Actor Ed Lauter, whose television appearances include ER, Law and Order, Grey’s Anatomy, and Charlie’s Angels, has died at the age of 74. According to Lauter’s publicist, the veteran television and movie actor passed away after his battle with a rare form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

“What good fortune to be married to a man who so easily combined love, kindness, caring and a sense of humor ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous,” Luter’s wife, Mia, told The Wrap. “Our marriage, as they say in the business, was one hell of a run. I’ll miss him dearly as well as his family and countless friends. Ed Lauter really mattered.”

Lauter’s most recent role was a butler in 2011’s Oscar-winning film The Artist as well as Clint Eastwood’s Trouble With the Curve, the Associated Press reports. During a 2010 interview, he admitted his favorite role was alongside Burt Reynolds in 1974’s The Longest Yard.

The native of Long Beach, N.Y., will be featured in three movies set to be released some time in the next two years, CNN reported. He is survived by his wife Mia and his four children. A charitable foundation including an annual scholarship fund has already been established in his honor.

According to the American Cancer Society, mesothelioma is a type of cancer, usually caused by asbestos exposure, which can develop in different areas of the body including the chest, abdomen, and space around the heart.

Mesothelioma diagnoses are considered rare; however, an increase in cases between the 1970s and 1990s was noticed. Around 3,000 people each year are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the U.S.