Mesothelioma is a deadly disease brought on years after exposure to asbestos. Asbestos-causing mesothelioma doesn’t care who you are, how famous you are, or how many movies or records you’ve made. Famous people who have died from mesothelioma have helped to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos.
Oftentimes, asbestos exposure can be directly linked to specific job occupations, which many people would not associate with celebrities. But, before the world knew such famous actors as Steve McQueen or Ed Lauter, they each were exposed to asbestos, and ultimately succumbed to complications from mesothelioma. Ed Lauter’s recent death from mesothelioma has resulted in a lawsuit in which his family hopes to recover damages due to his untimely death.
During his heyday, Steve McQueen was often referred to as the “king of cool.” After his first big role in The Blob (1958), McQueen continued to enjoy success as an actor with a number of box office hits to follow during the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1970s, McQueen struggled with substance abuse and his health began to decline, but, in spite of this, he continued acting until 1979 when he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Doctors advised McQueen that he likely contracted the aggressive and terminal form of cancer after being exposed to asbestos during his time in the Marines. McQueen ultimately sought alternative treatment for mesothelioma in Mexico, where he would later succumb to the illness.
Actor Paul Gleason, best known for his roles in Trading Places and The Breakfast Club, died on May 27, 2006, at the age of 67 from mesothelioma. It is believed that Gleason was exposed to asbestos as a teenager while working at various building sites with his father.
Most recently, actor Ed Lauter died at the age of 74, as a result of mesothelioma. Unlike his fellow actors, Paul Gleason and Steve McQueen, whose asbestos exposure can be traced to their pre-Hollywood lives, the family of Ed Lauter believes that his exposure is directly related to his work as an actor. In fact, Ed’s widow, Mia Lauter, has filed a lawsuit against some major corporations, such as GE, Ford, and CBS, claiming that her late husband was exposed to asbestos in the very studios in which he acted, and they owned at the time.
Since the first asbestos-related ban by the EPA in 1973, many asbestos-related deaths have occurred. Celebrity cases only differ in that, they gain notoriety whereas many of the people affected will remain unknown. Asbestos-related diagnosis can be difficult for anyone, and locating the source of the exposure can be an equally difficult undertaking. If you, or a loved one, have been recently diagnosed with mesothelioma, or another asbestos-related illness, the attorneys at Cooney & Conway can help you determine your legal rights. Give us a call today!
Notable Deaths from Mesothelioma
1. Actor Ed Lauter (1938-2013)
While many of the celebrities who suffered from mesothelioma contracted the disease from being exposed to asbestos at a young age before they were famous, a lawsuit filed after his death in 2013 claimed that CBS, Ford, GE, and others, were liable after Lauter worked in facilities containing asbestos. Edward Matthew Lauter II had one of those faces. You know you’ve seen him before, but you just can’t place him. A career that started in 1971 with a guest spot on the TV show Mannix in 1971 spanned almost a half-century and over 200 acting credits. Possibly best known for his portrayal of Captain Wilhelm Knauer in the 1974 version of The Longest Yard, as well as the 2005 remake, Lauter worked with everyone from Alfred Hitchcock and Burt Lancaster, to Jim Carrey and Liam Neeson.
2. Actor Paul Gleason (1939-2006)
That was actor Paul Gleason sticking his finger in the face of Jud Nelson, delivering the classic line from an iconic scene in the timeless film of teenage angst, The Breakfast Club.“Don't mess with the bull, young man - you'll get the horns.”
Gleason appeared in 145 movies or television shows in a 50-year acting career. He may be best known as Richard Vernon, the Saturday detention teacher from the 1985 classic, but he was also well-known for other tough-guy roles in such films as Trading Places, Die Hard, Boiling Point, and Miami Blues, as well as dozens of TV guest spots from All My Children to Hill Street Blues, Seinfeld, and Friends.
The veteran actor reportedly contracted mesothelioma working construction jobs as a teenager for his dad in the 1950s, his daughter told the Los Angeles Times after his death in 2006. Gleason passed away only a month after diagnosis.
3. Football Player/Broadcaster/Actor Merlin Olson (1940-2010)
Olson worked on construction sites as a youth and claimed he contracted mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos on those sites. His family settled a lawsuit with several asbestos companies after his death in 2010, covering 10 companies that manufactured or used asbestos.No matter which career he pursued, Merlin Olson was an imposing figure with a Teddy Bear’s sensitivity. Appearing in a record 14-straight NFL Pro Bowls representing the Los Angeles Rams and their “Fearsome Foursome,” the Hall of Fame defensive tackle went on to a successful broadcasting career, working as a college and professional football analyst for several Super Bowls and Rose Bowls. He also had an impressive acting career, appearing in over a dozen movies and television shows.
4. Actor Sean Sasser (1968-2013)
After Zamora’s death in 1994, Sasser became even more of an LGBT advocate and HIV educator. He spoke at the first White House AIDS conference in 1995 and was pointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS by President Bill Clinton.Sean Sasser was an influential AIDS activist and reality TV star who was part of the first real-life gay relationships on television when he and Pedro Zamora were cast members on MTV’s The Real World. Both contracted HIV when they were teenagers.
The one-time pastry chef had no known occupational exposure to asbestos, yet was diagnosed with mesothelioma and succumbed to the disease in 2013.
5. Musician Joe Sample (1939-2014)
Sample died of mesothelioma in 2014 at the age of 75, though it is not known how he contracted the asbestos-related disease.Joe Sample was a musical prodigy, starting to play the piano as a 5-year-old. He went on to have an accomplished career as a pianist and composer. One of the founding members of The Crusaders, the Houston native performed with such legendary performers and groups as Miles Davis, George Benson, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Steely Dan, and the Supremes.
6. Actor Steve McQueen (1930-1980)
Among the hardest hit by deadly exposure to asbestos were those in the military. Legendary actor Steve McQueen was one of those casualties, having been exposed to asbestos as a young man in the construction industry before joining the Marines, where he worked to strip asbestos off pipes on Naval ships.
Best known for ultra-cool roles in such iconic films as The Great Escape, Bullitt, and Papillon, McQueen overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the most famous and revered actors of his time. After his mesothelioma diagnosis in 1979, McQueen underwent a series of traditional and unconventional treatment options. He died of cardiac arrest in 1980.
7. Musician Warren Zevon (1947-2003)
Though he never worked in any environment where asbestos exposure is prevalent, Zevon was diagnosed with mesothelioma after his dentist encouraged him to see a physician about his ever-present symptoms. After his death in 2003, his son Jordan, an award-winning musician in his own right, became a vocal advocate and spokesperson for the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, working to correct widely held misconceptions about asbestos exposure and the deadly disease it causes.Warren Zevon was a Chicago-born singer-songwriter, most widely known for the 1978 hit Werewolves of London. The acerbic rocker gained critical and popular success in the late-1970s and Rolling Stone named Zevon among the most important new artists of the decade.