Photo: Terry Ballard / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Ed Asner was born on November 15, 1929 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States and was credited as an actor, film producer and screenwriter. Ed Asner died on August 29, 2021 at the age of 91. Schooling on record includes Wyandotte High School and University of Chicago. Listed accolades include Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Paul Robeson Award (1982), Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1978, 1980) and 2 more. Credited works include Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.
My Take
What stays with me about Ed Asner is durability of character, not glamour. Pulling off the same man, Lou Grant, in both a hit sitcom and a serious drama is a feat almost no one matches, and his record seven Primetime Emmys make the argument better than I can. I admire that he was also a stubborn union activist who refused to soften his convictions even when it cost him. That gruff, working-man warmth he projected is genuinely rare, and I think television lost a particular kind of grown-up gravity when he passed in 2021 at ninety-one.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ed Asner
- Name (Japanese)
- エドワード・アズナー
- Reading
- えどわーど・あずなー
- Born
- November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Snake
- Origin
- Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Occupation
- actor / film producer / screenwriter / politician / trade unionist
2. Background
- High school
- Wyandotte High School
- University
- University of Chicago
Awards & achievements
- Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
- 1982 Paul Robeson Award
- 1978 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- 1980 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- 1971 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- 1972 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- 1975 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- 1992 star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.ed-asner.com/
- Xhttps://x.com/TheOnlyEdAsner
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed%20Asner
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A8%E3%83%89%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%82%BA%E3%83%8A%E3%83%BC
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154421
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Ed Asner born?
Born November 15, 1929.
When did Ed Asner die?
Died August 29, 2021, aged 91.
Where was Ed Asner from?
Ed Asner was from Kansas City, Missouri, United States.
What did Ed Asner do?
Ed Asner worked as actor, film producer, screenwriter, politician, trade unionist.
What was Ed Asner known for?
Notable works include Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.
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