Charles Grodin
(born April 21, 1935) is an American actor, comedian, author and former cable talk show host.
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CHARLES GRODIN TICKETS
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Early life
Grodin was born in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, to
Orthodox Jewish parents
[1] [2] Lena, who worked as an assistant in the family's store and was a volunteer for disabled veterans, and Theodore Grodin, who sold
wholesale supplies.
[3] His maternal grandfather was a
Russian
Jewish immigrant who came from a long line of
Rabbis and moved to
Pittsburgh at the turn of the 20th century. Grodin has an older brother, Jack.
Grodin attended the
University of Miami, but did not graduate. His first acting role was in a 1962
Broadway production of
Tchin-Tchin
. He made his film debut in an uncredited role for Disney's 1954 film
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In 1965, he began working as an assistant to director
Gene Saks.
Career
Grodin, a student of
Lee Strasberg and
Uta Hagen, began appearing on several
television series during the 1960s, and played an
obstetrician in the 1968 horror film,
Rosemary's Baby
. During the late 1960s, he also co-wrote and directed
Hooray! It's a Glorious Day...and All That
, a Broadway play, and directed
Lovers and Other Strangers
and
Thieves
, also on Broadway.
After having a supporting role in 1970's comedy,
Catch-22
, Grodin was cast in the lead role of the film
The Heartbreak Kid
, which was released in 1972 and gained Grodin recognition as a comedy actor. He subsequently appeared in several notable 1970s films, including 11 Harrowhouse (1974), and the 1976 version of
King Kong
and the hit 1978 comedy,
Heaven Can Wait
. During this period, he frequently appeared on Broadway, and was also involved in producing several plays, including
Thieves
, which he also directed.
In 1977, Grodin hosted an episode of the
NBC sketch show,
Saturday Night Live
. He and the writers decided beforehand to play the show as if he had missed dress rehearsals and was clumsily
ad-libbing his way through his sketches. Much like
Andy Kaufman's appearance on
Fridays four years later, his comic scenario was taken a bit too literally by the audience, and he was never asked to host again. In 1981, he landed in a role in
The Great Muppet Caper
playing Nicky Holiday, a jewel thief who comically falls in love with
Miss Piggy. His 1980s roles included
Neil Simon's
Seems Like Old Times
, opposite
Chevy Chase and
Goldie Hawn, and 1988's well-reviewed comedy,
Midnight Run
, a buddy movie co-starring
Robert De Niro.
Grodin's career took a turn in 1992, when he played the nervous family man in the kids' comedy
Beethoven
, opposite
Bonnie Hunt. The film was a surprise box-office hit, and he reprised the role in the 1993 sequel. His next film role was in 1994's
It Runs in the Family
(a.k.a.
My Summer Story
), which received only a limited release and was a sequel to the film
A Christmas Story
. After a 13-year long hiatus from film, Grodin returned to acting in the
Zach Braff comedy
The Ex
.
Grodin was a
political commentator for
60 Minutes II
starting in 2000, and hosted his own issues-oriented
talk show,
The Charles Grodin Show
, on
CNBC from 1995 to 1998. In 2004, Grodin wrote
The Right Kind of People
, an
off-Broadway play about
Co-op boards in certain buildings in
Manhattan. Grodin's commentaries continue to be heard on
New York City radio station
WCBS and other affiliates of the
CBS Radio Network, as well as on the
CBS Radio Network's
Weekend Roundup
He is also a best-selling author; his works include
It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here
,
Spilled Milk and Other Clichés
and
How I Get Through Life
. His book,
If I Only Knew Then...Learning from Our Mistakes
was released in November 2007 by
Springboard Press. It is a collection of essays from his famous friends (and friends of friends), with all author proceeds going to the
Help USA charity. His book
How I Got To Be Whoever It Is I Am
came out in April 2009.
Personal life
Grodin has a daughter, Marion, from his first marriage, to Julie Ferguson. They later divorced. He married Elissa Durwood in 1985 and has a son from the marriage, Nicky (born 1988). He is the son-in-law of the late Stanley Durwood, founder and former chairman of AMC Theatres.
Charles is now working with an autistic boy named
Alex Fischetti to whom he has been a mentor and is helping him write a book.
[4]
Grodin usually adopts a faux antagonistic attitude during his semi-regular appearances on the
Late Show with David Letterman
. Seemingly miffed or angry, his act is strictly tongue-in-cheek as he lobs verbal attacks at the host.
[5]
In 2006, Grodin received the William Kunstler Award for Racial Justice.
[6]
Filmography
Year
| Film
| Role
| Notes
|
1964
| Sex and the College Girl
|
|
|
1968
| ''Rosemary's Baby
| Dr. C.C. Hill
|
|
1970
| Catch-22
| Capt. Aarfy Aardvark
|
|
1972
| The Heartbreak Kid
| Lenny Cantrow
| Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
|
1974
| 11 Harrowhouse
| Howard R. Chesser
|
|
1976
| King Kong
| Fred Wilson
|
|
1977
| Thieves
| Martin Cramer
|
|
1978
| Heaven Can Wait
| Tony Abbott
|
|
1979
| Sunburn
| Jake
|
|
Real Life
| Warren Yeager
|
|
1980
| Seems Like Old Times
| Dist. Atty. Ira J. Parks
|
|
It's My Turn
| Homer
|
|
1981
| The Great Muppet Caper
| Nicky Holiday
|
|
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
| Vance Kramer
|
|
1984
| The Woman in Red
| Buddy
|
|
The Lonely Guy
| Warren Evans
|
|
1985
| Movers and Shakers
| Herb Derman
|
|
1986
| Last Resort
| George Lollar
|
|
1987
| Ishtar
| Jim Harrison
|
|
1988
| Midnight Run
| Jonathan Mardukas
| Valladolid International Film Festival Award for Best Actor
|
You Can't Hurry Love
| Mr. Glerman
|
|
The Couch Trip
| George Maitlin
|
|
1989
| Cranium Command
| Left Brain
|
|
1990
| Taking Care of Business
| Spencer Barnes
|
|
1992
| Beethoven
| George Newton
|
|
1993
| Beethoven's 2nd
| George Newton
|
|
Heart and Souls
| Harrison Winslow
| Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
|
So I Married an Axe Murderer
| Commandeered Driver
|
|
Dave
| Murray Blum
| American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
|
1994
| It Runs in the Family
| Mr. Parker (The Old Man)
|
|
Clifford
| Martin Daniels
|
|
2006
| The Ex
| Bob Kowalski
|
|
References
- LA Weekly - Film+TV - Don't Call It a Comeback - Scott Foundas - The Essential Online Resource for Los Angeles
- j. - The heartfelt kid
- Charles Grodin Biography (1935-)
- http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/parenting/92288/charles-grodin-urges-new-yorkers-to-mentor-kid
- http://www.dailymotion.com/Meowbay/video/x27mes_charles-grodin-on-the-late-show Example clips from '
- More to M than meets the eye - Entertainment News, Liz Smith, Media - Variety