Armand “Army” Archerd, a Variety columnist and Hollywood personality for more than 50 years, died recently from mesothelioma. Archerd was considered a journalist of exceptional integrity and his column was read daily by movers and shakers in the industry.
Over the years, Archerd interviewed and wrote about the biggest names in the business including Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, and Warren Beattie, among many others. In 1985, Archerd broke the Rock Hudson AIDS story, and in 1992 he made public Julia Robert’s breaking-off of her engagement with Keifer Sutherland.
Archerd also served as the greeter and interviewer on the red carpet of the Academy Awards for nearly five decades. In 1984, he was given a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, just outside Mann’s Chinese Theater. He was one of the first journalists to receive the honor.
Archerd fought mesothelioma for five years, with the last two years being particularly difficult. Archerd’s five year fight with mesothelioma is remarkable, as the average survival time after diagnosis is one year. His wife Selma said that Army believed he developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while working in shipyards during his service in the Navy during World War II.
It is not publicly known if Archerd sought legal representation from a mesothelioma attorney for his disease, or if his wife will seek it on behalf of his estate now that he has passed. While we don’t know the details of his exposure and illness, our mesothelioma attorneys have represented numerous veterans as they sought financial compensation from asbestos companies that supplied the military and have won.
Tags: asbestos, mesothelioma, navy
