Mesothelioma News ‘Artist’ Actor Ed Lauter Dies of Rare Form of Cancer at 74 By Mesothelioma News October 17, 2013 October 17, 2013 Mesothelioma News Ed Lauter, the famous American actor who played the butler in the 2012 Oscar-winning movie “The Artist”, passed away at his home in , Wednesday. ‘Artist’ Actor Ed Lauter Dies of Rare Form of Cancer at 74 Hazardous asbestos was treated in RLM, but asbestos elsewhere on campus does not pose threat