(CNN)Ed Asner, who roseate to fame arsenic the crusty but lovable newsman Lou Grant connected "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," died Sunday morning, his publicist confirmed to CNN. He was 91.
Asner was was surrounded by household successful Los Angeles, publicist Charles Sherman said.
The quality was besides shared successful a station connected Asner's authoritative Twitter account.
"We are atrocious to accidental that our beloved patriarch passed distant this greeting peacefully," the post read.
"Words cannot explicit the sadness we feel. With a buss connected your head- Goodnight dad. We emotion you."
Asner, a seasoned of Chicago's drama theatre country -- helium was portion of the Compass Players, a predecessor to Second City -- was a noted quality histrion earlier landing the relation of WJM-TV quality manager Grant successful "Mary Tyler Moore," which premiered successful 1970. Originally portrayed arsenic gruff and snappish, with his necktie everlastingly unknotted and a vessel of whiskey astatine the ready, his quality mellowed implicit the show's seven-year tally to go a instrumentality favorite.
The quality was spun disconnected into his ain series, "Lou Grant," a one-hour play that ran from 1977 to 1982.
Asner won 5 of his 7 Emmy Awards for playing Grant, 3 arsenic champion supporting histrion successful a drama bid for "Mary Tyler Moore" and 2 for pb histrion successful a play for "Lou Grant." He besides won Emmys for his enactment successful the 1976 mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man" and the 1977 miniseries "Roots."
After "Lou Grant" was canceled, Asner continued to enactment prolifically successful movies and television, popping up successful specified bid arsenic "Modern Family," "ER," "Studio 60 connected the Sunset Strip," "The X-Files," "The Good Wife," "Grace and Frankie," "Hot successful Cleveland" and "Cobra Kai." The stocky histrion played Santa Claus much than once, possibly astir notably successful the movie "Elf" (2003).
Asner won fans among a caller procreation of moviegoers erstwhile helium gave dependable to the bespeckled widower and retired balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen successful Pixar's 2009 heartwarming film, "Up."
The kid of Orthodox Jewish immigrants, Asner was calved successful Kansas City, Missouri. He archetypal became funny successful performing done a play vigor programme produced by his precocious school. He served successful the subject earlier landing successful Chicago, performed connected Broadway and aboriginal headed to California.
Asner was ne'er shy astir airing his wide governmental opinions. He headed the Screen Actors Guild from 1981 to 1985, regularly contributed to Democratic candidates and wide causes and seldom shied from a debate. In 2012, helium lent his dependable to a abbreviated animated movie astir the causes of the fiscal crisis.
Asner was joined doubly and is survived by 4 children.
He had much than a twelve credits connected upcoming projects, with immoderate successful post-production listed connected his IMDb leafage astatine the clip of his death.
In an interrogation with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, Asner talked astir his career, shared his thoughts connected the upcoming California callback and showcased his wit erstwhile asked however aged helium felt.
"If it weren't for my atrocious near leg, I would consciousness younger," Asner told the publication. "I've got galore parts that request to beryllium bolstered and refurbished. And I haven't got clip to acquisition each those changes."
CNN's Stella Chan contributed to this report.
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