Biography:

Charles Grodin (born April 21, 1935) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor, comedian, and former cable talk show host.

Early life:

Grodin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Orthodox Jewish American parents Lena (née Moretsky), who worked as an assistant in the family's store and was a volunteer for disabled veterans, and Theodore Grodin, who sold wholesale supplies. His maternal grandfather, Emanuel Moretsky, was a Russian Jewish immigrant who came from a long line of Rabbis and moved to Pittsburgh at the turn of the 20th century. He 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 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 before him, his comic scenario was taken a bit too literally by the audience, and he was never asked to host again. 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 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 new book, If I Only Knew Then...Learning from Our Mistakes will be 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.

Personal life:

Grodin has a daughter, Marion, from his first marriage. He is currently married 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.

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.

In 2006, Grodin received the William Kunstler Award for Racial Justice.

Filmography:

Actor:

1. Fast Track (2006) .... Bob Kowalski
   ... aka The Ex (USA: new title)
2. It Runs in the Family (1994) .... Mr. Parker (The Old Man)
   ... aka My Summer Story
3. All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! (1994) (TV) .... Chaz
   ... aka Sesame Street's All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! (USA: complete title)
4. Clifford (1994) .... Martin Daniels
5. Beethoven's 2nd (1993) .... George Newton
6. Heart and Souls (1993) .... Harrison Winslow
7. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) .... Commandeered Driver
8. Dave (1993) .... Murray Blum
9. Beethoven (1992) .... George Newton
   ... aka Beethoven: Story of a Dog (Australia: cable TV title)
10. Taking Care of Business (1990) .... Spencer Barnes
    ... aka Filofax
11. The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990) (TV) .... Quentin Fitzwaller
12. Cranium Command (1989) .... Left Brain
13. Midnight Run (1988) .... Jonathan Mardukas
14. You Can't Hurry Love (1988) .... Mr. Glerman
    ... aka Greetings from L.A.
    ... aka Lovestruck
15. The Couch Trip (1988) .... George Maitlin
16. Ishtar (1987) .... Jim Harrison
17. "Fresno" (1986) (mini) TV mini-series .... Cane Kensington
18. Last Resort (1986) .... George Lollar
    ... aka She Knew No Other Way
19. Grown-Ups (1985) (TV) .... Jake
20. Movers & Shakers (1985) .... Herb Derman
21. The Woman in Red (1984) .... Buddy
22. The Lonely Guy (1984) .... Warren Evans
23. Charley's Aunt (1983) (TV) .... Lord Fancourt Babberly
24. The Great Muppet Caper (1981) .... Nicky Holiday
25. The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) .... Vance Kramer
26. Seems Like Old Times (1980) .... Ira Parks
    ... aka Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times (USA: complete title)
27. It's My Turn (1980) .... Homer
    ... aka A Perfect Circle
28. Sunburn (1979) .... Jake
29. Real Life (1979) .... Warren Yeager
30. The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank (1978) (TV) .... Jim Benson
31. Heaven Can Wait (1978) .... Tony Abbott
32. Just Me and You (1978) (TV) .... Michael Lindsay
33. "Saturday Night Live" .... Host (1 episode, 1977)
    ... aka NBC's Saturday Night (USA: first season title)
    ... aka SNL (USA: informal title)
    ... aka SNL 25 (USA: alternative title)
    ... aka Saturday Night (USA: second season title)
    ... aka Saturday Night Live '80 (USA: sixth season title)
        - Charles Grodin/Paul Simon (1977) TV episode .... Host
34. Thieves (1977) .... Martin Cramer
35. King Kong (1976) .... Fred Wilson
36. 11 Harrowhouse (1974) .... Howard R. Chesser
    ... aka Anything for Love (USA: TV title)
    ... aka Eleven Harrowhouse
    ... aka Fast Fortune
37. The Heartbreak Kid (1972) .... Lenny Cantrow
    ... aka Neil Simon's The Heartbreak Kid (USA: complete title)
38. Catch-22 (1970) .... Capt. Aarfy Aardvark
39. "Judd for the Defense" .... District Attorney Tom Durant (1 episode, 1969)
        - An Elephant in a Cigar Box (1969) TV episode .... District Attorney Tom Durant
40. Rosemary's Baby (1968) .... Dr. C.C. Hill
41. "The Big Valley" .... Mark Dunigan (1 episode, 1968)
        - The Good Thieves (1968) TV episode .... Mark Dunigan
42. "N.Y.P.D." (1 episode, 1967)
        - Money Man (1967) TV episode
43. "The Guns of Will Sonnett" .... Bells Pickering (1 episode, 1967)
        - A Bell for Jeff Sonnett (1967) TV episode .... Bells Pickering
44. "The Virginian" .... Arnie Doud (1 episode, 1967)
    ... aka The Men from Shiloh (USA: new title)
        - Reckoning (1967) TV episode .... Arnie Doud
45. "The F.B.I." .... Carl Platt (1 episode, 1967)
        - Sky on Fire (1967) TV episode .... Carl Platt
46. "The Iron Horse" .... Alex (1 episode, 1967)
        - The Pembrooke Blood (1967) TV episode .... Alex
47. "Shane" .... Jed (2 episodes, 1966)
        - The Great Invasion: Part 2 (1966) TV episode .... Jed
        - The Great Invasion: Part 1 (1966) TV episode .... Jed
48. "Felony Squad" .... Edgar (1 episode, 1966)
        - A Penny Game, a Two-Bit Murder (1966) TV episode .... Edgar
49. "The Trials of O'Brien" .... Peter Farnum (1 episode, 1965)
        - Picture Me a Murder (1965) TV episode .... Peter Farnum
50. "My Mother the Car" .... Fred (1 episode, 1965)
        - Burned at the Steak (1965) TV episode (as Chuck Grodin) .... Fred
51. "The Young Marrieds" (1964) TV series .... Matt Crane Stevens #2 (1964-1965)
52. Sex and the College Girl (1964)
    ... aka The Fun Lovers (USA: alternative title)
53. "The Defenders" .... Thomas Martin (1 episode, 1962)
        - The Apostle (1962) TV episode .... Thomas Martin
54. 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) (uncredited) .... Drummer
    ... aka Jules Verne's 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (USA: complete title)
    ... aka Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (USA: poster title)

Writer:

1. "60 Minutes II" (1999) TV series (unknown episodes)
   ... aka 60 Minutes (USA: new title)
   ... aka 60 Minutes Wednesday (USA: new title)
2. Movers & Shakers (1985) (writer)
3. The Paul Simon Special (1977) (TV) (writer)
4. 11 Harrowhouse (1974) (adaptation)
   ... aka Anything for Love (USA: TV title)
   ... aka Eleven Harrowhouse
   ... aka Fast Fortune

Producer:

Soundtrack:

Self:

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