Prolific actor Ed Asner died August 29, 2021 at the age of 91. While an official cause of death was not given, family members said that Asner died “peacefully”.

The award winning actor has appeared in over 400 film nad television productions including three that have been completed but not aired, five in post production, one being filmed and eleven either in pre-production or just announced.

Asner once said, “I never get enough work. It’s the history of my career. There just isn’t anything to turn down, let me put it that way.”

While appearing in numerous productions, it was his appearance as Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” that put Asner in the spotlight. He went on to spend five season as “Lou Grant” in his own television show.

Asner has won three Emmy Awards for his role on “The Mary Tyler Moore” show, two more for his role on “Lou Grant”, and Emmys for his roles in the miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Roots”. He is also a former President of the Screen Actors Guild.

Yitzhak Edward Asner was born on November 15, 1929 in Kansas City, Missouri to Orthodox Jewish parents. After high school he studied journalism until a professor told him that there was little money in the profession. Asner chose to change his studies to drama and appeared in the campus production of “Murder in the Cathedral”. In 1951, Asner was draftered into military service where he served in France as a part of the Army Signal Corps.

After leaving the Army, Asner returned to Chicago and acting at the Playwrights Theatre Club and Second City. On Broadway he appeared in the “Threepenny Opera”, “Face of a Hero”, and “Grace”.

Asner moved to Hollywood in the 50’s where he made his television debut in 1957 on “Studio One”.

His other acting credits include “Naked City”, “Route 66”, “The Untouchables”, “The Outer Limits”, “The Rat Patrol”, “Gunsmoke”, as John Wayne’s nemesis Bart Jason in “El Dorado”, “The Fugitive”, “The Wild Wild West”, “Mission Impossible”, “Mod Squad”, both versions of “Hawaii Five-O”, “Highway to Heaven”, “JFK”, “Gargoyles”, “Freakazoid!”, “The Closer”, “The Simpsons”, “King of the Hill”, “ER”, “Elf”, “The Practice”, “CSI:NY”, “UP”, “The Cleveland Show”, “Murdoch Mysteries”, “American Dad”, and his final roles earlier this year in “Grace and Frankie” and “Captain Daddy”.

Asner is survived by his children Matthew, Liza, Kate, and Charles.

feature photo credit: Ed Asner 2015.jpg, [[File:Ed Asner 2015.jpg|Ed_Asner_2015]]