Charles Grodin
Born: 1935-04-21 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: 2021-05-18
Known For: Acting
Biography
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. After a small part in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, he played the lead in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and supporting roles in Mike Nichols's Catch-22 (1970), the 1976 remake of King Kong, and Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (1978). Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era, including Real Life (1979), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Ishtar (1987), Dave (1993), and Clifford (1994). Grodin co-starred in the action comedy Midnight Run (1988) and in the family film Beethoven (1992). He made frequent appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. In the mid-1990s, Grodin retired from acting and wrote autobiographies; he became a talk show host on CNBC and in 2000 a political commentator for 60 Minutes II. He returned to acting with a handful of roles in the mid-2010s, including in Louis C.K.'s FX show Louie and Noah Baumbach's film While We're Young (2014). Grodin won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special in 1978 for the Paul Simon Special alongside Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, and Lily Tomlin. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for The Heartbreak Kid in 1972. He won Best Actor at the 1988 Valladolid International Film Festival for Midnight Run, and the American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance in Dave in 1993.
Filmography
2017
- An Imperfect Murder as Arthur
- Waiting for Ishtar as Self
2016
- Madoff as Carl Shapiro
- The Comedian as Dick D'Angelo
2015
- While We're Young as Leslie Breitbart
2014
- The Humbling as Jerry
2013
- The Michael J. Fox Show as Steve Henry
- Brazzaville Teen-Ager as Father
2012
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen as (archive footage)
- Char·ac·ter as Self
2011
- The Harmony Game as Self
2006
- The Ex as Bob Kowalski
2002
- The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s as Self (archive footage)
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Brett Forrester
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
1994
- Clifford as Martin Daniels
- Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! as Chaz
- The World of Jim Henson as Nicky Holiday (archive footage)
- It Runs in the Family as Mr. Parker (The Old Man)
1993
- Late Show with David Letterman as Self - Guest
- Dave as Murray Blum
- Heart and Souls as Harrison Winslow
- Beethoven's 2nd as George Newton
- So I Married an Axe Murderer as Commandeered Car Driver
1992
- Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Narrator (voice)
- Beethoven as George Newton
1990
- Taking Care of Business as Spencer Barnes
- The Muppets at Walt Disney World as Quentin Fitzwaller
1989
- Cranium Command as Left Brain (voice)
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark
- Midnight Run as Jonathan Mardukas aka “The Duke”
- The Couch Trip as George Matlin
- You Can't Hurry Love as Mr. Glerman
1987
- Ishtar as Jim Harrison
1986
- Fresno as Cane Kensington
- Last Resort as George Lollar
- King Kong! The Living Legend as Self
1985
- Movers & Shakers as Herb Derman
1984
- The Woman in Red as Buddy
- The Lonely Guy as Warren
1983
- Charley's Aunt as Lord Fancourt Babberly
1982
- Late Night with David Letterman as Self - Guest
- Night of 100 Stars as Self
1981
- The Great Muppet Caper as Nicky Holiday
- The Incredible Shrinking Woman as Vance Kramer
1980
- Seems Like Old Times as Ira Parks
- It's My Turn as Homer
1978
- Heaven Can Wait as Tony Abbott
- The Meanest Men in the West as Arnie Doud, Harge Gang
- The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank as Jim Benson
- Just Me and You as Michael Lindsay
1977
- Thieves as Martin Cramer
- It Happened One Christmas as Joseph
- The Paul Simon Special as Self
1976
- Laverne & Shirley
- King Kong as Fred S. Wilson
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1974
- 11 Harrowhouse as Howard R. Chesser
- Paradise ... (Director)
1973
- Acts of Love and Other Comedies ... (Director)
1972
- The Heartbreak Kid as Lenny Cantrow
1971
- Great Performances as Jake
- The Great American Dream Machine as Himself
1970
- Catch-22 as Captain Aarfy Aardvark
1969
1968
- Rosemary's Baby as Dr. Hill
1967
- Judd, for the Defense
- The Guns of Will Sonnett as Bells Pickering
- Captain Nice as News Vendor
1966
- Felony Squad
- Shane as Jed
1965
- The Big Valley as Mark Dunigan
- The F.B.I. as Carl Platt
- My Mother the Car
1964
- The Young Marrieds as Matt Crane Stevens
- Sex and the College Girl as Bob
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Virginian as Arnie Doud
1961
- The Defenders as Thomas Martin
1954
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as Drummer Boy (uncredited)