Celebrity Graveland

November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021

For 12 years, American TV audiences tuned in by the millions to delight in and be entertained by the curmudgeonly but loveable character, Lou Grant. Grant first appeared in the all-time classic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and was then given his own spin-off fittingly entitled Lou Grant. Ed Asner became a household name with his portrayal of the gruff but ultimately caring Grant. He won 5 of his 7 Emmy awards for the role, spanning both series. And he is one of only two actors to win Emmys for the SAME role in both a comedy and a drama.

But Ed Asner was SO much more than Lou Grant. As a young man, he bounced around in a number of jobs before finding his way onto the stage. He was instantly smitten and quickly gained a name for himself as a performer. After a brief stint in the U.S. Army Signal Corp, Asner made his way to New York where he appeared in a number of Broadway productions. The charismatic actor naturally forayed into television, appearing in dozens of shows and, in 1970, was cast in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Even taking away the 280 episodes of Moore and Lou Grant, Asner still appeared in more than 150 television programs and over 100 movies, including extensive voice-over work. To younger audiences, he may best be remembered as Santa in the 2003 movie Elf or as the voice of Carl Fredricksen in Disney/Pixar’s Up.

Asner was a beloved personality both on and off the screen. He became known for his activism and for his vocal support of a number of charities. He also served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild in the 1980s. At the age of 91, Asner died of natural causes in California and was buried with his parents in his native Kansas City.

Burial

Sheffield Cemetery – Kansas City, MO

Specific Location

Section 5; From the main circle drive, head straight north on the sidewalk and take the 2nd right up the hill. Take the first left before Section 5 and the ASNER plot will be on your right. Ed is buried behind the main family marker and just to the north.

This entry was posted on October 24, 2022 at 11:46 am and is filed under Sheffield Cemetery with tags Actors, Sheffield Cemetery, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.