Ed Asner
Born: 1929-11-15 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Died: 2021-08-29
Known For: Acting
Biography
Edward Asner (November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021), commonly known as Ed Asner, was an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant. In 2009, he starred as the voice of Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's award-winning animated film, Up. In early 2011, Asner returned to television as butcher Hank Greziak in Working Class, the first original sitcom on cable channel CMT.
Filmography
2025
- The Gettysburg Address as Edward Everett (voice)
2024
- Altered Reality as Mike Wilson
2023
- Carl's Date as Carl (voice)
- Being Mary Tyler Moore as Self (voice)
- Commitment to Life as Self (archive footage)
- A Fargo Christmas Story as Popcorn Bud
2022
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules as Grandpa (voice)
2021
- Dug Days as Carl (voice)
- The Premise as Mr. Holmes
- Muppets Haunted Mansion as Ghost of Claude
- Scarlett as Lou
- Captain Daddy as Grampa (voice)
- Back Home Again as Peter Lionsbridge (voice)
- Senior Entourage as Ed
- Blood as The Prophet
2020
- Central Park as Ambrose (voice)
- The Holiday Movies That Made Us as Self
- M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters as Dr. Howard Arden
- SEVEN
- Rain Beau's End as Gunny
- The Garden Left Behind as Dr. Cleary
- Bury Me in Armor as Dimitry George
- Tiger Within as Samuel
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- Doom Patrol as Hospital Patient
- Dead to Me as Abe Rifkin
- Faith, Hope & Love as Harry Karetas
- In Vino as Charles
2018
- Cobra Kai as Sid Weinberg
- Ballmastrz: 9009 as Rupert T. Digzfield (voice)
- All of My Heart: The Wedding as Vern
- Olympia as Self
- The Parting Glass as Tommy
- Waiting in the Wings: Still Waiting as Jefferson
- Eva: A-7063 as Narrator (voice)
- Angels on Tap as Swifty
- Honor Amongst Men as Pop Halmo
- LA DA Story as Self (archive footage)
- Ed Asner's Oral History as Self - Interviewee
2017
- All of My Heart: Inn Love as Vern
- And the Winner Isn't as Self
- CarGo: The City on 4 Wheels! as Arthur (voice)
- Yamasong: March of the Hollows as Elder Pyreez (voice)
- A StoryBots Christmas as Santa
- Framed: The Adventures of Zion Man as Adult Walter (voice)
- Joe's War as Harry
- Santa Stole Our Dog: A Merry Doggone Christmas! as Santa
- Saving Christmas as Rick
- The Gliksmans as Moshe
2016
- MacGyver as Saul
- Super Sex as George
- Love Finds You in Valentine as Gabriel Morgan
- The Best Democracy Money Can Buy as Self
- Getting Ed Laid as Ed Randall
- Love Meet Hope as Mr. James
- Behind the Fear as Narrator (voice)
- Mary Jane: A Musical Potumentary as Corporate Manager
- Titanic: Sinking the Myths as Wilhelm Müller
2015
- Grace and Frankie as Howard Jay
- Celebrity Family Feud as Self
- All of My Heart as Vern
- Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration as Self / Lou Grant (archive footage)
- The Nutcracker Sweet as Owl (voice)
- I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!! as Himself
- A Merry Murdoch Christmas as Kris Kringle
- Generation A: Portraits of Autism and the Arts as Self
2014
- Chasing Life as April's grandfather
- The Games Maker as Nicholas Drago
- I Know That Voice as Self
- Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas as Santa (voice)
- Frozen in Time as Grandpa (voice)
- Audrey as Walt
2013
- Teen Titans Go! as Sgt. Mike Cosgrove (voice)
- Mom as Jack
- The Crazy Ones as Mr. Finger
- Axel: The Biggest Little Hero as Bonta / Narrator (voice)
- Christmas on the Bayou as Papa Noel
- Second Chances as Chief Buddy
- Saturday Night Live: Thanksgiving as Mr Wilson
- American Road as Walt Whitman
2012
- Men at Work as Bob
- Home Alone: The Holiday Heist as Mr. Carson
- Foodfight! as Mr. Leonard (voice)
- Casting By as Self
- Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl as Self
- Should've Been Romeo as Charlie
- Liberator as President Whitlock
- Elephant Sighs as Leo
- Autism and Cake as Fred
2011
- Too Big to Fail as Warren Buffett
- All Star Superman as Perry White (voice)
- Working Class as Hank Greziak
- Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays as Dr. Wasserman
- Let Go as Artie
- Absolute Killers
- The Desert of Forbidden Art as Voice
- Identical as Yaakov Washington
- Hopelessly in June as Rabbi
- Not Another B Movie as Angry Investor
- Good Men as Morty
- Architects & Engineers: Solving the Mystery of WTC 7 as Himself
- The True Story of the Amityville Murders: From Homicide to Horror as Narrator
2010
- Regular Show as Santa Claus (voice)
- Hawaii Five-0 as August March
- Young Justice as Kent Nelson (voice)
- Hot in Cleveland as Jameson
- Superman/Batman: Apocalypse as Granny Goodness (voice)
- The Triumph of William Henry Harrison
2009
- Modern Family as Herschel
- The Good Wife as Guy Redmayne
- The Middle as Ben
- The Cleveland Show
- Up as Carl Fredricksen (voice)
- Dug's Special Mission as Carl Fredricksen (voice) (uncredited)
- Up: Upisodes as Carl Fredricksen (voice)
- Christmas Dreams as Jerry
- American Renegade: Confessions of a Radical Humanist as Self
2008
- The Spectacular Spider-Man as Ben Parker (voice)
- Shatner's Raw Nerve as Self
- Christmas Cottage as Sidney
- Gigantic as Kirby Weathersby
- Generation Gap as Bart Cahill
- Channels as Ed Packard
- Electile Dysfunction: Inside the Business of American Campaigns as Self
- Balancing Acts: A Jewish Theatre in The Soviet Union as Narrator (Voice)
2007
- The Sarah Silverman Program as Commandant Von Reichenstein
- Andy Barker, P.I. as Mickey Doyle
- Christmas Is Here Again as Krad (voice)
- Hard Four as Golden Hands Segal
- From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks
- The Rich Have Their Own Photographers
2006
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip as Wilson White
- The Christmas Card as Luke Spelman
2005
- Bones as Rufus Tucker
- American Dad! as Narrator (voice)
- The Boondocks as Ed Wuncler (voice)
- Spider-Man: The Venom Saga as J. Jonah Jameson (voice)
- Sir! No Sir! as Col. Heinl
- Out of the Woods as Jack Green
- Crab Orchard
- Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class as Narrator
- The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror as Himself
- Sleeping Dogs Lie as Sheriff Delaney
2004
- CSI: NY as Abraham Klein
- Justice League Unlimited as Hephaestus (voice)
- Center of the Universe as Art Barnett
- Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock as J Jonah Jameson (voice)
- Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde as Self
- Elf: Film School for Kids as Self
- Elf: How they Made the North Pole as Self
- Missing Brendan as George Calden
- Elf: That's a Wrap as Self
- Elf: Tag Along with Will Ferrell as Self
2003
- Elf as Santa
- Spider-Man: The New Animated Series as Officer Barr (voice)
- Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure as Uncle Nick
- Daredevil vs. Spider-Man as J. Jonah Jameson (voice)
- The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay as Augie Sinclair
- The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series as Self
- The Commission as Capt. J.W. 'Will' Fritz
- Plan Colombia: Cashing In on the Drug War Failure as Narrator (voice)
2002
- The Dead Zone as Marty Bracknell
- Spider-Man: The Ultimate Villain Showdown as J. Jonah Jameson (voice)
- Remembering Roots as Self
- Spider-Man: The Return of the Green Goblin as J. Jonah Jameson (voice)
- The Man Who Saved Christmas as Charles Gilbert
- Pope John XXIII as Angelo Roncalli
- The Mary Tyler Moore Reunion as Self
- The Good War and Those Who Refused to Fight It as Narrator
- Papa Giovanni Joannes XXIII as Jean XXIII
2001
- The Animal as Chief Wilson
- Island Prey as Jay Roth
- Gahan Wilson's The Kid as Dead Cat
- In Search of Peace as David Ben Gurion (voice)
2000
- Curb Your Enthusiasm as Mr. Weiner
- Buzz Lightyear of Star Command as Fixer (voice)
- The Huntress
- Max Steel as Chuck Marshak (voice)
- Perfect Game as Billy Hicks
- Becoming Dick as Davis Aldrich
- Common Ground as Ira
- The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story
- Above Suspicion as Thomas O'Claire
- Bring Him Home as Geza
- A Vision of Murder: The Story of Donielle ... (Executive Producer)
- Full Blossom: The Life of Poet/Actor Roberts Blossom as Self
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Martin Schultz
- Family Guy as Steve Bellows (voice)
- The Bachelor as Gluckman
- Olive, the Other Reindeer as Santa Claus (voice)
- Our Friend, Martin as Mr. Harris (voice)
- The Sissy Duckling as Father Duck (voice)
- Love and Action in Chicago as Taylor
- Snowden's Christmas as Big Daddy (voice)
- O' Christmas Tree as Nutcracker (voice)
1998
- Hercules as Mentor (voice)
- The Wild Thornberrys as Frank Hunter (voice)
- Hard Rain as Uncle Charlie
- More Tales of the City as Jack Lederer
- Maggie Winters
- The Closer
1997
- King of the Hill as Stinky (voice)
- The Practice as Judge Matlin Pratt
- Johnny Bravo
- The Angry Beavers
- Dharma & Greg as Earl Tucker
- A Christmas Carol as Marley (voice)
- The Long Way Home as George Patton / Immigrant to USA / David Ben-Gurion / Holocaust Survivor (voice)
- The Trial of Adolf Eichmann as Dr. Robert Servatius (voice)
- Payback as Jack Patkanis
- Dog's Best Friend as Jeep, the Sheep Dog (voice)
- Academy Boyz
- The Fumbleheads as Charlie Atwater
1996
- Superman: The Animated Series as Granny Goodness (voice)
- Arli$$ as Lenny Crowley
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest as Von Romme (voice)
- Bruno the Kid as The Engineer (voice)
- E! True Hollywood Story
- Gone in the Night as Det. John Waters
- Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade as Self
- The Story of Santa Claus as Santa Claus (voice)
- Hanged on a Twisted Cross as Narrator
1995
- Freakazoid! as Sgt. Cosgrove (voice)
- Dumb and Dumber as General / St. Nick / Old Woman (voice)
- Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken as Hudson (voice)
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears as Bruno
- Going, Going, Almost Gone! Animals in Danger
1994
- ER as James McNulty
- Spider-Man as J. Jonah Jameson (voice)
- Touched by an Angel as Bud
- Gargoyles as Hudson (voice)
- Duckman as Mort Sidelman (voice)
- The Magic School Bus as Gen. Aranius (voice)
- Thunder Alley as Gil Jones
- Gypsy as Charles Thompson
- Heads as Ab Abbot
- Down on the Waterfront
1993
- The X-Files as Maurice
- Animaniacs as Vern (voice)
- Intimate Portrait as Self
- Politically Incorrect
- Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy as Self
1992
- Batman: The Animated Series as Roland Daggett (voice)
- Mad About You as Zigmund Klarik
- Hearts Afire as George Lahti
- Fish Police as Chief Abalone (voice)
- Cruel Doubt as Bill Osteen
- Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
1991
- Dinosaurs as Evil Georgie (voice)
- JFK as Guy Bannister
- Switched at Birth as Ted Marx
- Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus as Edward P. Mitchell
- Warrior: The Life of Leonard Peltier ... (Thanks)
- Silent Motive as Sam
- Mary Tyler Moore: The 20th Anniversary Show as Himself
- The Real Story of Happy Birthday To You as Charlie (voice)
1990
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers as Hoggish Greedly (voice)
- The Trials of Rosie O'Neill as Walter Kovacs
- Night of 100 Stars III as Self
- Good Cops, Bad Cops
- Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less as Harvey Metcalfe
1989
- The Simpsons as Editor (voice)
- Happily Ever After as Scowl the Owl (voice)
1988
- Roseanne
- Moon Over Parador as Self
- A Friendship in Vienna as Opah Oskar Reikman
1987
- The Bronx Zoo
- Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night as Scalawag (voice)
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
- The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood as Self - Presenter
- Cracked Up as Rev. Vincent Owens
1986
- Kate's Secret as Dr. Resnick
- The Christmas Star as Horace McNickle
- Joshua and the Battle of Jericho as Joshua (voice)
- Darlin' Clementine as Lucky Jake
- Vital Signs as Matthew St James
1985
- Tall Tales & Legends as Lucky Jake
- Tender Is the Night as Devereux Warren
- Off the Rack as Sam Waltman
- Night of 100 Stars II as Self
1984
- Highway to Heaven
- Donald Duck's 50th Birthday as Self
- Anatomy of an Illness as Norman Cousins
1983
- Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Koyaanisqatsi as Self (archive footage)
- Daniel as Jacob Ascher
- A Case of Libel as Robert Sloane
1982
- American Playhouse as Robert Sloane
- Night of 100 Stars as Self
- O'Hara's Wife as Bob O'Hara
- Americas in Transition as Narrator
1981
- Fort Apache, the Bronx as Connolly
- The Marva Collins Story as Narrator (voice)
- A Small Killing as Simon Shaber
1979
- The Family Man as Eddie Madden
1978
- The White Shadow as Edward Asner (uncredited)
- Mickey's 50 as Self
- A Different Approach
- NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney as Self
- The Good Doctor as Various Roles
1977
- Lou Grant as Lou Grant
- Roots as Thomas Davies
- The Gathering as Adam
- The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish as Huey P. Long
1976
- Rich Man, Poor Man as Axel Jordache
- Gus as Hank Cooper
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- Mitzi & 100 Guys as Self
- Twigs as Phil
- Death Scream as Peter Singleton
- Hey, I'm Alive as Ralph Flores
- The Impersonation Murder Case as Dt. Ed Ames
- The Impostor as Barney West
1974
- Rhoda
- Dinah! as Self
- The Wrestler as Frank Bass
1973
- Match Game as Self
- Police Story
- The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self
- The Girl Most Likely To... as Det. Ralph Varone
1972
- Sam Cade
- Haunts of the Very Rich as Al Hunsicker
1971
- Great Performances
- Skin Game as Plunkett
- The Last Child as Barstow
- The Todd Killings as Fred Reardon
- They Call It Murder as Chief Otto Larkin
1970
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Lou Grant
- The Flip Wilson Show as Self
- They Call Me Mister Tibbs! as Woody Garfield
- House on Greenapple Road as Sheriff Muntz
- Halls of Anger as Ernie McKay
- The Old Man Who Cried Wolf as Dr. Morheim
1969
- Medical Center
- Change of Habit as Lt. Moretti
- Daughter of the Mind as Saul Wiener
1968
- Hawaii Five-O as August March
- The Name of the Game as Cesare Marino
- The Mod Squad
1967
- Ironside as Marlon Davis
- The Invaders as Taugus
- Gunn as Lt. Jacoby
1966
- Mission: Impossible as George Simpson
- Felony Squad
- The Rat Patrol as Captain Friedrich
- The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. as George Kramer
- CBS Playhouse as Nat Congdon
- El Dorado as Bart Jason
- The Venetian Affair as Frank Rosenfeld
- The Doomsday Flight as Feldman
1965
- The Wild Wild West as Furman Crotty
- The F.B.I. as John Carl Brock
- Run for Your Life as Carl Cappi
- Please Don't Eat the Daisies
- The Satan Bug as Henchman Veretti
- The Slender Thread as Det. Judd Ridley
1964
- Profiles in Courage as Oliver E. Wells
- Slattery's People as Frank Radcliff
- Fanfare for a Death Scene as Pike
1963
- The Fugitive as Roy Malinek
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
- Burke's Law as Pablo Vasquez
- The Outer Limits as Detective Sgt. Thomas Siroleo
- Mr. Novak as Harmon Stern
- The Lieutenant
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Jack Stander
- The Virginian as George Johnson
- Stoney Burke as Kapp
- Sam Benedict as Dr. Everett Colner
- The Eleventh Hour
- Kid Galahad as Assistant District Attorney Frank Gerson (uncredited)
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- Dr. Kildare as Dr. Frank Williams
- The Defenders as Tim Sellers
- Cain's Hundred as Dave Keller
- Target: The Corruptors!
- The Murder Men as Dave Keller
1960
- Route 66
- Outlaws
- The New Girl as Kurt Harden
- J-24
1959
- The Untouchables as Fedor Bartok
1958
- Naked City as Lt. Vincent Busti
1957
- Decoy as Sergeant
- The Defender (Studio One) as Juror (uncredited)
- The Night America Trembled as 3rd Actor (as Edward Asner)
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
1955
- Gunsmoke as Sgt. Wilks
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Warden Bragan
1953
- The Oscars as Carl Fredricksen (voice)
1952
1949
- The Emmy Awards as Self
1948
- Studio One as Actor #3
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee