Ed Asner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Asner
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Asner in 1977
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| Born |
Eddie Asner
November 15, 1929 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | August 29, 2021 (aged 91) Tarzana, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Sheffield Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago (dropped out) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1957–2021 |
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Works
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Full list |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 4, including Kate |
| Awards | Full list |
| 21st President of the Screen Actors Guild | |
| In office November 3, 1981 – June 20, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | William Schallert |
| Succeeded by | Patty Duke |
| Military career | |
| Service/ |
United States Army |
| Years of service | 1951–1953 |
Eddie Asner (born November 15, 1929 – died August 29, 2021) was a famous American actor. He also served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild, a union for actors.
Asner is best known for playing the character Lou Grant. He played Lou Grant in two popular TV shows: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (a comedy) and its spin-off series Lou Grant (a drama). This made him one of the few actors to play the same character in both a comedy and a drama. He won many awards for his acting, including seven Primetime Emmy Awards. This is more than any other male actor in history! Five of these Emmys were for playing Lou Grant. He also won Emmys for his roles in the TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and Roots.
Besides his TV roles, Asner played Santa Claus in several movies, like Elf (2003). He also voiced the main character, Carl Fredricksen, in the popular Pixar animated movie Up (2009). He appeared in many other TV shows and movies throughout his long career.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Eddie Asner was born on November 15, 1929, in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. His parents were Jewish immigrants who ran a shop. He was the youngest of five children.
Asner went to Wyandotte High School and then the University of Chicago. He first studied journalism, but a professor told him it wasn't a high-paying job. He then switched to drama and loved it! He performed in a play called Murder in the Cathedral on campus. After leaving college, he worked different jobs, like a taxi driver and on a car assembly line.
In 1951, Asner joined the United States Army. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps until 1953. During his time in the army, he performed in plays for soldiers stationed in Europe.
Acting Career Highlights
After his military service, Ed Asner helped start a theater company in Chicago. He then moved to New York City to pursue acting. He performed in plays on Broadway and began acting on television in 1957. His first movie role was in Kid Galahad in 1962, which starred Elvis Presley.
Before becoming famous as Lou Grant, Asner appeared in many TV shows. These included The Untouchables, Gunsmoke, and Mission: Impossible.
His most famous role was Lou Grant. He first played this character in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a comedy about a TV news station. When that show ended in 1977, his character got his own series, Lou Grant. This new show was a drama about newspaper journalism. Asner also played Lou Grant in other shows like Rhoda and Roseanne.
Asner was also praised for his roles in important TV miniseries. He played Captain Davies in Roots, a powerful story about slavery. He also played Axel Jordache in Rich Man, Poor Man. Both roles earned him Emmy Awards.
Ed Asner had a very successful career as a voice actor. He voiced many popular cartoon characters. He was J. Jonah Jameson in the 1990s Spider-Man animated series. He also voiced Hoggish Greedly in Captain Planet and the Planeteers and Hudson in Gargoyles. He was the voice of Carl Fredricksen in the beloved Pixar movie Up. He also voiced Grandpa Heffley in the 2022 animated movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, which was released after his death.
In 2001, Asner received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. This award honors actors who have made a lasting impact on the acting profession. In 1996, he was added to the Television Hall of Fame. He continued acting in TV shows like Dead to Me and Cobra Kai until his death.
Activism and Community Work
Ed Asner was also known for his activism and support for various causes. He served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild in the 1980s. During this time, he spoke out against some government policies and was involved in a major strike by actors. Some people believe his political views led to the cancellation of his show Lou Grant, even though it was very popular.
Asner supported many nonprofit organizations. He was on the board for The Survivor Mitzvah Project, which helps elderly Holocaust survivors. He also supported the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which protects free speech for comic book creators. He was an advisor for the Rosenberg Fund for Children, which helps children of political activists. He also supported Defenders of Wildlife, an organization that protects animals.
Asner was a strong supporter of Exceptional Minds. This is a special school and animation studio for young adults with autism. His son, Matt, and daughter-in-law, Navah Paskowitz, later founded The Ed Asner Family Center in 2017. This center provides art, job training, counseling, and support for people with special needs and their families.
In 2021, Asner helped support the reopening of the Monte Rio Theater in California, showing his dedication to local community development.
Personal Life
Ed Asner was married to Nancy Lou Sykes from 1959 to 1988. They had three children: twins Matthew and Liza, and Kate. He also had another son, Charles, from a different relationship.
He later married Cindy Gilmore in 1998. They separated in 2007 and divorced in 2015.
Because he had children and grandchildren with autism, Asner was very involved in organizations that support autistic individuals, like Autism Speaks and Aspiritech.
Death
Ed Asner passed away peacefully from natural causes at his home in Tarzana, California, on August 29, 2021. He was 91 years old. He was buried in Sheffield Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.
Many famous people shared their sadness and paid tribute to Ed Asner after he died, remembering his amazing talent and kindness.
Images for kids
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Asner in 1977
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Cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970, with Asner in center rear
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Asner in 1985
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Asner and Dennis Weaver picketing during an advertising agencies strike in Los Angeles, 1978
See also
In Spanish: Ed Asner para niños
