Charles Grodin | |
|---|---|
 Grodin in 2013 | |
| Born | Charles Sidney Grodin[1] (1935-04-21)April 21, 1935 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 18, 2021(2021-05-18) (aged 86) Wilton, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1954–2017 |
| Known for | The Heartbreak Kid (1972) King Kong (1976) Midnight Run (1988) Beethoven (1992) |
| Spouse(s) | Julie Ferguson (divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Known for hisdeadpan delivery and often cast as a put-uponstraight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era. After a small part inRosemary's Baby in 1968, he played the lead inElaine May'sThe Heartbreak Kid (1972) where he received a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He also starred in11 Harrowhouse (1974), for which he also wrote the adaptation.
Grodin achieved fame through roles inCatch-22 (1970),The Heartbreak Kid (1972) andKing Kong (1976). Other notable film roles includeHeaven Can Wait (1978),The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981),The Lonely Guy (1984),Midnight Run (1988),Taking Care of Business (1990),Beethoven (1992), and its sequel,Beethoven’s 2nd (1993).
Grodin made his acting debut in 1958 appearing in theNBC anthology seriesDecision. He then appeared in numerousTV serials throughout the next decade. He made frequent appearances onThe Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson andLate Night with David Letterman. He won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for thePaul Simon Special (1978) alongsideChevy Chase,Lorne Michaels,Paul Simon, andLily Tomlin. He portrayedCarl Shapiro in the miniseriesMadoff (2016).
Grodin wrote eight books and three plays. He also hosted a talk show onCNBC and, in 2000, was a political commentator for60 Minutes II. He returned to acting inLouis C.K.'sFX showLouie andNoah Baumbach's filmWhile We're Young (2014).
Grodin was born inPittsburgh on April 21, 1935, toOrthodox Jewish parents.[2][3] His father Theodore (1900–1953) owned a wholesale supplies store, while his mother Lena (1907–1996; née Singer) worked in her husband's business and volunteered for disabled veterans.[4][5] His paternal grandfather changed the family name from Grodinsky to Grodin.[6] His maternal grandfather was an immigrant fromBelarus who "came from a long line ofrabbis" and moved toBaltimore at the turn of the 20th century. Grodin had an older brother named Jack.[7]
Grodin graduated asvaledictorian fromPeabody High School, where he was elected class president all four years.[8][9] He attended theUniversity of Miami but left without graduating to pursue acting.[10] He studied acting atHB Studio[11] in New York City underUta Hagen.
Grodin's film debut was an uncredited bit part inDisney's 1954 film20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.[12] A student ofLee Strasberg and Uta Hagen, he made his Broadway debut in a production ofTchin-Tchin, oppositeAnthony Quinn.[13] In 1964, he played Matt Stevens on theABC soap operaThe Young Marrieds.[14] The next year, he became an assistant to directorGene Saks and appeared on several television series includingThe Virginian.[1]
In 1966, he co-wrote and directed the Broadway playHooray! It's a Glorious Day...and All That. Around this time, he turned down the part of Benjamin Braddock inThe Graduate because of the low salary offered by producerLawrence Turman, although Turman assured him that the part would make him a star, as it ultimately did forDustin Hoffman. In 1968, Grodin had a small but pivotal part playing anobstetrician in the horror filmRosemary's Baby and directed the Broadway playLovers and Other Strangers.[15][16] He then directed his first television special,Songs of America, withSimon and Garfunkel in 1969.
After a supporting role in the 1970 filmCatch-22, Grodin gained recognition as a comedy actor with the lead role in the 1972 filmThe Heartbreak Kid.[17] In 1974, he both starred in and contributed to the screenplay for11 Harrowhouse. After that film's rocky reception, he returned to New York and took over directing duties ofHerb Gardner'sThieves, which ran on Broadway from 1974 to 1975.[18]
Grodin subsequently appeared in several films during the decade, including the 1976 version ofKing Kong, the hit 1978 comedyHeaven Can Wait, andAlbert Brooks's 1979 comedyReal Life. Alongside his work on screen, he remained active on Broadway, frequently appearing in and producing several plays.
In 1981, he landed a role inThe Great Muppet Caper playing Nicky Holiday, a jewel thief who falls in love withMiss Piggy. He also appeared that same year opposite Lily Tomlin inThe Incredible Shrinking Woman. His 1980s roles includedNeil Simon'sSeems Like Old Times (oppositeChevy Chase andGoldie Hawn) and 1988's well-reviewed comedyMidnight Run, abuddy movie co-starringRobert De Niro. Grodin also appeared in the 1986 CBS prime-time-soap sendupFresno, playing the evil son of a raisin matriarch (Carol Burnett).
His Hollywood film roles of the 1980s usually saw him cast as uptight, bland, and world-wearywhite collar professionals, such as a psychiatrist having a nervous breakdown (The Couch Trip), a health-conscious accountant (Midnight Run), an ineffectual advertising executive (Taking Care of Business), and a lonely, socially awkward nerd (The Lonely Guy). He was cast against this type as a scheming CIA agent inIshtar.
Commenting on his work with regard toIshtar, Hal Hinson inThe Washington Post observed: "Grodin has a one-of-a-kind quality on the screen, a sort of inspired spinelessness. And with his cat-burglar rhythms – he seems to play all his scenes as if someone were asleep in the next room – he's become a very sly scene-stealer."[19] Sandra Brennan at Rovi noted that: "Whereas many funnymen have been popular for their ability to overreact and mug their way around everyday obstacles, Grodin belonged, from the beginning, to theBob Newhart school of wry comedy that values understatement and subtlety."[13]
Aside from his film work, he was a frequent presence on television. In 1977, Grodin hosted an episode of theNBC sketch showSaturday Night Live, where the entire episode revolved around his forgetting that the show was live, and he proceeded to wreck sketches because of his failure to prepare accordingly.[20] His many talk show appearances from the 1970s to the early 2020s often included confrontational and mock angry segments. At one timeJohnny Carson "banned" him fromThe Tonight Show appearances after taking offense at things Grodin had said. The NBC network would receive angry letters from viewers who didn't understand the joke that he was playing a persona, trying to be as different from typical talk show guests as possible. His appearances onLate Night With David Letterman would sometimes erupt into shouting and name-calling, but Letterman always enjoyed Grodin's segments.[21]
Grodin's career took a turn in 1992, when he played the nervous family man George Newton in the kids' comedyBeethoven, oppositeBonnie Hunt. The film was a box-office hit, and he reprised the role in the 1993 sequel,Beethoven's 2nd. Also in 1993, Grodin played the role of Harrison Winslow in the filmHeart and Souls.[22] After a supporting role in the acclaimedIvan Reitman comedyDave, Grodin signed on to play The Old Man in the 1994 limited release sequel toA Christmas Story,It Runs in the Family (a.k.a.My Summer Story). That same year also saw the much-delayed release ofClifford, in which Grodin portrayed the frustrated uncle oppositeMartin Short's title role.
From 1995 to 1999, Grodin hosted his own issues-orientatedcable news talk show,The Charles Grodin Show. It originated as a nightly show onCNBC, replacingTom Snyder after he left to startThe Late Late Show onCBS.[23] The show was dropped by CNBC in 1998, but aired for a final year as a weekly show onMSNBC[24] before ending its run in late 1999.[25]
From 2000 to 2003, Grodin was a political commentator for60 Minutes II. In 2004, he wroteThe Right Kind of People, anoff-Broadway play aboutco-op boards in certain buildings inManhattan. Grodin's commentaries were heard on New York City radio stationWCBS and other affiliates of theCBS Radio Network, as well as on theCBS Radio Network'sWeekend Roundup.
After a 12-year-long hiatus from film, in 2006 Grodin returned to acting in the comedyThe Ex starringZach Braff.[26]
In the 2010s, Grodin made more frequent acting appearances, guest starring on television shows such asLaw and Order: Special Victims Unit andThe Michael J. Fox Show. Grodin had several supporting roles in films, includingBarry Levinson'sThe Humbling (2014) andTaylor Hackford'sThe Comedian (2016). He had a prominent supporting role inNoah Baumbach'sWhile We're Young (2015), playing a celebrated documentary filmmaker and the father of one of the lead characters.
In 2015, Grodin was cast in a recurring role inLouis C.K.'sFX showLouie as Dr. Bigelow, C.K.'s philosophical doctor and mentor inSeason 4 and5. In an interview withDeadline Hollywood, Grodin talked about his relationship with C.K. stating, "I find him to be the single most talented person ... I've ever worked with, he's a wonderful director, writer, and actor."[27][28]
He also portrayed the philanthropist and defrauded investorCarl J. Shapiro in the 2016 miniseriesMadoff onABC based on theBernie MadoffPonzi scheme debacle.[29] His final movie wasAn Imperfect Murder: The Private Life of a Modern Woman, released in 2017.
Grodin was also a prolific author and published his final book in 2013.
Grodin was married twice, to Julie Ferguson (divorced) and Elissa Durwood (married 1983). He had two children: daughter Marion (a comedienne), from his marriage to Ferguson, and son, Nicholas, from his marriage to Durwood.[30][31][32] Elissa's father,Stanley Durwood, foundedAMC Theatres, which would eventually become the largestmovie theater chain in the world.[33] For a period in the 2000s, Grodin gave up show business to be a stay-at-home dad to his children.[34]
Grodin died frommultiple myeloma at his home inWilton, Connecticut, on May 18, 2021. He was 86.[35][4]
| Year | Movie | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Drummer Boy | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Sex and the College Girl | Bob | |
| 1968 | Rosemary's Baby | Dr. C.C. Hill | |
| 1970 | Catch-22 | Capt. Aarfy Aardvark | |
| 1972 | The Heartbreak Kid | Lenny Cantrow | |
| 1974 | 11 Harrowhouse | Howard R. Chesser | Writer |
| 1976 | King Kong | Fred Wilson | |
| 1977 | Thieves | Martin Cramer | |
| 1978 | Heaven Can Wait | Tony Abbott | |
| 1979 | Real Life | Warren Yeager | |
| Sunburn | Jake Dekker | ||
| 1980 | It's My Turn | Homer | |
| Seems Like Old Times | Dist. Atty. Ira J. Parks | ||
| 1981 | The Incredible Shrinking Woman | Vance Kramer | |
| The Great Muppet Caper | Nicky Holiday | ||
| 1984 | The Lonely Guy | Warren Evans | |
| The Woman in Red | Buddy | ||
| 1985 | Movers & Shakers | Herb Derman | Writer, producer |
| 1986 | Last Resort | George Lollar | |
| 1987 | Ishtar | Jim Harrison | |
| 1988 | The Couch Trip | George Maitlin | |
| You Can't Hurry Love | Mr. Glerman | ||
| Midnight Run | Jonathan "the Duke" Mardukas | ||
| 1989 | Cranium Command | Left Brain | Short |
| 1990 | Taking Care of Business | Spencer Barnes | |
| 1992 | Beethoven | George Newton | |
| 1993 | Dave | Murray Blum | |
| So I Married an Axe Murderer | Commandeered Driver | ||
| Heart and Souls | Harrison Winslow | ||
| Beethoven's 2nd | George Newton | ||
| 1994 | Clifford | Martin Daniels | |
| My Summer Story | Bob Parker (The Old Man) | ||
| 2006 | The Ex | Bob Kowalski | |
| 2011 | The Harmony Game | Self | Documentary |
| 2013 | Brazzaville Teen-Ager | Father | Short film |
| 2014 | The Humbling | Jerry | |
| While We're Young | Leslie Breitbart | ||
| 2016 | The Comedian | Dick D'Angelo | |
| 2017 | An Imperfect Murder | Arthur | Final film role, also known asThe Private Life of a Modern Woman |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Decision | Young Hoodlum | Episode: "Man Against Crime" |
| Armstrong Circle Theatre | Phelps | Episode: "The Nautilus" | |
| 1960 | Have Gun – Will Travel | Proctor's Henchman | Episode: "Fogg Bound" |
| 1961 | The Play of the Week | Performer | Episode: Black Monday |
| The Defenders | Thomas Martin | Episode: "The Apostle" | |
| 1965 | The Young Marrieds | Matt Crane Stevens #2 | 65 episodes |
| My Mother the Car | Fred | Episode: "Burned at the Steak" | |
| The Trials of O'Brien | Peter Farnum | Episode: "Picture Me a Murder" | |
| 1966 | Felony Squad | Edgar | Episode: "Penny Game, a Two-Bit Murder" |
| Shane | Jed | 2 episodes | |
| 1967 | The Iron Horse | Alex | Episode: "The Pembrooke Blood" |
| The F.B.I. | Carl Platt | Episode: "Sky on Fire" | |
| Captain Nice | News Vendor | Episode: "One Rotten Apple" | |
| The Virginian | Arnie Doud | Episode: "The Reckoning" | |
| The Guns of Will Sonnett | Bells Pickering | Episode: "A Bell for Jeff Sonnett" | |
| N.Y.P.D. | Joey Diamond | Episode: "Money Man" | |
| 1968 | The Big Valley | Mark Dunigan | Episode: "The Good Thieves" |
| 1969 | Judd, for the Defense | Dist. Atty. Tom Durant | Episode: "An Elephant in a Cigar Box" |
| Simon and Garfunkel: Songs of America | Himself | Director, producer | |
| 1974 | Paradise | N/A | Co-director, television movie |
| 1977 | The Paul Simon Special | Charles | Writer |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself/host | Episode:Charles Grodin/Paul Simon | |
| 1978 | Just Me and You | Michael Lindsay | Television movie |
| The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank | Jim Benson | Television movie | |
| 1981 | Laverne & Shirley | Himself | Episode: "Friendly Persuasion" |
| 1983 | Charley's Aunt | Lord Fancourt Babberly | Television movie |
| 1986 | Fresno | Cane Kensington | Miniseries |
| 1990 | The Magical World of Disney | Quentin Fitzwaller | Episode: "The Muppets at Walt Disney World" |
| 1992 | Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories | Narrator | Episode: "Rotten Island" |
| 1995–98 | The Charles Grodin Show | Host | 26 episodes |
| 2000 | 60 Minutes II | Correspondent | |
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Brett Forrester | Episode: "Lessons Learned" |
| 2013 | The Michael J. Fox Show | Steve Henry | Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 2014–15 | Louie | Dr. Bigelow | 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Waiting for Ishtar | Himself | Documentary |
| 2016 | Madoff | Carl Shapiro | Miniseries; 4 episodes |
| The New Yorker Presents | Psychiatrist | Episode: 1.8; Final television role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Tchin-Tchin | Performer – Robert Prickett | Plymouth Theatre, Broadway |
| 1964 | Absence of a Cello | Performer – Perry Littlewood | Ambassador Theatre, Broadway |
| 1968 | Lovers and Other Strangers | Director | Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway |
| 1974 | Thieves | Director/producer | Broadhurst Theatre andLongacre Theatre, Broadway |
| 1975 | Same Time, Next Year | Performer – George Peters | Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway |
| 1977 | Unexpected Guests | Director | Little Theatre, Broadway |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | The Heartbreak Kid | Nominated | [36] |
| 1978 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special | The Paul Simon Special | Won | |
| 1980 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Supporting Actor | Seems Like Old Times | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Valladolid International Film Festival | Best Actor | Midnight Run | Won | |
| 1993 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Heart and Souls | Nominated | |
| 1994 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Dave | Won | |
| 2006 | William Kunstler Awards | Racial Justice[34] | Won | ||
Plays
Books
Grodin is mentioned as a hero of characters Mac and Dennis in the season six episode ofIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia entitled "Mac's Mom Burns Her House Down".[citation needed]
He was referenced in three different episodes ofThe Simpsons ("I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", "Little Big Girl" and "Mathlete's Feat").
In theSeinfeld episode "The Doll" Jerry Seinfeld buys a bottle of sauce because the brand's mascot bears a resemblance to Grodin.
