Edward Asner was born November 15, 1929 in Kansas City, Kansas. He is an American actor.

Ed Asner won five Emmy awards for portraying the character of Mary Tyler Moore's boss Lou Grant in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977), and a crusading newspaperman for the spin-off series Lou Grant (1977-1982).

In 1961, Asner moved his family to Hollywood, where he began making a name for himself as an accomplished film and television actor, both comedic and dramatic. Motion picture credits include "El Dorado," "Skin Game," "Fort Apache The Bronx," "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs," "Daniel," and "JFK." Additional television credits include "The Christmas Star" and "Cruel Doubt." Asner's voice can be heard on the animated TV series "Captain Planet," "Batman," and "Gargoyles."

In 1959, he married Nancy Sykes; they were divorced in 1988. She is the mother of his first three children. In 1998, he married Cindy Gilmore.

Filmography

• Working Title (2007)
• Trim (2007)
• The Christmas Cottage (2007)
• Once in a Lifetime: Just Go for It (2007)
• Christmas Is Here Again (2007)
• Channels (2007)
• Hard Four (2007)
• Zack's Machine (2007)
• "Andy Barker, P.I." (1 episode, 2007)
• Saving Our Parents (2007)
• "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (6 episodes, 2006-2007)
• "W.I.T.C.H." (3 episodes, 2006)
• The Christmas Card (2006)
• Ways of the Flesh (2006)
• "The Boondocks" (3 episodes, 2005-2006)
• Lolo's Cafe (2006)
• Crab Orchard (2006)
• "The Dead Zone" (1 episode, 2005)
• Out of the Woods (2005)
• "Center of the Universe" (12 episodes, 2004-2005)
• "Justice League" (2 episodes, 2004-2005)
• Sleeping Dogs Lie (2005)
• All In (2005)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords (2004)
• X-Men Legends (2004)
• Happily Even After (2004)
• "The Practice" (4 episodes, 1997-2004)
• Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure (2003)
• The Commission (2003)
• Elf (2003)
• "Duck Dodgers" (1 episode, 2003)
• Missing Brendan (2003)
• "Grim & Evil" (1 episode, 2003)
• "Spider-Man" (1 episode, 2003)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
• The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay (2003)
• "ER" (4 episodes, 2003)
• The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002)
• Fair Play (2002)
• "Johnny Bravo" (2 episodes, 2000-2002)
• Papa Giovanni - Ioannes XXIII (2002)
• "King of the Hill" (2 episodes, 2001-2002)
• "The Ellen Show" (1 episode, 2001)
• The Kid (2001)
• "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (1 episode, 2001)
• "Family Guy" (1 episode, 2001)
• "Dharma & Greg" (1 episode, 2001)
• The Animal (2001)
• "The Huntress" (1 episode, 2001)
• "Max Steel" (2001)
• Donzi: The Legend (2001)
• Island Prey (2001)
• "The Wild Thornberrys" (1 episode, 2000)
• "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" (1 episode, 2000)
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000)
• Becoming Dick (2000)
• "Arli$$" (1 episode, 2000)
• Above Suspicion (2000)
• Perfect Game (2000)
• "The Hoop Life" (1 episode, 2000)
• "Touched by an Angel" (1 episode, 2000)
• "Superman" (4 episodes, 1998-2000)
• Common Ground (2000)
• Mars and Beyond (2000)
• Bring Him Home (2000)
• Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
• "Chicken Soup for the Soul" (1 episode, 1999)
• The Bachelor (1999)
• "The Simpsons" (1 episode, 1999)
• Love and Action in Chicago (1999)
• The Sissy Duckling (1999)
• O' Christmas Tree (1999)
• "Eli's Theory" (1999)
• Our Friend, Martin (1999)
• "The X Files" (1 episode, 1998)
• "Maggie Winters" (1 episode, 1998)
• "Hercules" (1 episode, 1998)
• "More Tales of the City" (1998)
• "Mad About You" (3 episodes, 1996-1998)
• "The Closer" (10 episodes, 1998)
• Hard Rain (1998)
• "Soul Man" (1 episode, 1998)
• Gargoyles: The Hunted (1998)
• "Ask Harriet" (1 episode, 1998)
• Gargoyles: The Force of Goliath (1998)
• Gargoyles: Brothers Betrayed (1998)
• "Recess" (1997)
• Academy Boyz (1997)
• "Jumanji" (1 episode, 1997)
• "Dead Man's Gun" (1 episode, 1997)
• Payback (1997)
• A Christmas Carol (1997)
• "Life with Louie" (1 episode, 1997)
• The Fanatics (1997)
• Dog's Best Friend (1997)
• Basil (1997)
• Two Weeks from Sunday (1997)
• "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest" (1 episode, 1996)
• "Freakazoid!" (14 episodes, 1995-1996)
• "Spider-Man" (14 episodes, 1995-1996)
• "The Magic School Bus" (1 episode, 1996)
• "Roseanne" (1 episode, 1996)
• "Bruno the Kid" (1996)
• "Gargoyles" (7 episodes, 1994-1996)
• Gone in the Night (1996)
• "Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles" (3 episodes, 1996)
• The Story of Santa Claus (1996)
• Spider-Man: Sins of the Fathers (1996)
• "Thunder Alley" (24 episodes, 1994-1995)
• "Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man" (1 episode, 1995)
• Gargoyles: The Heroes Awaken (1995)
• The Golem (1995)
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1995)
• "Batman" (5 episodes, 1992-1994)
• "Animaniacs" (2 episodes, 1993-1994)
• "Higher Education" (1994)
• Higher Education (1994)
• "Hearts Afire" (2 episodes, 1992-1993)
• Gypsy (1993)
• "Bonkers" (1 episode, 1993)
• "Sonic the Hedgehog" (1 episode, 1993)
• Happily Ever After (1993)
• Down on the Waterfront (1993)
• Heads (1993)
• Cruel Doubt (1992)
• "Fish Police" (1992)
• The Real Story of Happy Birthday to You (1992)
• "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill" (5 episodes, 1991-1992)
• Mattie's Waltz (1992)
• JFK (1991)
• Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991)
• Silent Motive (1991)
• Sazan aizu (1991)
• Switched at Birth (1991)
• "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (1990)
• Good Cops, Bad Cops (1990)
• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (1990)
• The Wonderful Wishing Well (1989)
• A Friendship in Vienna (1988)
• Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987)
• Cracked Up (1987)
• "The Bronx Zoo" (1987)
• The Christmas Star (1986)
• Kate's Secret (1986)
• "Highway to Heaven" (1 episode, 1986)
• Vital Signs (1986)
• "The Greatest Stories of the Bible" (1 episode, 1986)
• "Tender Is the Night" (1985)
• "Tall Tales and Legends" (1 episode, 1985)
• "Off the Rack" (1984)
• "Saturday Night Live" (1 episode, 1984)
• Anatomy of an Illness (1984)
• Daniel (1983)
• A Case of Libel (1983)
• "Lou Grant" (114 episodes, 1977-1982)
• O'Hara's Wife (1982)
• The Marva Collins Story (1981)
• A Small Killing (1981)
• Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)
• The Family Man (1979)
• The Good Doctor (1978)
• "Great Performances" (1 episode, 1978)
• The Gathering (1977)
• The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish (1977)
• "Mary Tyler Moore" (167 episodes, 1970-1977)
• "Roots" (1977)
• "Insight" (3 episodes, 1969-1977)
• "Police Story" (2 episodes, 1974-1976)
• Gus (1976)
• "Rich Man, Poor Man" (1976)
• "Hawaii Five-O" (1 episode, 1975)
• Hey, I'm Alive (1975)
• Death Scream (1975)
• "Wide World Mystery" (1 episode, 1975)
• The Impostor (1975)
• Twigs (1975)
• "Rhoda" (2 episodes, 1974)
• The Wrestler (1974)
• The Girl Most Likely to... (1973)
• The Police Story (1973)
• Haunts of the Very Rich (1972)
• "The Mod Squad" (3 episodes, 1970-1972)
• "Cade's County" (1 episode, 1972)
• They Call It Murder (1971)
• The Todd Killings (1971)
• The Last Child (1971)
• Skin Game (1971)
• The Old Man Who Cried Wolf (1970)
• They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! (1970)
• Halls of Anger (1970)
• House on Greenapple Road (1970)
• Do Not Throw Cushions Into the Ring (1970)
• "CBS Playhouse" (1 episode, 1969)
• Daughter of the Mind (1969)
• "Here Come the Brides" (2 episodes, 1969)
• Change of Habit (1969)
• "The Name of the Game" (2 episodes, 1969)
• "Medical Center" (1 episode, 1969)
• "Ironside" (2 episodes, 1967-1969)
• "The F.B.I." (3 episodes, 1966-1969)
• "Mission: Impossible" (1 episode, 1969)
• "The Wild Wild West" (1 episode, 1968)
• "The Iron Horse" (1 episode, 1967)
• "Judd for the Defense" (1 episode, 1967)
• Gunn (1967)
• "The Invaders" (2 episodes, 1967)
• "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E." (1 episode, 1967)
• The Venetian Affair (1967)
• "The Fugitive" (3 episodes, 1965-1967)
• El Dorado (1966)
• The Doomsday Flight (1966)
• "Felony Squad" (1 episode, 1966)
• "Gunsmoke" (2 episodes, 1964-1966)
• "Run for Your Life" (1 episode, 1966)
• "The Rat Patrol" (1 episode, 1966)
• "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" (1 episode, 1966)
• The Slender Thread (1965)
• "A Man Called Shenandoah" (1 episode, 1965)
• "Burke's Law" (1 episode, 1965)
• The Satan Bug (1965)
• "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1 episode, 1965)
• "Profiles in Courage" (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
• "Mr. Novak" (2 episodes, 1963-1965)
• "The Reporter" (1 episode, 1964)
• "The Defenders" (2 episodes, 1963-1964)
• "Slattery's People" (1 episode, 1964)
• "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (1 episode, 1964)
• Fanfare for a Death Scene (1964)
• "The Outer Limits" (1 episode, 1963)
• "The Lieutenant" (1 episode, 1963)
• "Ben Casey" (1 episode, 1963)
• "Stoney Burke" (1 episode, 1963)
• "Dr. Kildare" (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
• "The Virginian" (1 episode, 1963)
• "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" (1 episode, 1963)
• "The Eleventh Hour" (1 episode, 1963)
• "The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1 episode, 1963)
• "The Untouchables" (4 episodes, 1962-1963)
• "Alcoa Premiere" (1 episode, 1962)
• "Route 66" (4 episodes, 1961-1962)
• Kid Galahad (1962)
• "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1 episode, 1962)
• "Cain's Hundred" (1 episode, 1962)
• "Outlaws" (1 episode, 1962)
• "Target: The Corruptors" (1 episode, 1961)
• "Naked City" (1 episode, 1961)
• "Studio One" (3 episodes, 1957)

Awards

• Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement 2002
• Emmy Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series "Lou Grant" 1980
• Golden Globe Best Actor in a Television Series (Drama) "Lou Grant" 1980
• Emmy Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series "Lou Grant" 1978
• Golden Globe Best Actor in a Television Series (Drama) "Lou Grant" 1978
• Emmy Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series "Roots" 1977
• Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series "Rich Man, Poor Man" 1977
• Emmy Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series "Rich Man, Poor Man" 1976
• Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" 1976
• Emmy Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" 1975
• Emmy Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" 1972
• Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" 1972
• Emmy Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" 1971