Ed Asner

American actor (1929 to 2021)

Ed Asner biography

Ed Asner was an American actor, born on 15 November 1929 in Kansas City, who died on 29 August 2021.

Ed Asner's screen career began in 1957 with Studio One, playing Multiple roles.

Ed Asner appeared in 102 films and 221 television or streaming titles between 1957 and 2025.

Ed Asner is remembered for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.

Honours include SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, Paul Robeson Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2 times).

See the full filmography

Also known as: Edward Asner, Eddie Asner
Born: 15 November 1929
Died: 29 August 2021 (aged 91)
Birthplace: Kansas City
Work: Actor, Film producer, Screenwriter, Politician, Trade unionist
Film industries: Hollywood and beyond
Years active: 1953 to 2021
Known for: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Awards: SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award
Paul Robeson Award
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2 times)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2 times)

Ed Asner filmography

103 films and 221 television or streaming titles, newest first.

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2029	Unplugged	Dr. Eaton (voice)	Upcoming
2025	The Gettysburg Address	Edward Everett (voice)	Posthumous release
2024	Altered Reality	Mike Wilson	Posthumous release; filmed in 2020
2024	A Fargo Christmas Story	Popcorn Bud	Posthumous release; filmed in 2020
2023	Deadly Draw	Max Perlmutter	Posthumous release; filmed in 2021
2023	Carl's Date	Carl Fredricksen (voice)
2022	The Last Saturday Night	Gerald	Podcast series; posthumous release
2022	Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules	Grandpa Heffley (voice)	Posthumous release; dedicated to his memory
2021	Senior Entourage	Ed
2021	Back Home Again	Peter Lionsbridge (voice)	Short film; posthumous release
2020	M.O.M.: Mothers of Monsters	Dr. Harry Arden
2020	Tiger Within	Samuel
2020	Rain Beau's End	Gunny
2019	The Garden Left Behind	Dr. Cleary
2019	Faith, Hope & Love	Harry Karetas
2018	The Parting Glass	Tommy
2018	When We Are Right	Michael	Voice, short
2018	The Wedding	Vern
2018	Still Waiting in the Wings	Jefferson
2018	Honor Amongst Men	Pop Halmo
2018	Barking Mad	Manfred Schiel
2018	Angels on Tap	Swifty
2017	Yamasong: March of the Hollows	Elder Pyreez
2017	Within Reach	Ed	Short
2017	The Gliksmans	Moshe

Show all 103 films

Year	Title	Role	Where	Notes
2017	The Flood	Mick		Short
2017	Saving Christmas	Rick		Direct-to-video
2017	Santa Stole Our Dog: A Merry Doggone Christmas!	Santa Claus
2017	Joe's War	Harry		Direct-to-video
2017	In Vino	Charles
2017	CarGo	Art		Voice
2016	Classic Hollywood Cinemas
2016	Miracle in the Valley	Judge Mordecai Price
2015	The Nutcracker Sweet	Owl		Voice
2015	Rain of the Ghosts	Old Joe Charone		Audiobook
2014	The Games Maker	Nicholas Drago
2014	Audrey	Walt
2013	I Know That Voice		English
2013	Axel: The Biggest Little Hero	Bonta / Narrator		Voice
2012	Casting By		English
2012	Should've Been Romeo	Charlie
2012	Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure	Carl Fredricksen
2012	Foodfight!	Mr. Leonard		Voice
2012	Elephant Sighs	Leo
2011	Witness Insecurity	Maxwell
2011	Let Go	Artie Satz
2011	Identical	Yaakov Washington
2011	All-Star Superman	Perry White		Voice, direct-to-video
2010	Not Another B Movie	Angry Investor
2010	The Triumph of William Henry Harrison	Narrator		Voice
2010	Superman/Batman: Apocalypse	Granny Goodness		Voice, direct-to-video
2009	Up	Carl Fredricksen		Voice
2009	Dug's Special Mission	Carl Fredricksen		Voice, short; uncredited
2008	Gigantic	Kirby Weathersby
2008	Christmas Cottage	Sidney
2008	Channels	Ed Packard
2007	Christmas Is Here Again	Krad		Voice
2006	The Heart Specialist	Mr. Olson
2005	Sheeba	Grandpa Cecil
2005	Sir! No Sir!		English
2005	Out of the Woods	Jack Green
2004	X-Men Legends	Healer
2004	Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords	Vrook Lamar
2003	The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay		English
2003	Elf	Santa Claus		Credited as Edward Asner
2003	Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	Vrook Lamar
2001	The Animal	Chief Marion Wilson
2000	Above Suspicion		English
2000	Perfect Game	Coach Billy
1999	The Bachelor	Sid Gluckman
1999	Our Friend, Martin	Mr. Harris		Voice, direct-to-video
1999	Love and Action in Chicago	Taylor
1998	Hard Rain	Uncle Charlie
1997	Academy Boyz
1997	A Christmas Carol	Jacob Marley		Voice, direct-to-video
1997	The Fanatics	Charlie Atwater
1995	Goldilocks and the Three Bears	Bruno
1995	Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken	Hudson		Voice, direct-to-video
1992	The Real Story of Happy Birthday to You	Charlie		Voice, short film
1991	JFK	Guy Banister
1989	Happily Ever After	Scowl		Voice
1988	Moon over Parador		English
1987	Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night	Sylvester J. Scalawag		Voice
1986	The Christmas Star	Horace McNickle
1984	Anatomy of an Illness	Norman Cousins
1983	Daniel	Jacob Ascher
1982	O'Hara's Wife	Bob O'Hara
1981	Fort Apache, The Bronx	Captain Dennis Connolly
1981	Americas in Transition		English
1976	Gus	Hank Cooper
1974	The Wrestler	Frank Bass
1971	Skin Game	Plunkett
1971	The Todd Killings	Fred Reardon
1970	They Call Me Mister Tibbs!	Woody Garfield
1970	Halls of Anger	Ernie McKay
1969	Change of Habit	Lieutenant Moretti
1967	Gunn	Lieutenant Charles Jacoby
1967	El Dorado	Bart Jason
1966	The Venetian Affair	Frank Rosenfeld
1965	The Slender Thread	Detective Judd Ridley
1965	The Satan Bug	Veretti
1962	Kid Galahad	Assistant District Attorney Frank Gerson		Uncredited
1961	The Murder Men	Dave Keller		Stock footage

Television and streaming

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2021	The Premise	Mr. Holmes
2021	Scarlett	Lou	Television film; posthumous release
2021	Muppets Haunted Mansion	Claude
2021	Let's Be Real	Ed Asner	Episode: "Episode 101"
2021	Dug Days	Carl Fredricksen
2021	Captain Daddy	Grandpa	Television film; posthumous release
2020	Teen Titans Go!	Sergeant Mike Cosgrove	Voice, Season 6 Episode 33: "Huggbees"
2020	Royalties	Papa / Hal	Season 1 Episode 2: "Break It In"
2020	Modern Family	Herschel Braverman	Season 11 Episode 12: "Dead on a Rival"
2020	Central Park	Ambrose Brandenham
2020	Briarpatch	James Staghorne Sr.
2020	Blue Bloods	Chuck Kennedy	Season 10 Episode 15: "Vested Interests"
2020	Ballmastrz: 9009	Rupert T. Digzfield IV
2019	Grace and Frankie	Howard Jay
2019	Doom Patrol	Hospital Patient	Season 1 Episode 13: "Flex Patrol"
2019	Dead to Me	Abe Rifkin
2018	All of My Heart: The Wedding	Vern	Television film
2018	MacGyver	Saul	Season 2 Episode 20: "Skyscraper - Power"
2018	Cobra Kai	Sid Weinberg
2017	All of My Heart: Inn Love	Vern	Television film
2017	A StoryBots Christmas	Santa	Television special
2017	Titanic: Sinking the Myths	Wilhelm Müller	Documentary
2017	Bones	Rufus Tucker	Season 12 Episode 3: "The New Tricks in the Old Dogs"
2016	SpongeBob SquarePants	Angry Old Timer	Voice, Season 10 Episode 1: "Whirly Brains"
2015	All of My Heart	Vern	Television film

Show all 221 titles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2015	The Good Wife	Guy Redmayne
2015	Murdoch Mysteries	Kris Kringle	Season 9 Episode: "A Merry Murdoch Christmas"
2015	Forgive Me	Bishop
2015	Criminal Minds	Roy Brooks	Season 10 Episode 20: "A Place at the Table"
2014	Mom	Jack Bumgartner	Season 2 Episode 5: "Kimchi and a Monkey Playing Harmonica"
2014	Men at Work	Bob	Season 3 Episode 5: "Gigo-Milo"
2014	Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas	Santa Claus	Voice, television special
2014	Chozen	Lil' Wheely	Episode: "Sell, Sell, Sell" (Unaired)
2014	Chasing Life	Artie Carver	Season 1 Episode 11: "Locks of Love"
2013	The Glades	Dr. Ted Hardy
2013	The Crazy Ones	Mr. Finger	Season 1 Episode 8: "The Stan Wood Account"
2013	Maron	Larry Maron	Unaired pilot
2013	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Coach Martin Schultz	Season 14 Episode 13: "Monster's Legacy"
2013	Christmas on the Bayou	Papa Noel	Television film
2012	Home Alone: The Holiday Heist	Mr. Carson	Television film
2012	The Middle	Ben	Season 3 Episode 19: "The Paper Route"
2012	Regular Show	Santa Claus	Voice, Season 4 Episode 9: "The Christmas Special"
2012	Hot in Cleveland	Jameson Lyons	Season 3 Episode 15: "Rubber Ball"
2012	Hawaii Five-0	August March
2011	Too Big to Fail	Warren Buffett	Television film
2011	Young Justice	Kent Nelson	Voice, Season 1 Episode 7: "Denial"
2011	Working Class	Hank Greziak
2011	Royal Pains	Ted Roth
2011	Michael: Every Day	Dr. Wasserman
2010	The Sarah Silverman Program	Commandant Von Reichenstein	Season 3 Episode 10: "Wowschwitz"
2010	The Cleveland Show	Multiple roles
2010	American Dad!	Grandpa Smith
2009	WordGirl	Kid Potato
2009	Up: Upisodes	Carl Fredricksen	Voice; Miniseries, 3 episodes
2009	The Line	Patrick	Season 1 Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
2009	Star-ving	Mr. Lipschitz	Season 1 Episode 10: "El Al-Qaeda"
2009	CSI: NY	Abraham Klein / Klaus Braun	Season 5 Episode 22: "Yahrzeit"
2008	The Spectacular Spider-Man	Uncle Ben Parker	Voice, Season 1 Episode 12: "Intervention"
2007	Andy Barker, P.I	Mickey Doyle	Season 1 Episode 6: "The Lady Varnishes"
2006	The Christmas Card	Luke Spellman	Television film
2006	W.I.T.C.H	Napoleon
2006	Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip	Wilson White
2005	The Dead Zone	Marty Bracknell	Season 4 Episode 10: "Coming Home"
2005	The Boondocks	Ed Wuncler Sr.
2004	Justice League Unlimited	Multiple roles
2004	Center of the Universe	Art Barnett	12 episodes
2003	The Commission	Captain J. W. Fritz	Television film
2003	Spider-Man: The New Animated Series	Officer Barr
2003	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2	Uncle Nick	Television film
2003	Grim & Evil	Mr. Voorhees
2003	ER	Dr. James McNulty
2003	Duck Dodgers	Guard Captain
2002	John XXIII: The Pope of Peace	Angelo Roncalli	Television film
2002	The Man Who Saved Christmas	Charles Gilbert	Television film
2002	Teamo Supremo	Mr. Large
2001	The Huntress	Max Quinlin	Season 1 Episode 14: "Generations"
2001	The Ellen Show	Santa Claus	Season 1 Episode 11: "Ellen's First Christmas"
2001	Max Steel	Chuck Marshak
2001	King of the Hill	Stinky
2001	Family Guy	Steve Bellows	Voice, Season 3 Episode 4: "One If by Clam, Two If by Sea"
2001	Dharma & Greg	Earl Tucker	Season 4 Episode 22: "How This Happened"
2001	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Mr. Weiner	Season 2 Episode 6: "The Acupuncturist"
2001	3×3 Eyes	Grandpa Ayanokoji	Voice, English dub
2000	Common Ground	Ira	Television film
2000	Touched by an Angel	Bud	Season 6 Episode 17: "Here I Am"
2000	The Wild Thornberrys	Frank Hunter	Voice, Season 3 Episode 20: "The Anniversary"
2000	The Hoop Life	Coach	Season 1 Episode 22: "The Second Chance"
2000	Johnny Bravo	Multiple roles
2000	Buzz Lightyear of Star Command	Fixer	Voice, Season 1 Episode 11: "The Return of XL"
2000	Becoming Dick	Davis Aldrich	Television film
2000	Arliss	Lenny Crowley	Season 5 Episode 10: "Last Call"
1999	The Sissy Duckling	Elmer's father	Voice, television film
1999	The Simpsons	Editor
1999	Recess	Thaddeus T. Third V
1999	Olive, the Other Reindeer	Santa Claus	Television film
1998	The X-Files	Maurice	Season 6 Episode 6: "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas"
1998	The Closer	Carl Dobson	10 episodes
1998	Superman: The Animated Series	Granny Goodness
1998	Soul Man	Frank Weber	Season 2 Episode 10: "Yes Sir, That's My Baby"
1998	More Tales of the City	Jack Lederer	Miniseries; Season 1 Episode 5
1998	Maggie Winters	Nathan Winters	Season 1 Episode 9: "Angstgiving Day"
1998	Hercules	Mentor
1998	Ask Harriet	Old Man Russell
1997	The Practice	Multiple roles
1997	The New Adventures of Zorro	Additional voices	26 episodes
1997	The Angry Beavers	Risk Keeper	Voice, Season 1 Episode 8: "I Dare You"
1997	Payback	Jack Patkanis	Television film
1997	Life with Louie	Mr. Applegate	Voice, Season 3 Episode 9: "The Kiss Is the Thing"
1997	Jumanji	The Judge
1997	Dog's Best Friend	Jeep	Television film
1997	Dead Man's Gun	Jebusi McKinney	Season 1 Episode 11: "Next of Kin"
1997	Adventures from the Book of Virtues	Daniel	Voice, Season 1 Episode 10: "Faith"
1996	Gone in the Night	Detective John Waters	Television film
1996	The Story of Santa Claus	Santa Claus	Voice, Television film
1996	The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest	Von Romme / Sentry #4	Voice, Season 2 Episode 11: "Nuclear Netherworld"
1996	The Magic School Bus	General Araneus	Voice, Season 3 Episode 3: "Spins a Web"
1996	Roseanne	Lou Grant	Season 9 Episode 1: "Call Waiting"; uncredited
1996	Mad About You	Zigmund Klarik
1996	Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles	Hudson, Burbank, Street Person #2	Voice, 10 episodes
1996	Bruno the Kid	Engineer	Voice
1995	Freakazoid!	Sergeant Mike Cosgrove	Voice, 20 episodes
1995	Duckman	Mort Sidelman	Voice, Season 2 Episode 6: "The Germ Turns"
1994	Thunder Alley	Gil Jones	27 episodes
1994	Spider-Man: The Animated Series	J. Jonah Jameson	Voice, 35 episodes
1994	Gargoyles	Hudson, Jack Danforth, Burbank, Security Guard #2	Voice, 46 episodes
1994	Dinosaurs	Evil Georgie	Voice, Season 4 Episode 14: "Georgie Must Die!"
1993	Gypsy	Pop	Television film
1993	Bonkers	Grumps	Voice, Season 1 Episode 58: "Seems Like Old Toons"
1993	Animaniacs	Papa Bear	Voice, Season 1 Episode 12: "Garage Sale of the Century"
1992	Hearts Afire	George Lahti	12 episodes
1992	Fish Police	Chief Abalone
1992	Cruel Doubt	Bill Osteen	Season 1 Episode 1 Season 1 Episode 2
1992	Batman: The Animated Series	Roland Daggett
1991	Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus	Edward P. Mitchell	Television film
1991	The Trials of Rosie O'Neill	Walter Kovacs	17 episodes
1991	Switched at Birth	Ted Marx	Television film
1990	Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less	Harvey Metcalfe	Television film
1990	Captain Planet and the Planeteers	Hoggish Greedly	Voice, 33 episodes
1988	A Friendship in Vienna	Opah Oskar Reikman	Television film
1987	The Bronx Zoo	Principal Joe Danzig	21 episodes
1987	Cracked Up	Reverend Vincent Owens	Television film
1986	Kate's Secret	Dr. Resnick	Television film
1986	Vital Signs	Matthew St James	Television film
1986	Tall Tales & Legends	Lucky Jake	Season 1 Episode 4: "My Darlin' Clementine"
1986	Highway to Heaven	Harold	Season 2 Episode 17: "The Last Assignment"
1985	The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible	Joshua
1985	Tender Is the Night	Devereux Warren	Miniseries
1984	Off the Rack	Sam Waltman
1981	The Marva Collins Story	Narrator	Voice, television film
1979	The Family Man	Eddie Madden	Television film
1977	The Gathering	Adam Thornton	Television film
1977	Roots	Captain Thomas Davies	Season 1 Episode 1: "Part 1" Season 1 Episode 3: "Part 3"
1977	Lou Grant	Lou Grant	114 episodes
1976	Rich Man, Poor Man	Axel Jordache
1975	Hey, I'm Alive	Ralph Flores	Television film
1975	The Wide World of Mystery	Detective Ed Ames	Episode: "The Impersonation Murder Case"
1975	Hawaii Five-O	August March	Season 8 Episode 14: "Wooden Model of a Rat"
1975	Death Scream	Peter Singleton	Television film
1974	Rhoda	Lou Grant	Season 1 Episode 8: "Rhoda's Wedding"
1973	The Girl Most Likely to	Ralph Varone	Television film
1973	Police Story	Multiple roles
1972	Haunts of the Very Rich	Al Hunsicker	Television film
1972	Cade's County	Nick Grainger	Season 1 Episode 23: "The Fake"
1971	They Call It Murder	Chief Otto Larkin	Television film
1971	The Last Child	Barstow	Television film
1970	The Old Man Who Cried Wolf	Dr. Morheim	Television film
1970	The Mod Squad	Multiple roles
1970	The Mary Tyler Moore Show	Lou Grant	166 episodes
1970	House on Greenapple Road	Sheriff Muntz	Television film
1969	The Name of the Game	Multiple roles
1969	Mission: Impossible	George Simpson	Season 3 Episode 13: "The Mind of Stefan Miklos"
1969	Medical Center	Coach Trask	Season 1 Episode 1: "The Last Ten Yards"
1969	Here Come the Brides	Matt Balter
1969	Daughter of the Mind	Saul Wiener	Television film
1969	CBS Playhouse	Nat Congdon	Season 3 Episode 2: "Sadbird"
1968	The Wild Wild West	Furman Crotty	Season 3 Episode 22: "The Night of the Amnesiac"
1967	The Invaders	Multiple roles
1967	The Girl from U.N.C.L.E	George Kramer	Season 1 Episode 26: "The Double-O-Nothing Affair"
1967	Judd, for the Defense	Multiple roles
1967	Ironside	Multiple roles
1967	Iron Horse	Ned Morley	Season 2 Episode 16: "The Prisoners"
1967	Insight	Multiple roles
1966	The Doomsday Flight	Feldman	Television film
1966	The Rat Patrol	Captain Friedrich	Season 1 Episode 2: "The Life Against Death Raid"
1966	The F.B.I	Multiple roles
1966	Run for Your Life	Cappi	Season 2 Episode 4: "The Committee for the 25th"
1966	Please Don't Eat the Daisies	Alvin	Season 1 Episode 20: "My Good Friend, Whatsisname"
1966	Felony Squad	Bull Bradovich	Season 1 Episode 13: "The Killer Instinct"
1965	Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea	Brynov	Season 1 Episode 27: "The Exile"
1965	The Fugitive	Multiple roles
1965	Burke's Law	Pablo Vasquez	Season 3 Episode 6: "Nightmare in the Sun"
1965	A Man Called Shenandoah	Sam Chance	Season 1 Episode 7: "The Verdict"
1964	The Reporter	Max Holte	Season 1 Episode 13: "Vote for Murder"
1964	The Farmer's Daughter	George Chase	Season 2 Episode 15: "Like Father, Like Son"
1964	Slattery's People	Frank Radcliff
1964	Profiles in Courage	Multiple roles
1964	Gunsmoke	Sergeant Wilks
1964	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	Sergeant Slade	Season 1 Episode 22: "A Case of Armed Robbery"
1963	The Virginian	George Johnson	Season 1 Episode 26: "Echo of Another Day"
1963	The Richard Boone Show	Harry Forman	Season 1 Episode 13: "Where's the Million Dollars?"
1963	The Outer Limits	Detective Sergeant Thomas Siroleo	Season 1 Episode 11: "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork"
1963	The Nurses	Phil Granger	Season 2 Episode 4: "The Gift"
1963	The Lieutenant	Charles Perry	Season 1 Episode 10: "A Troubled Image"
1963	The Eleventh Hour	Max Brenson	Season 1 Episode 15: "My Name is Judith, I'm Lost, You See"
1963	The Defenders	Multiple roles
1963	The Alfred Hitchcock Hour	Jack Stander	Season 1 Episode 19: "To Catch a Butterfly"
1963	Stoney Burke	Kapp	Season 1 Episode 30: "Tigress by the Tail"
1963	Mr. Novak	Multiple roles
1963	Ben Casey	Jerome Lynch	Season 3 Episode 7: "The Echo of a Silent Cheer: Part 2"
1962	The Untouchables	Multiple roles
1962	Sam Benedict	Dr. Everett Colner	Season 1 Episode 4: "Nothing Equals Nothing"
1962	Outlaws	Keef	Season 2 Episode 13: "The Dark Sunrise of Griff Kincaid"
1962	Dr. Kildare	Multiple roles
1962	Cain's Hundred	Dave Keller	Season 1 Episode 21: "Blues for a Junkman: Arthur Troy"
1962	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Warden Bragan	Season 7 Episode 30: "What Frightened You, Fred?"
1962	Alcoa Premiere	Daniel Stryker	Season 2 Episode 10: "The Contenders"
1961	Target: The Corruptors!	Tyler	Season 1 Episode 9: "The Golden Carpet"
1961	Naked City	Lieutenant Vincent Busti
1960	Route 66	Multiple roles
1958	Decoy	Sergeant	Season 1 Episode 18: "An Eye for an Eye"
1957	Studio One	Multiple roles

Ed Asner

Ed Asner biography

Ed Asner filmography

Films

Television and streaming

Jubliz on screen