Ed Asner passed away today at the age of 91, according to his Twitter account. His four children wrote, “We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you.”
Asner was as known for the character’s name, which made him a household one, as his own. That name is Lou Grant. He played the grumpy newsman on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and then he followed up in the drama Lou Grant.
That is just one of the many many roles he has had in his 60-year career. Us older people remember him as Grant, but the younger generations know him from Up and Elf. But there were so many leading roles and guest appearances throughout the decades that everyone knew him as, it would impossible to name them all.
He never stopped working and was on the last season in the final season of Grace & Frankie. But he still has more productions coming out, and he was attached to several more.
That says a lot about the man that was beloved by Hollywood and his fans.
Acting was just one aspect of him. He also started the Ed Asner Family Center that helps families of special needs. He was always asking for money to enrich their lives and held an annual poker game with his celebrity friends.
He might have been known as a curmudgeon, but he was one that was loved. So show him the love today by watching one of his many fantastic roles that has made us smile as big as his own.
