After dropping out, he took various odd jobs, including being a taxi driver and working on the assembly line for General Motors. When that popular sitcom ended, Asner continued with the. He voiced the lead character Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's Oscar-winning production of Up (2009), starred as Santa in Elf (2003), and played Nicholas Drago in The Games Maker (2014). His TV and movie offers, however, did not slow down. Voice, short film. He had been working in a steel mill,[10] but he quickly switched to drama, debuting as the martyred Thomas Becket in a campus production of T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral. The actor may be gone, but his impressive body of work will be around for a long time to come. He portrayed Santa Claus in several films, including in 2003's Elf. After his divorce from Sykes, Asner got engaged to producer Cindy Gilmore in 1991. Ed Asner was well-decorated throughout his life. JD Knapp. Eddie Asner (/ z n r /; November 15, 1929 - August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild.He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series Lou Grant, making him one of the few television actors to portray the same character in both a comedy and a drama. Charlie. Ed Asner, whose Emmy Award-winning supporting role as the gruff but lovable Lou Grant on the 1970s situation comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" led to his own Emmy Award-winning starring role. Despite his being cast so often as a curmudgeon, it might seem paradoxical that he played Santa Claus a number of times, most famously in Elf (2003). [8][9], Asner attended Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas, and the University of Chicago. PokerNews: When and how did you first learn to play poker? [76] Asner filed for divorce in 2015. A documentary Portrait", "10 actors who have played Santa Claus in movies", "The Soap Myth: A reading of the Jeff Cohen play in celebration of Holocaust Remembrance Day", "Ed Asner Sticks with THE SOAP MYTH for Tour", "Kucinich Blends New Age Aura With Old-School Grit", "Ed Asner Urges Voters to 'Protect Social Security & Medicare from Robber Barons Who Looted America to Pay for the Wars', "Behind The Fear The Hidden Story of HIV", "Ed Asner play A Man and His Prostate is full of healthy laughs", "Ed Asner Family Center offers programming and special-needs support", "Would you still sign the 9/11 Truth petition? In . [63], In April 2004, Asner wrote an open letter to "peace and justice leaders" encouraging them to demand "full 911 truth" through the organization 9-11 Visibility Project. As Uncle Ben, Asner showed some real . Asner lived quite the life throughout his 91 years, and there are numerous bullet points that tend to get glossed over in the process. Heard the great #EdAsner has passed away.One of the greats in show bizz history.Worked all the way till the end.In fact he did a reading with my bro Daniel just weeks ago.Thanks for all you taught us acting, activism & autism.Please make a donation to the @EdAsnerCenter pic.twitter.com/bvlHYebnVV. His first marriage was to Nancy Sykes from 1959 to 1988. Asner finally got his big break in 1970, in the tremendously popular sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. At the time of his death in 2021, Asner had completed several roles in a number of TV series and films that were released posthumously, including three works released on the Disney+ streaming service, he reprised his voice as Carl Fredricksen from the Pixar film Up in the streaming animated series Dug Days, which premiered just three days after his death, Asner played the role of Claude in the Halloween special Muppets Haunted Mansion,[citation needed] and provided the voice of Grandpa Heffley in the 2022 animated film adaptation Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, released over a year after his death. Ed Asner, a burly and prolific character actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later in the drama . By Sydney Odman August 29, 2021 11:05am CBS/Photofest As the. Corrections? The film was released in 2016 with Asner as the narrator. He was 91. Disney+. [32][33] In July 2010, Asner completed recording sessions for Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders; a documentary on the 1974 DeFeo murders in Amityville, New York. Peaky Blinders's Cillian Murphy and his wife Yvonne McGuinness keep love life discreet, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}, Ethan William Childress as Rowley Jefferson. He starred in Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays, on CBC Television and appeared in The Glades. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. Asner is the most honored male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven five for portraying Lou Grant (three as Supporting Actor in a Comedy Television Series on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and two as Lead Actor in a Dramatic Television Series on spin-off Lou Grant). Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen. Asner voiced an elderly widower in animated hit Up, Ed Asner (L), Ted Knight and Mary Tyler Moore, Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Mbappe breaks PSG goal record in win over Nantes, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty. He was 91. When they finally sent me overseas to France not Korea! More recently, he was featured in Elf as Santa. In addition to appearing on screen and stage, he performed extensive work for radio, video games and animated TV series. Asner guest-starred as Guy Redmayne in the sixth season of The Good Wife. At the same time, he started to appear in feature films in secondary roles, mostly as cops. The films screenwriter and author of the books, Jeff, was recently interviewed by Laughing Place and was asked what it was like to have the late Ed be part of the production: It was really amazing and humbling. In 1977, after Moore's series ended, Asner's character was given his own show, Lou Grant (197782). [43], In 2018, Asner was cast in the Netflix dark comedy, Dead to Me, which premiered on May 3, 2019. Actor Ed Asner, star of Lou Grant and The Mary Tyler Moore show, has died at 91. Ed had an estimated net worth of $10 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. Ed Asner, actor, born 15 November 1929; died 29 August 2021, Actor and activist who starred as an irascible journalist in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff drama series Lou Grant, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. What science tells us about the afterlife. His character served to counteract the horrific treatment endured by the slaves, which was depicted in graphic detail. He played a prominent role in the 1980 SAG strike. Gilmore filed for legal separation on November 7, 2007. Also, Im not a leading man, so it would be a harder sell.. [71][72] Asner was a parent and a grandparent to autistic children and was involved with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Autism Speaks. Added to this, Asner transformed the comic persona into a serious newsman, uncompromising in his defence of press freedom and, despite his gruff exterior, genuinely caring about people. He didn't stick around the organization for long. Five years later, he made his debut on the Great White Way in the courtroom drama Face of a Hero, co-starring alongside Jack Lemmon. The show had high ratings, being in the ACNielsen top ten throughout its final month on the air. Putting names to archive photos, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. His family posted the news on his Twitter account. Among Asners numerous awards and nominations were five Golden Globe Awards (1972, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980), seven Emmys (1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980), and a SAG Life Achievement Award (2001). He also starred in one episode of the western series Dead Man's Gun (1997), as well as portraying art smuggler August March in an episode of the original Hawaii Five-O (1975) and reprised the role in the Hawaii Five-0 (2012) remake. He performed on television throughout the 1960s, in shows such as the crime drama Naked City (195863; in the 1961 season), the mobster drama The Untouchables (195963; in the 196263 season), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (196265; in the 1963 season), and the short-lived but critically acclaimed political drama Slatterys People (196465; in the 1964 season). Asner was adamantly opposed to such a merger, arguing that the planned merger would destroy the SAG's health plan and disempower actors. Asner's loved ones shared the news with his fans, writing on his personal Twitter account: We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Ed passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 91 on August 29, 2021. Even though Asner was able to play Peter's cantankerous quasi-father figure, he did get a brief shot at Peter's more loving one in Spectacular Spider-Man. The ever-defiant Asner did not mellow with age. For the untold truth of Ed Asner, keep reading. [15], Asner was best known for his character Lou Grant, who was first introduced on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. Asner moved to Hollywood in 1961 and began his acclaimed career in television and film. Theirs was the only Jewish family in the neighbourhood, so the young Ed learned to defend himself both vocally and physically. Hollywood legend Ed Asner has died. The tribute is particularly touching considering that Ed voiced the character of Grandpa Heffley in Rodrick Rules; its his only credit in the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid franchise and is the actors last credited role overall. The 91-year-old was the most honored male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having. Asner's representative confirmed the actor's death in an email to The Associated Press. During one interview with The Tennessean in 2017, Ed admitted he didn't realize Charlie had autism at first, but learning about his son inspired him to advocate. Well, it now has a sequel that shares the very same title as the aforementioned follow-up to the original. [56], Asner was on the Entertainment Board of Directors for The Survivor Mitzvah Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing direct emergency aid to elderly and impoverished Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe. It all sounds like an episode of Lou Grant, in which, at Lous instigation, star reporters Joe Rossi (Robert Walden) and Billie Newman (Linda Kelsey) gathered facts about how pressure groups force a TV network to cancel a show because of the political leanings of its star. ", "A letter to the Peace and Justice movement from Ed Asner", "Architects and Engineers: Solving the Mystery of WTC 7", "A Structural Reevaluation of the Collapse of WTC Building 7", "SAG-AFTRA: Dismissal Formalized In SAG-AFTRA Merger Lawsuit", "Asner Admits Baby Boy Is His Illegitimate Child", "Autism seen as asset, not liability, in some jobs", "Ed Asner's Second Wife Seeks Separation", "Ed Asner Files For Divorce 8 Years After Separating From Wife", "Ed Asner, Emmy-Winning 'Lou Grant' Star, Dies at 91", "Ed Asner Dead: Lou Grant on 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' Was 91", "In private ceremony, Hollywood actor Ed Asner buried with family in Kansas City", "Hollywood mourns Ed Asner: 'You made and will continue to make this world a better place' Was 91", "Ed Asner: Lou Grant and Up actor dies aged 91", "Greg Weisman's tribute to Asner summed up in short words", "Zooey Deschanel pays sweet tribute to Elf co-star after his death", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor Television, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ed_Asner&oldid=1142651202, American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent, American people of Russian-Jewish descent, American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent, Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners, Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners, Members of the Democratic Socialists of America, Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners, Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2022, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. So, who is Ed Asner? A movie adaptation followed in 2010 and we have seen three live-action sequels since. [65][66], On March 30, 2012, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) completed a merger of equals, forming a new union SAG-AFTRA. L-R: Matt Asner, Ed Asner, Navah Paskowitz-Asner. [67] Asner and a group of fellow actors and voice-actors, including Martin Sheen and Ed Harris, filed (but later dropped) a lawsuit against SAG president Ken Howard and several SAG vice presidents, seeking to have the merger overturned, and the two unions separated to their pre-merger organizations. Asner continued to rack up television roles in the 21st centuryincluding in the series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (200607) and Dead to Me (2019 )along with occasional feature film roles, including one as Santa Claus in the 2003 movie Elf. Tickets and info:$75, anvilcentre.com At 88 years old Ed Asner is still a real trouper.. Asner was among the numerous sympathetic, even beloved, white TV stars enlisted to play unsympathetic roles in ABC's iconic 1977 slave-trade saga "Roots." Asner was transformed into the . Ed Asner died at the age of 91 on Aug. 29. [5] The youngest of five children, his four older siblings were: Ben J. Asner (19151986), Eve Asner (19162014), Esther Edelman (19192014) and Labe Asner (19232017). Ed Asner was an American actor who got his big break when he landed the part of gruff newsman Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Years later, Asner commented, I still find resistance to putting me in movies. Since it premiered on Disney+ on Friday, December 2nd 2022, audiences have been curious about the tribute paid to Ed Asner in Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. During the 1980s his work included appearances in eight made-for-television movies and starring roles in two television series, the sitcom Off the Rack (198485) and the prime-time drama The Bronx Zoo (198788). Updated on: August 29, 2021 / 9:05 PM / CBS/AP Ed Asner, the burly and prolific character actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit. [2], Before he landed his role with Mary Tyler Moore, Asner guest-starred in television series including four episodes of The Untouchables starring Robert Stack, the syndicated crime drama Decoy, starring Beverly Garland, and Route 66 in 1962 (the episode titled "Welcome to the Wedding") as Custody Officer Lincoln Peers. [25][26], Asner provided the voice of the main protagonist Carl Fredricksen in the Academy Award-winning Pixar film Up (2009). Asner was born in Kansas City, Missouri, into a traditional Orthodox Jewish family, the son of Lizzie (nee Seliger), and Morris David Asner, a poor immigrant junk man what would be known in Britain as a rag and bone man who described himself to his friends as being in the used materials business. Ed Asner: 12 of His Most Memorable Roles The Hollywood Reporter remembers the Emmy award-winning actor, who died Sunday at age 91. Ed Asner passed away on August 29, 2021, at age 91. CBS maintained that his spinoff show "Lou Grant"was canceled after five seasons due to low ratings (via Wall Street-Journal). At the time of his death, Ed is survived by his four children, and grandchildren who we are sure will continue their father's legacy. But if you only associate the actor . Ed Asner, you were one of a kind. He is also seen in films such as 2009s. Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken. [62] Asner also narrated the documentary film The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror. Asner provided the voice of famed American orator Edward Everett in the 2017 documentary film The Gettysburg Address. Looking back, it is a wonder the show lasted five years, and that Asner remained a star and in work. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. "This dream is to establish an oasis of creativity in every neurodivergent community," Ed wrote on the organization's website. Built like the football lineman he once was, the balding Asner was a journeyman actor in films and TV when he was hired in 1970 to play Lou Grant on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." From this marriage, Ed had three children: twins Matthew and Liza and Kate Asner. In 1996, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and in 2002 received the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award. Asner continued to appear regularly on television, taking on two weekly sitcoms, Hearts Afire (1992-93) and Thunder Alley (1994-95), atypically cast in the latter show as an ineffective grouch who is easily dominated by his daughter and grandchildren. 2023 BBC. No. Asners political activism coincided with the cancellation of Lou Grant, an event he believed had not been coincidental. [2], The sudden cancellation of Lou Grant in 1982 was the subject of much controversy. Dozens of rightwing organisations asked their members to boycott the products that sponsored the show. Ed Asner, who has died aged 91, will always be associated with the irascible but kindly crusading city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune, although he had a career that stretched back to the. Director: Brian Connors | Stars: Edward Asner, Dan Lauria, Ernest Harden Jr., Arthur Peng 5. Asner believed that his left-wing political views, as well as the publicity surrounding them, were the actual root causes for the show's cancellation. A seven-time Emmy recipient, Asner remains best known for his 1970s portrayal of newsman Lou Grant, both on TV's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its esteemed spinoff, "Lou Grant." But the scope. After moving to Chicago in the 1950s, he was briefly a member of the Playwrights Theatre Club until he went to New York to try his luck. Asner continued to appear in TV shows, such as The Good Wife and Bones, even in the last years of his life. Ed pic.twitter.com/AuGCNlyNnC. In 1987, he had a fourth child named Charles with a woman named Carol Jean Vogelman. The latter played a nun who at one point stages a sit-in at a grocery store because the prices are unfair. Asner was estimated to be worth $10million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. [36] In 2013, he guest starred as Mr. Finger in The Crazy Ones. Asner was married two times throughout his life. After being drafted and serving in the U.S. Army (195153), Asner was beckoned back to Chicago. [59], In November 2017, The Ed Asner Family Center was founded by Asner's son, Matt, and daughter-in-law, Navah Paskowitz. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. The following is the complete filmography of the American actor, voice artist, and former president of the Screen Actors Guild Ed Asner. [52] He was also active in a variety of other causes, such as the movement to free Mumia Abu-Jamal and the movement to establish California One Care, single-payer health care in California, for which he created a television advertisement. Asner is an Emmy award-winning actor most prominently known for playing Lou Grant in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and soon after his spin-off Lou Grant series. Asner suspected it was the network getting back at him for being so outspoken about some controversial issues. [64] In 2011, Asner hosted the Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth documentary on the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, which endorsed the conspiracy theory that the building was taken down by controlled demolition. [11], Asner served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1951 to 1953 and appeared in plays that toured Army bases in Europe. [39][40] Asner was the voice-over narrator for the 2016 documentary Behind the Fear: The Hidden Story of HIV, directed by Nicole Zwiren, a controversial study on the AIDS debate. American actress, producer, and screenwriter. As he said in an interview with Vulture, "We realized that we wouldn't be part of the glory of World War II, but we'd be part of the g***amned draft system. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Asner. [3] In 2007, he voiced the main villain Krad in Christmas Is Here Again. Published on August 29, 2021 02:13 PM. In 1991, Ed was engaged to producer Cindy Gilmore, and they married in 1998. Truth", "Ed Asner, Emmy-Winning Star of 'Lou Grant' and 'Up', Dies at 91", The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, "Ed Asner's Still Crusty After All These Years", "Ed Asner (19292021) A Lion in Underpants", "Late-Night Lox, Vodka, and Banana Cream Pie With Ed Asner", "The Virginian Season 1 Episode 26: Echo of Another Day", "Ed Asner Dies: TV Icon Who Played Lou Grant Was 91", "Ed Asner To Reprise Role From Original 'Hawaii Five-0' In The Series' CBS Reboot", "A Saga of Slavery That Made The Actors Weep", "Ed Asner Satisfied with John XXIII Portrayal in TV Series Den katolske kirke", https://www.audiopub.org/2000-audies-award, https://www.grammy.com/artists/ed-asner/92, "Ed Asner talks acting at 89, pursuing the truth and bringing 'The Soap Myth' to Tampa", "12 Actors Over 80 Still Killing It in Hollywood, From Ed Asner to Morgan Freeman (Photos)", "Ed Asner's Career Television & Film Career: A Photo Gallery", "Edward Asner 2001 Life Achievement Recipient Screen Actors Guild Awards", "Hall of Fame Archives: Inductees Academy of Television Arts & Sciences", "Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders", "Exclusive: Ed Asner Heads to The Crazy Ones", "Behind the Fear, the hidden story of HIV", "Ed Asner & More Wrap Up 2015 Garden State Film Festival", "Ed Asner dies: TV's Lou Grant, 'Elf,' 'Up' star, 91, won seven Emmys", "Ed Asner: On Stage and Off. Ed Asner, who has died aged 91, will always be associated with the irascible but kindly crusading city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune, although he had a career that stretched back to the 1950s and continued long after Lou Grant was axed. The series also stars Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, and James Marsden. We're talking real life, and a . Tributes paid to Mash co-creator Gene Reynolds, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Inside the enclave surrounded by pro-Russia forces, China looks at reforms to deepen Xi's control, 'The nurses wanted me to feel guilty about my abortion, From Afghan TV fame to a US factory floor. [77], Asner died of natural causes at his home in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on the morning of August 29, 2021, at the age of 91. Cookies help us deliver our Services. "[27] He appeared in the mid- to late-2000s decade in a recurring segment on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, entitled "Does This Impress Ed Asner? Actress Markie Post, known for her roles in Night Court and The Fall Guy . No one like him.". The animated movie concludes with a tribute card that reads "In Memory of ED ASNER 1929 - 2021" and refers to the beloved American actor. Omissions? [74][75], Asner became engaged to producer Cindy Gilmore in 1991. Ed Asner was an American actor, screenwriter, and a president of the Screen Actors Guild. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. The performance, which is available for free, world-wide live-streaming, co-stars Tovah Feldshuh, Ned Eisenberg, and Liba Vaynberg. Thomas Siroleo in the 1963 episode of The Outer Limits titled "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork" and the reprehensible ex-premier Brynov in the 1965 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode "The Exile". He won three Emmy Awards (1971, 1972, 1975) for his performances over seven seasons. Asner is an American actor, voice artist, and a former president of the Screen Actors Guild. The Emmy Winner With the Most Wins of All Time Might Surprise You, Jessica Walter Died at Age 80, but the Spirit of Lucille Bluth Lives on Here's a Look at Some of Her Best Moments, Carl's Fate in 'Up' May Be a Little More Tragic, According to an Internet Theory. He was cast on Jack Lord's ABC drama series Stoney Burke and in the series finale of CBS's The Reporter, starring Harry Guardino. [7] He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family and given the Hebrew name Yitzhak. "Words cannot express the sadness we feel. They married on August 2, 1998. As a voice actor, he voiced Roland Daggett and Granny Goodness in the DC Animated Universe and J. Jonah Jameson in the 1994 Spider-Man series. [48] Beginning in 2016, Asner took on the role of Holocaust survivor Milton Salesman in Jeff Cohen's acclaimed play The Soap Myth in a reading at Lincoln Center's Bruno Walter Theatre in New York City. [80], Numerous celebrities paid tribute to Asner, including Maureen McCormick, George Takei, Mark Hamill, Michael McKean, Bradley Whitford, Josh Gad, Mia Farrow, Andy Richter, Katie Couric, Denis O'Hare, Mira Sorvino, Eric Stonestreet, Niecy Nash, Yvette Nicole Brown, Michael Moore, Rosario Dawson, Rosanna Arquette,[81] Ben Stiller, The Muppets, William Baldwin,[82] Greg Weisman,[83] William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Bill Farmer, and Zooey Deschanel.[84]. At the same time, Asner started to get a lot of work as a voice actor on animated TV series (Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Zorro, The Boondocks, Gargoyles, The Cleveland Show, for example), and animated features, notably Up (2009), beautifully exploiting the gruff persona that was the protective stance of a private, sensitive person. His most public agenda was his fight to hamper the U.S. governments involvement in Central America, particularly in El Salvador, a position that put him at odds with fellow SAG member Charlton Heston. [30], In 2001, Asner was the recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. On August 29, 2021, the world lost one of its most celebrated talents. In 1961 Asner left New York for Los Angeles, where he turned to television acting. Thank you Mr. Asner. Ed Asner, original name in full Yitzhak Edward Asner, also called Edward Asner, (born November 15, 1929, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.died August 29, 2021, Los Angeles, California), American actor known for his trademark husky voice and his role as Lou Grant, a gruff news producer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77). It won Best Short Documentary at the New York City Independent Film Festival. In a 2019 interview, when speaking about the soliloquy he had, he elaborated, "The verse is gorgeous. #RIP," Hamill said. Indeed, his newfound fame as Grant did not, initially, gain him many roles on the big screen. Performing as part of an ensemble cast that included Betty White, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Cloris Leachman, and Valerie Harper, Asner played the role of Lou Grant, the headstrong but endearing boss of a local television news station at which Mary Richards (played by Mary Tyler Moore) worked.