Ed Asner: Lou Grant and Up actor dies aged 91
ITAHARI: AUGUST 31 – Ed Asner, best-known for playing fictional TV newsman Lou Grant, has died aged 91.
The actor, whose roles also included voicing the lead in the Pixar film Up, passed away “peacefully” on Sunday morning, his family said.
“Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head – goodnight dad. We love you.”
The character Lou Grant was first introduced as Mary Richards’s boss on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s.
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, was among those who paid tribute to Asner on Twitter.
“A great man…a great actor… a great life. Thank you Mr. Asner. #RIP,” Hamill said.
Comedy actor Ben Stiller added: “Sending love to the great Ed Asner’s family. An icon because he was such a beautiful, funny and totally honest actor. No one like him.”
The character of Lou Grant, the irascible editor of the fictional Los Angeles Tribune, later became a character in a show in his own right from 1977 to 1982.
The role helped earn Asner seven Emmy awards across his career, a record for a male performer.
In 2009, he became known to a new generation of audiences by playing elderly widower Carl Fredricksen in the animated hit Up.
He also played Santa Claus in the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy Elf.
Documentary filmmaker
Michael Moore shared an anecdote about his first interaction with Asner in his tribute to the late actor on Twitter.
Making my 1st film, Roger & Me, I was broke so I wrote to some famous people to ask for help. Only one responded: Ed Asner. “I don’t know you, kid, but here’s 500 bucks” said the note attached to the check. “Sounds like it’ll be a great film. I was an autoworker once.” R.I.P. Ed pic.twitter.com/AuGCNlyNnC
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) August 29, 2021
The Muppets also paid tribute on Twitter.
Ed Asner was a great friend of The Muppets. Few have ever been as funny, talented, and kind as he was. We will miss him dearly.
— The Muppets (@TheMuppets) August 29, 2021
Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon called Asner a “legend”.
Ed Asner, you were one of a kind.
From having grown up loving him in everything from the Mary Tyler Moore Show to Lou Grant to Up, and finally getting to work with him in 2017, this man was a legend that certainly didn’t disappoint up close.
Ed, we will miss you terribly. pic.twitter.com/N5Cl4COzxq
— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) August 29, 2021
Actor William Baldwin called Asner “one of the greats in show bizz history”.
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
— Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) August 29, 2021
During his acting career, Asner was an outspoken supporter of a number of humanitarian and political causes, including trade unionism and animal rights.
He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1981 to 1985 and was honoured in 2000 with the union’s prestigious Ralph Morgan Award.
Asner was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1929, and began acting at school.
After serving two years in France in the US Army Signal Corps, Asner returned to theatre work in Chicago.
In 1955 he made his Broadway debut with Jack Lemmon in Face of A Hero, then performed with the American and New York Shakespeare festivals and appeared in numerous off-Broadway shows.
Asner moved to Hollywood in 1961 and began his acclaimed career in television and film.
He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1996.
-BBC
