Ed Asner
Eddie Asner (/ˈæznər/; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor. 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.
Ed Asner | |
|---|---|
Asner in 1977 | |
| Born | Eddie Asner November 15, 1929 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 2021 (aged 91) Tarzana, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Sheffield Cemetery, Kansas City |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago (dropped out) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1957–2021 |
| Works | Full list |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Nancy Sykes
(m. 1959; div. 1988)Cindy Gilmore
(m. 1998; div. 2015) |
| Children | 4 |
| Awards | Full list |
| 21st President of the Screen Actors Guild | |
| In office November 3, 1981 – June 20, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | William Schallert |
| Succeeded by | Patty Duke |
| Military career | |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1951–1953 |
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). His other Emmys were for performances in two miniseries: Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), and Roots (1977).
Asner acted in numerous films such as the western El Dorado (1966), the crime drama They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), and the cop drama Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981). He portrayed Guy Banister in the political thriller JFK (1991), Warren Buffett in the HBO drama film Too Big to Fail (2011), and Santa Claus in several films, including in Elf (2003). He voiced Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's animated film Up (2009).
Asner starred in the ABC sitcom Thunder Alley (1994–1995), and Michael: Every Day (2011–2017). He also acted extensively in numerous television series such as The Practice, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Good Wife, Cobra Kai, Briarpatch, Working Class, and Dead to Me. He also voiced J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998), and Uncle Ben in The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008).