longest Yard (1974) and The Longest Yard (2005). He happened to be on the studio that day and Adam Sandler had him added to the golf scene.
- Alfred Hitchcock had planned on using him for one of the leads in his latest film, "The Short Night" (1980), before this was canceled due to the director's declining health. Hitchcock had earlier directed him in his previous film, Family Plot (1976).
- Attended C.W. Post College on a sports scholarship where he played baseball, football and basketball.
- [his definition of a character actor] Someone who's most usually not an 8x10 glossy. You know, not a Steve Stunning. They're characters.
- [on his status as a "recognizable" character actor] Recognizable, but sometimes people don't know my name. They will say, "Oh, yeah! There's that guy! You were in... Jesus Christ... you were in... in..." So in a way it's good - and in a way it's bad.
- One of the tools that an actor has - and it's a trite thing, but you can really use it a lot - is imagination. Really important. And New York City was a great place for me to grow up because I had so many characters to study. I didn't grow up in Oklahoma and then move to the city as an adult and suddenly say, "I want to be an actor." I was around actors all of the time. I was around interesting people - the people of the city.
- [on playing villains or otherwise unsavory authority figures] I like those roles. Lee Marvin once told me, "When you play a heavy, every once in a while make the audience like you a little bit." Then they will think, "Wait a minute, he's not such a bad guy. Did you see the way he petted that dog?".
- [on meeting David Niven] I was really starstruck... He was through shooting for the day so I asked him if we could just take a walk around the Warners' lot and he agreed. And I was so pleased I was going to get some tips from a real star. And, as we walked, he said to me, "Remember, get every penny you can from the sons-of-bitches.".
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