Чарльз Гродин: Жизнь и карьера американского актера

American actor (1935–2021)

Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era. After a small part in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, he played the lead in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972) where he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He then took supporting roles in Mike Nichols's Catch 22 (1970), the 1976 remake of King Kong, and Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (1978). Other notable film roles include Real Life (1979), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Ishtar (1987), Dave (1993), and Clifford (1994). Grodin co starred in the action comedy Midnight Run (1988) and in the family film Beethoven (1992). Grodin made his acting debut in 1958 appearing in the NBC anthology series Decision. He then appeared in numerous TV serials throughout the next decade. He made frequent appearances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for the Paul Simon Special (1978) alongside Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, and Lily Tomlin. He portrayed Carl Shapiro in the miniseries Madoff (2016). Grodin wrote eight books and three plays and became a talk show host on CNBC and in 2000 a political commentator for 60 Minutes II. He returned to acting in Louis C. K.'s FX show Louie and Noah Baumbach's film While We're Young (2014).

Grodin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Orthodox Jewish parents, Theodore (1900–1953), who owned a store that sold wholesale supplies, and Lena (1907–1996; née Singer), who worked in her husband's business and volunteered for disabled veterans. His paternal grandfather had changed the family name from Grodinsky to Grodin. His maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Russia who "came from a long line of rabbis" and moved to Baltimore at the turn of the 20th century. Grodin had an older brother named Jack. Grodin graduated as valedictorian from Peabody High School, where he was elected class president all four years. He attended the University of Miami but left without graduating to pursue acting. He studied acting at HB Studio in New York City under Uta Hagen.

Grodin's film debut was an uncredited bit part in Disney's 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. A student of Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen, he made his Broadway debut in a production of Tchin Tchin, opposite Anthony Quinn. In 1965, he became an assistant to director Gene Saks and appeared on several television series including The Virginian. Grodin had a small but pivotal part playing an obstetrician in the 1968 horror film Rosemary's Baby. In 1964, he played Matt Stevens on the ABC soap opera The Young Marrieds. 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. He also directed Simon and Garfunkel's television special Songs of America in 1969. However, he turned down the part of Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate because of the low salary offered by producer Lawrence Turman, although Turman assured him that the part would make him a star, as it ultimately did for Dustin Hoffman.

After a supporting role in the 1970 comedy film Catch 22, Grodin gained recognition as a comedy actor when he played the lead role in the 1972 film The Heartbreak Kid. Grodin subsequently appeared in several films during the decade, including the 1976 version of King Kong, the hit 1978 comedy Heaven Can Wait, and Albert Brooks's 1979 comedy Real Life. He both starred in and wrote the screenplay for 11 Harrowhouse (1974). During the 1970s, he also frequently appeared on Broadway and was involved in producing several plays. In 1981, he landed a role in The Great Muppet Caper playing Nicky Holiday, a jewel thief who falls in love with Miss Piggy. He also appeared that same year opposite Lily Tomlin in The Incredible Shrinking Woman. 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 also appeared in the 1986 CBS prime time soap sendup Fresno, playing the evil son of a raisin matriarch (Carol Burnett). His Hollywood film roles of the 1980s usually saw him cast as uptight, bland, and world weary white collar professionals, such as a psychiatrist having a nervous breakdown (The Couch Trip), a health conscious accountant (Midnight Run), an ineffectual advertising executive (Taking Care of Business), and a lonely, socially awkward nerd (The Lonely Guy). He was cast against this type as a scheming CIA agent in Ishtar. Commenting on his work with regard to Ishtar, Hal Hinson in The Washington Post observed: "Grodin has a one of a kind quality on the screen, a sort of inspired spinelessness. And with his cat burglar rhythms – he seems to play all his scenes as if someone were asleep in the next room – he's become a very sly scene stealer." Sandra Brennan at Rovi noted that: "Whereas many funnymen have been popular for their ability to overreact and mug their way around everyday obstacles, Grodin belonged, from the beginning, to the Bob Newhart school of wry comedy that values understatement and subtlety." His many talk show appearances from the 1970s to the early 2020s often included confrontational and mock angry segments. At one time Johnny Carson "banned" him from The Tonight Show appearances after taking offense at things Grodin had said. The NBC network would receive angry letters from viewers who didn't understand the joke that he was playing a persona, trying to be as different from typical talk show guests as possible. His appearances on Late Night With David Letterman would sometimes erupt into shouting and name calling, but Letterman always enjoyed Grodin's segments.

Grodin's career took a turn in 1992, when he played the nervous family man George Newton in the kids' comedy Beethoven, opposite Bonnie Hunt. The film was a box office hit, and he reprised the role in the 1993 sequel, Beethoven's 2nd. Also in 1993, Grodin played the role of Harrison Winslow in the film Heart and Souls. After a supporting role in the acclaimed Ivan Reitman comedy Dave, Grodin signed on to play The Old
Man in the 1994 limited release sequel to A Christmas Story, It Runs in the Family (a. k. a. My Summer Story). That same year also saw the much delayed release of Clifford, in which Grodin portrayed the frustrated uncle opposite Martin Short's title role. From 1995 to 1999, Grodin hosted his own issues orientated cable news talk show, The Charles Grodin Show. It originated as a nightly show on CNBC, replacing Tom Snyder after he left to start The Late Late Show on CBS. The show was dropped by CNBC in 1998, but aired for a final year as a weekly show on MSNBC before ending its run in late 1999. From 2000 to 2003, he was a political commentator for 60 Minutes II. 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 were 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. After a 12 year long hiatus from film, in 2006 Grodin returned to acting in the comedy The Ex starring Zach Braff.

In the 2010s, Grodin made more frequent acting appearances, guest starring on television shows such as Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and The Michael J. Fox Show. Grodin had several supporting roles in films, including Barry Levinson's The Humbling (2014) and Taylor Hackford's The Comedian (2016). He had a prominent supporting role in Noah Baumbach's While We're Young (2015), playing a celebrated documentary filmmaker and the father of one of the lead characters. In 2015, Grodin was cast in a recurring role in Louis C. K.'s FX show Louie as Dr. Bigelow, C. K.'s philosophical doctor and mentor in Season 4 and 5. In an interview with Deadline, Grodin talked about his relationship with C. K. stating, "I find him to be the single most talented person I've ever worked with, he's a wonderful director, writer, and actor." He also portrayed the philanthropist and defrauded investor Carl J. Shapiro in the 2016 miniseries Madoff on ABC based on the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme debacle. His final movie was An Imperfect Murder: The Private Life of a Modern Woman, released in 2017. Grodin was also a prolific author and published his final book in 2013.

Grodin had two children: daughter Marion (a comedienne), from his marriage to Julie Ferguson, and son, Nicholas, from his marriage to Elissa Durwood. For a period in the 2000s, Grodin gave up show business to be a stay at home dad to his children.

Grodin died from multiple myeloma at his home in Wilton, Connecticut, on May 18, 2021. He was 86.

Year Movie RoleNotes 1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Drummer Boy Uncredited 1964 Sex and the College Girl Bob1968 Rosemary's Baby Dr. C. C. Hill 1970 Catch 22 Capt. Aarfy Aardvark 1972 The Heartbreak Kid Lenny Cantrow 1974 11 Harrowhouse Howard R. Chesser Writer 1976 King Kong Fred Wilson 1977 Thieves Martin Cramer 1978 Heaven Can Wait Tony Abbott 1979 Real Life Warren Yeager Sunburn Jake Dekker 1980 It's My Turn Homer Seems Like Old Times Dist. Atty. Ira J. Parks 1981 The Incredible Shrinking Woman Vance Kramer The Great Muppet Caper Nicky Holiday 1984 The Lonely Guy Warren Evans The Woman in Red Buddy 1985 Movers & Shakers Herb Derman Writer, producer 1986 Last Resort George Lollar 1987 Ishtar Jim Harrison 1988 The Couch Trip George Maitlin You Can't Hurry Love Mr. Glerman Midnight Run Jonathan "the Duke" Mardukas 1989 Cranium Command Left Brain Short 1990 Taking Care of Business Spencer Barnes 1992 Beethoven George Newton 1993 Dave Murray Blum So I Married an Axe Murderer Commandeered Driver Heart and Souls Harrison Winslow Beethoven's 2nd George Newton 1994 Clifford Martin Daniels My Summer Story Bob Parker (The Old Man) 2006 The Ex Bob Kowalski 2011 The Harmony Game Self Documentary 2013 Brazzaville Teen Ager Father Short film 2014 The Humbling Jerry While We're Young Leslie Breitbart 2016 The Comedian Dick D'Angelo 2017 An Imperfect Murder Arthur Final film role, also known as The Private Life of a Modern Woman

Year Title RoleNotes 1958 Decision Young Hoodlum Episode: "Man Against Crime" Armstrong Circle Theatre Phelps Episode: "The Nautilus"1960 Have Gun – Will Travel Proctor's Henchman Episode: "Fogg Bound" 1961 The Play of the Week Performer Episode: Black Monday The Defenders Thomas Martin Episode: "The Apostle" 1965 The Young Marrieds Matt Crane Stevens #2 65 episodes My Mother the Car Fred Episode: "Burned at the Steak" The Trials of O'Brien Peter Farnum Episode: "Picture Me a Murder" 1966 Felony Squad Edgar Episode: "Penny Game, a Two Bit Murder" Shane Jed 2 episodes 1967 The Iron Horse Alex Episode: "The Pembrooke Blood" The F. B. I. Carl Platt Episode: "Sky on Fire" Captain Nice News Vendor Episode: "One Rotten Apple" The Virginian Arnie Doud Episode: "The Reckoning" The Guns of Will Sonnett Bells Pickering Episode: "A Bell for Jeff Sonnett" N. Y. P. D. Joey Diamond Episode: "Money Man"1968 The Big Valley Mark Dunigan Episode: "The Good Thieves" 1969 Judd, for the Defense Dist. Atty. Tom Durant Episode: "An Elephant in a Cigar Box" Simon and Garfunkel: Songs of America Himself Director, producer1974 Paradise N/A Co director, television movie1977 The Paul Simon Special Charles Writer Saturday Night Live Himself/host Episode: Charles Grodin/Paul Simon 1978 Just Me and You Michael Lindsay Television movie The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank Jim Benson Television movie1981 Laverne & Shirley Himself Episode: "Friendly Persuasion"1983 Charley's Aunt Lord Fancourt Babberly Television movie1986 Fresno Cane Kensington Miniseries1990 The Magical World of Disney Quentin Fitzwaller Episode: "The Muppets at Walt Disney World"1992Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories NarratorEpisode: "Rotten Island"1995–98 The Charles Grodin Show Host 26 episodes2000 60 Minutes II Correspondent2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Brett Forrester Episode: "Lessons Learned" 2013 The Michael J. Fox Show Steve Henry Episode: "Thanksgiving"2014–15 Louie Dr. Bigelow 5 episodes2015 Waiting for Ishtar Himself Documentary 2016 Madoff Carl Shapiro Miniseries; 4 episodes The New Yorker Presents Psychiatrist Episode: 1.8; Final television role

Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 1972 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy The Heartbreak Kid 1978 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special The Paul Simon Special 1980 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Supporting Actor Seems Like Old Times 1988 Valladolid International Film Festival Best Actor Midnight Run 1993 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Heart and Souls 1994 American Comedy Awards Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Dave 2006 William Kunstler Awards Racial Justice

Grodin is mentioned as a hero of characters Mac and Dennis in the season six episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia entitled "Mac's Mom Burns Her House Down". He was referenced in three different episodes of The Simpsons ("I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", "Little Big Girl" and "Mathlete's Feat"). In the Seinfeld episode "The Doll" Jerry Seinfeld buys a bottle of sauce because the brand's mascot bears a resemblance to Grodin.