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Actor Charles Grodin, the star of comedy hits Midnight Run and The Heartbreak Kid, has died at the age of 86. Grodin, who passed away on Tuesday at his home in Wilton, Connecticut, had been suffering from bone marrow cancer, his son Nicholas told The New York Times. The acting legend famously turned down the title role in The Graduate, a part that made Dustin Hoffman a star, but his own career took off with a lead role in Elaine May s 1972 comedy The Heartbreak Kid. Other notable early roles included playing a doctor in 1968 s Rosemary s Baby and in Mike Nichols s 1970 war comedy Catch-22.
Charles Grodin: Comedy Legend and Beloved Actor has passed away
May 18, 2021 by:
Midnight Run with Robert DeNiro, Roman Polanski s
Rosemary s Baby, the 1976 version of
King Kong,
Dave. Some of you may even recognize him from the
Beethoven franchise or his cult classic opposite Martin Short,
Clifford.
The New York Times that his father dies of complications from bone marrow cancer.
In a career that spanned stage, screen, and even an infamous stint as a talk show host, Grodin won awards all over the spectrum. He got his big-screen debut playing an unwitting obstetrician named Dr. Hill in Roman Polanski s
Rosemary s Baby. In 1972, Grodin made the leap to leading man by playing Lenny Cantrow in Elaine May s
Photo: Universal
Charles Grodin, one of the great comedic actors of all time, died this week at the age of 86. When people hear Grodin’s name, the first movie they probably think of is
Midnight Run. The 1988 Martin Brest action comedy is a classic of the genre and showcases Grodin’s smug, everyman persona beautifully.
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And while Grodin played that kind of role in numerous films throughout his career, the actor also did a lot of genre films. More than you’d remember, in fact. It began with first major film role as a doctor in the horror classic
The Incredible Shrinking Woman,
, and many, many others.
The actor, who delivered deadpan comedy with ease, also was a longtime lover of talk shows. He had his own talk show for a while and made nearly 40 appearances on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and made 17 appearances on
Late Night With David Letterman.
Grodin also had a long list of Broadway roles under his belt. In 1962, he scored a part in Tchin-Tchin. He was also in 1964’s
Absence Of A Cello and
1975’s
Lovers And Other Strangers in 1968 and
Thieves in 1974. His career was as much about writing and directing as it was about appearing in front of the camera. He chronicled his many show business adventures in memoirs like 1990’s
Charles Grodin obituary: comedian, TV talk show host, screen actor was 86 syfy.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from syfy.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.