According to The New York Times, Charles Grodin, the multifaceted actor, comedian, journalist, talk show host, and producer, died at his home in Connecticut on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, from bone marrow cancer.
Grodin was 86 years old and had married twice, the first time to Julia Ferguson, who gave birth to comedian Marion Grodin, Grodin’s daughter. His second wife, Elissa Durwood, had a son, Nicholas, after their divorce (via the Associated Press).
Grodin, who was born in Pittsburgh and raised in Highland Park, was valedictorian of his high school class before going on to study acting at the University of Miami and the Pittsburgh Playhouse School of Theatre (via The Hollywood Reporter).
He was the younger of two siblings, his older brother Jack having died in 2017 at the age of 87, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Grodin made his Broadway debut in 1962 in “Tchin Tchin,” according to the Chicago Tribune. For his starring role in “Same Day, Next Year,” he won an Outer Circle Critics Best Actor award.
The show premiered in 1975 and lasted almost three and a half years. He also directed plays such as “Lovers and Other Strangers” and wrote “One of the All Time Greats,” a one-act theatre performance.
Charles Grodin Is Known For A Number Of Memorable Comedy Roles
Most of us, however, will recall Charles Grodin for his comic and masterful performances in films from the late 1980s and early 1990s, including his roles as an embezzling accountant pursued by Robert De Niro in “Midnight Run” and as the reluctant owner of a massive and unruly St. Bernard that makes its way into his family home in “Beethoven.”
Never one to take himself too seriously, he also appeared in “The Great Muppet Caper,” in which he competed with Kermit the Frog for Miss Piggy’s affections.
He was also a generous supporting actor in films including “Dave,” in which he starred alongside Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver.
Grodin, in addition to acting, was a prolific writer who received an Emmy Award for co-writing “The Paul Simon Special” in 1978.
He also wrote a weekly op-ed column for the New York Daily News, as well as a variety of plays and novels, including “It Would Be So Nice If You Weren’t Here,” a best-selling memoir. Grodin was a regular analyst on shows like “60 Minutes II” and “60 Minutes” since having his own talk show on CNBC (via the AP).
His many talents, as well as his keen and distinct comedic skill, which brought joy to an entire generation, will be remembered and missed.
