[2] In two notable performances on television, Asner played Detective Sgt. In 2020, he had a recurring role as James Staghorne Sr. on Briarpatch. Critics contended Asner did not make it clear he was acting as a private citizen and not as president of the union. Theyre much more afraid to cast me than they are in television. He endorsed Dennis Kucinich in the 2004 United States presidential election,[53] and Barack Obama during the 2008 United States presidential election. The actor, whose roles also included voicing the lead in the Pixar film Up, passed away "peacefully" on Sunday. Remembering Ed Asner's Best Animated Roles - TV Shows Actor Ed Asner, TV's blustery Lou Grant, dies at 91 - Dallas News [46][47] In 2013, he played Santa in Christmas on the Bayou. He acted consistently from 1961 until his death, and he had numerous projects in the works at the time of his death, including "Dug Days,"where he reprises his role of Carl Fredricksen from "Up." [42], During interviews for a 2019 book on the history of Chicago theater, Asner told the author he preferred to be credited for his work as "Edward" rather than "Ed" because he felt the longer name held the page or screen better. [76] Asner filed for divorce in 2015. Gilmore filed for legal separation on November 7, 2007. He added: And sometimes Id give a note, and then Ed Asner would change his delivery a little bit based on my note, which was really cool, and it felt very exciting to me as an author., Diary of a #WimpyKid: Rodrick Rules, an all-new Original movie is streaming December 2 exclusively on @DisneyPlus. In 1987, he had a fourth child named Charles with a woman named Carol Jean Vogelman. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. After serving two years in France in the US Army Signal Corps, Asner returned to theatre work in Chicago. Ed Asner, Award-Winning Actor Who Played Lou Grant, Dies At 91 - NPR.org They had three children, twins Matthew and Liza, and Kate. Asner moved to Hollywood in 1961 and began his acclaimed career in television and film. 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.