海角大神

Ed Asner, the burly and prolific character actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit comedy 鈥淭he Mary Tyler Moore Show鈥� and later in the drama 鈥淟ou Grant,鈥� died Sunday. He was 91.

Asner's representative confirmed the actor's death in an email to The Associated Press. Asner's official聽Twitter account included a note聽from his children: 鈥淲e are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you.鈥�

Built like the football lineman he once was, the balding Asner was a journeyman actor in films and TV when he was hired in 1970 to play Lou Grant on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show.鈥� For seven seasons he was the rumpled boss to Moore鈥檚 ebullient Mary Richards (He called her 鈥淢ary,鈥� she called him 鈥淢r. Grant鈥�) at the fictional Minneapolis TV newsroom where both worked. Later, he would play the role for five years on 鈥淟ou Grant.鈥�

Asner鈥檚 character had caught on from the first episode of 鈥淢ary Tyler Moore,鈥� when he told Mary in their initial meeting, 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got spunk. ... I hate spunk!鈥� The inspired cast included Ted Knight as Ted Baxter, the dimwitted news anchor; Gavin MacLeod as Murray Slaughter, the sarcastic news writer; and Betty White as the manipulative, sex-obsessed home show hostess Sue Ann Nivens. Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman, playing Mary鈥檚 neighbors, both saw their characters spun off into their own shows.

Asner is the third 鈥淢ary Tyler Moore鈥� alum to die in recent months.聽Leachman died in January聽and聽MacLeod died in May.

The 99-year-old White is the lone surviving main cast member from 鈥淢ary Tyler Moore."

鈥淢ary Tyler Moore鈥� was still a hit when the star decided to pursue other interests, and so it was brought to an end in the seventh season with a hilarious finale in which all of the principals were fired except for the bumbling Baxter.

Asner went immediately into 鈥淟ou Grant,鈥� his character moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to become city editor of the Tribune, a crusading newspaper under the firm hand of Publisher Margaret Pynchon, memorably played by Nancy Marchand.

Asner won three best supporting actor Emmys on 鈥淢ary Tyler Moore鈥� and two best actor awards on 鈥淟ou Grant.鈥� He also won Emmys for his roles in the miniseries 鈥淩ich Man, Poor Man鈥� (1975-1976) and 鈥淩oots鈥� (1976-1977).

He had more than 300 acting credits and remained active throughout his 70s and 80s in a variety of film and TV roles. In 2003, he played Santa Claus in Will Ferrell鈥檚 hit film 鈥淓lf.鈥� He was John Goodman鈥檚 father in the short-lived 2004 CBS comedy 鈥淐enter of the Universe鈥� and the voice of the elderly hero in the hit 2009 Pixar release, 鈥淯p.鈥� More recently, he was in such TV series as 鈥淔orgive Me鈥� and 鈥淒ead to Me.鈥�

Nonetheless, Asner told The Associated Press in 2009 that interesting roles were hard to come by.

鈥淚 never get enough work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the history of my career. There just isn鈥檛 anything to turn down, let me put it that way.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檇 say most people are probably in that same boat, old people, and it鈥檚 a shame,鈥� he said.

As Screen Actors Guild president, the liberal Asner was caught up in a political controversy in 1982 when he spoke out against U.S. involvement with repressive governments in Latin America. 鈥淟ou Grant鈥� was canceled during the furor that followed and he did not run for a third SAG term in 1985.

鈥淭here have been few actors of Ed Asner鈥檚 prominence who risked their status to fight for social causes the way Ed did,鈥� said actor Gabrielle Carteris, who is SAG-AFTRA's president. She noted that his advocacy "did not stop with performers. He fought for victims of poverty, violence, war, and legal and social injustice, both in the United States and around the globe.鈥�

Asner discussed his politicization in a 2002 interview, noting he had begun his career during the McCarthy era and for years had been afraid to speak out for fear of being blacklisted.

Then he saw a nun鈥檚 film depicting the cruelties inflicted by El Salvador鈥檚 government on that country鈥檚 citizens.

鈥淚 stepped out to complain about our country鈥檚 constant arming and fortifying of the military in El Salvador, who were oppressing their people,鈥� he said.

Former SAG President Charlton Heston and others accused him of making un-American statements and of misusing his position as head of their actors union.

鈥淲e even had bomb threats at the time. I had armed guards,鈥� Asner recalled.

The actor blamed the controversy for ending the five-year run of 鈥淟ou Grant,鈥� although CBS insisted declining ratings were the reason the show was canceled.

Although the show had its light moments, its scripts touched on a variety of darker social issues that most series wouldn鈥檛 touch at the time, including alcoholism and homelessness. Asner remained politically active for the rest of his life and in 2017 published the book 鈥淭he Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs.鈥�

Asner, born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1929, almost became a newsman in real life. He studied journalism at the University of Chicago until a professor told him there was little money to be made in the profession.

He quickly switched to drama, debuting as the martyred Thomas Becket in a campus production of T.S. Eliot鈥檚 鈥淢urder in the Cathedral.鈥�

He eventually dropped out of school, going to work as a taxi driver and other jobs before being drafted in 1951. He served with the Army Signal Corps in France.

Returning to Chicago after military service, he appeared at the Playwrights Theatre Club and Second City, the famed satire troupe that launched the careers of dozens of top comedians.

Later, in New York, he joined the long-running 鈥淭he Threepenny Opera鈥� and appeared opposite Jack Lemmon in 鈥淔ace of a Hero.鈥�

Arriving in Hollywood in 1961 for an episode of television鈥檚 鈥淣aked City,鈥� Asner decided to stay and appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, including the film 鈥淓l Dorado,鈥� opposite John Wayne; and the Elvis Presley vehicles 鈥淜id Galahad鈥� and 鈥淐hange of Habit.鈥� He was a regular in the 1960s political drama series 鈥淪lattery鈥檚 People.鈥�

He was married twice, to Nancy Lou Sykes and Cindy Gilmore, and had four children, Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that Gavin MacLeod died in May, not March.

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Late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas contributed biographical information to this report.