Edward Asner

Edward “Ed” Asner was a Kansas City-born actor whose career spanned more than 60 years on stage, film, and television. Best known for his role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show + the spin-off Lou Grant, Asner was one of the most-decorated American TV actors — winning seven Primetime Emmy Awards. He served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild + was a prominent labor + political voice. He died in 2021 at age 91.

Biography

Early life

Yitzhak Edward “Eddie” Asner was born on November 15, 1929 in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up in a Jewish family in Kansas City + attended Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas. He played football + participated in drama in high school.¹

He attended the University of Chicago for a time before being drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War era.

Early acting career (1955-1970s)

Asner began his professional acting career in Chicago + New York theater + later transitioned to film + TV. He made his TV debut in the 1950s + appeared in numerous TV shows + small film roles through the 1960s.

Lou Grant era (1970-1982)

In 1970, Asner was cast as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show — playing the gruff but-warm-hearted news director at WJM-TV in Minneapolis. The show became one of the most-celebrated American TV comedies + Asner’s portrayal of Lou Grant made him a household name.

In 1977, the character was spun off into the drama series Lou Grant — depicting Grant as a newspaper city editor in Los Angeles. The show ran for five seasons (1977-1982) + Asner won multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for the role.

Asner’s combined Emmy wins (seven total) make him one of the most-decorated American TV actors of all time.

Later career (1980s-2010s)

Across the 1980s + onward, Asner continued substantial work:

• Multiple TV roles including The Bronx Zoo, Thunder Alley, and many others
• Voice work — most notably as Carl Fredricksen in Pixar’s Up (2009)
• Film roles including JFK (1991), Elf (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
• Theater + stage work

Labor + political role

Asner served as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for two terms (1981-1985). His tenure was marked by:

• Strong labor advocacy for actors
• Politically progressive positions on multiple issues
• Controversial public stance on El Salvador civil war (1980s) that affected commercial work
• Continued political advocacy throughout his life

Death (2021)

Edward Asner died on August 29, 2021 in Tarzana, California at age 91.

Defining contributions to Kansas City

1. KC native — one of the most-decorated KC-born actors.
2. Wyandotte High School (KCK) graduate — anchors his KC + KCK identity.
3. Multi-decade national-television prominence lending KC cultural recognition.
4. Labor leadership as SAG president — model for actor advocacy.

Cultural legacy

Asner is one of the most-decorated American TV actors in history. His combination of:

• Seven Primetime Emmy Awards — including five for Lou Grant
• Lou Grant character as defining American TV character
• 60+ year acting career across all media
• KC-native identity

establishes him as a major American actor + a distinguished KC-born cultural figure.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Wikipedia — “Ed Asner” biographical entry. ↩