Eric becomes the third Marlboro Man to succumb to a smoking-related illness
Actor Eric Lawson has become the third Marlboro Man cowboy to die of a smoking illness, it was revealed today.
Lawson, 72, had played the rugged puffing character in the cigarette adverts for three years in the late 1970s.
Dozens of real-life cowboys, rodeo riders and actors have played the Marlboro Man in various guises from massive billboards signs, TV adverts and even on the back playing cards.
Two of them, David Millar died of emphysema in 1987, and David McLean, said to have had to smoke five packs a day to give him that “ rugged” look,passed away from lung cancer in 1995.
Wayne McLaren died from lung cancer aged 51 in 1992 after he had appeared in promotional pictures for Marlboro and had sued manufacturers Philip Morris.
The cowboy look was first brought in 1954 to give the filter cigarettes a more manly look.
Latest victim Lawson suffered chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which has been linked to smoking, as well as other ailments.
Lawson, who smoked from the age of 14, died at his home in California’s San Luis Obispo, according to his wife Susan.
As well as the Marlboro adverts, Lawson also appeared in hit US tv shows Baretta, and the Streets of San Francisco. He is also had roles in Charlie’s Angels, Dynasty and Baywatch until his acting career ended in 1997 due to a film set injury.
But Lawson later appeared anti-smoking commercials, using the Marlboro-man look as a parody.
Lawson, 72, had played the rugged puffing character in the cigarette adverts for three years in the late 1970s.
Dozens of real-life cowboys, rodeo riders and actors have played the Marlboro Man in various guises from massive billboards signs, TV adverts and even on the back playing cards.
Two of them, David Millar died of emphysema in 1987, and David McLean, said to have had to smoke five packs a day to give him that “ rugged” look,passed away from lung cancer in 1995.
Wayne McLaren died from lung cancer aged 51 in 1992 after he had appeared in promotional pictures for Marlboro and had sued manufacturers Philip Morris.
The cowboy look was first brought in 1954 to give the filter cigarettes a more manly look.
Latest victim Lawson suffered chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which has been linked to smoking, as well as other ailments.
Lawson, who smoked from the age of 14, died at his home in California’s San Luis Obispo, according to his wife Susan.
As well as the Marlboro adverts, Lawson also appeared in hit US tv shows Baretta, and the Streets of San Francisco. He is also had roles in Charlie’s Angels, Dynasty and Baywatch until his acting career ended in 1997 due to a film set injury.
But Lawson later appeared anti-smoking commercials, using the Marlboro-man look as a parody.