Charles Grodin, the urbane actor who made his roles as a curmudgeon seem cool, died Tuesday at his home in Connecticut of bone marrow cancer at age 86, leaving behind a catalog of memorable performances and a legacy of lasting activism.
Known for leading or co-leading classic comedies such as âThe Heartbreak Kidâ and âMidnight Runâ and for ruthlessly stealing scenes in âHeaven Can Wait,â âDaveâ and âThe Great Muppet Caper,â Grodin cultivated a screen persona that mined his own discomfort for laughs. He extended that to his many talk-show appearances, in which he seemed uncomfortable and even reluctant to be there â all an act, according to his son, Nick.
Charles Grodin, droll and deadpan actor noted for the hit films The Heartbreak Kid and Midnight Run – obituary
Grodin wrote plays and numerous books of memoir, and was a popular mainstay of American chat shows
Charles Grodin, 1994
Credit: AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler
Charles Grodin, who has died aged 86, was an adaptable actor whose droll, sardonic charm was a feature of film, television and theatre for more than 50 years; he was also a playwright and memoirist and, in the US, a familiar face as a talk-show raconteur.
His movie breakthrough came in 1972 with the role of Lenny Cantrow, the impossibly romantic protagonist of the acerbic comedy The Heartbreak Kid, written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May.
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Charles Grodin, the urbane actor who made his roles as a curmudgeon seem cool, died Tuesday at his home in Connecticut of bone marrow cancer. The performer, who leaves behind a catalog of memorable performances and a legacy of lasting activism, was 86.
Known for leading or coleading classic comedies such as “The Heartbreak Kid” and “Midnight Run” and for ruthlessly stealing scenes in “Heaven Can Wait,” “Dave” and “The Great Muppet Caper,” Grodin cultivated a screen persona that mined his own discomfort for laughs. He extended that to his many talk-show appearances, in which he seemed uncomfortable and even reluctant to be there all an act, according to his son, Nick.