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Charles Grodin

Charles Grodin

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.

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Waiting for Ishtar

2017

as Self

An Imperfect Murder

2017

as Arthur

The Comedian

2016

as Dick D'Angelo

Madoff

2016

as Carl Shapiro

While We're Young

2015

as Leslie Breitbart

The Humbling

2014

as Jerry

The Michael J. Fox Show

2013

as Steve Henry

Brazzaville Teen-Ager

2013

as Father

Char·ac·ter

2012

as Self

Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

2012

as (archive footage)

The Harmony Game

2011

as Self

Paul Simon and Friends: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

2007

as Self

The Ex

2006

as Bob Kowalski

The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s

2002

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

as Brett Forrester

The Charles Grodin Show

1995

The World of Jim Henson

1994

as Nicky Holiday (archive footage)

It Runs in the Family

1994

as Mr. Parker (The Old Man)

Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!

1994

as Chaz

Clifford

1994

as Martin Daniels

Beethoven's 2nd

1993

as George Newton

Heart and Souls

1993

as Harrison Winslow

So I Married an Axe Murderer

1993

as Commandeered Car Driver

Dave

1993

as Murray Blum

Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories

1992

as Narrator (Voice)

Beethoven

1992

as George Newton

Taking Care of Business

1990

as Spencer Barnes

The Muppets at Walt Disney World

1990

as Quentin Fitzwaller

Midnight Run

1988

as Jonathan Mardukas

You Can't Hurry Love

1988

as Mr. Glerman

The Couch Trip

1988

as George Matlin

Ishtar

1987

as Jim Harrison

Fresno

1986

as Cane Kensington

King Kong! The Living Legend

1986

as Self

Last Resort

1986

as George Lollar

Movers & Shakers

1985

as Herb Derman

The Woman in Red

1984

as Buddy

The Lonely Guy

1984

as Warren

Charley's Aunt

1983

as Lord Fancourt Babberly

Night of 100 Stars

1982

as Self

The Great Muppet Caper

1981

as Nicky Holiday

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

1981

as Vance Kramer

Seems Like Old Times

1980

as Ira Parks

It's My Turn

1980

as Homer

Sunburn

1979

as Jake

Real Life

1979

as Warren Yeager

The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank

1978

as Jim Benson

Heaven Can Wait

1978

as Tony Abbott

Just Me and You

1978

as Michael Lindsay

The Meanest Men in the West

1978

as Arnie Doud, Harge Gang

It Happened One Christmas

1977

as Joseph

The Paul Simon Special

1977

as Self

Thieves

1977

as Martin Cramer

King Kong

1976

as Fred S. Wilson

Laverne & Shirley

1976

11 Harrowhouse

1974

as Howard R. Chesser

The Heartbreak Kid

1972

as Lenny Cantrow

Great Performances

1971

as Jake

The Great American Dream Machine

1971

as Himself

Catch-22

1970

as Captain Aarfy Aardvark

Simon and Garfunkel: Songs of America

1969

as Self

Rosemary's Baby

1968

as Dr. Hill

Judd for the Defense

1967

The Guns of Will Sonnett

1967

as Bells Pickering

Captain Nice

1967

as News Vendor

Felony Squad

1966

Shane

1966

as Jed

The F.B.I.

1965

as Carl Platt

The Big Valley

1965

as Mark Dunigan

My Mother the Car

1965

The Young Marrieds

1964

Sex and the College Girl

1964

as Bob

The Virginian

1962

as Arnie Doud

The Defenders

1961

as Thomas Martin

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

1954

as Drummer Boy (uncredited)