Ed Asner’s long career in show business embraced acting, voiceovers, and social activism on a large scale. Best remembered for his iconic role as the newsroom leader Lou Grant, Asner is remembered here in our photo gallery.
Asner’s long list of credits also include the movies Elf, one of several movies in which he played Santa Claus, and Pixar’s Oscar-winning Up, in which he voiced the lead, Carl Fredricksen.
He most recently acted on several Emmy-nominated comedy series, Cobra Kai, playing Johnny Lawrence’s stepfather Sid Winberg, Grace And Frankie and on Dead To Me.
A string of guest-starring roles led to his casting as Lou Grant in the acclaimed 1970 half-hour comedy series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. After the series ended In 1977, Asner’s character was given his own spinoff series, hourlong drama Lou Grant (1977–82). Additionally, Asner made appearances as Lou Grant on two other shows, Rhoda and Roseanne.
Asner was also a series regular on Thunder Alley, The Bronx Zoo and Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He also delivered acclaimed performances on two hugely popular miniseries, Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man, which both earned him Emmy Awards.
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In addition to Up, Asner’s extensive voiceover resume includes providing the voices for Joshua on Joshua and the Battle of Jericho (1986) for Hanna-Barbera, J. Jonah Jameson on the Spider-Man series (1994–98), Hoggish Greedly on Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–95), Roland Daggett on Batman: The Animated Series (1992–94), Ed Wuncler on The Boondocks (2005–14), and Granny Goodness in various animated DC series.
Click the photo above to start the photo gallery.