May 18 (UPI) — Actor, writer and talk show host Charles Grodin died Tuesday at age 86. Grodin had been battling bone marrow cancer.
Grodin’s son, Nicholas, told both The New York Times and TMZ of his father’s death. Grodin died in his Wilton, Conn., home surrounded by wife Elissa and their family.
Since the 1950s, Grodin starred in films, television and Broadway. His comedy fare ran the gamut from family films like “Beethoven,” “Heart and Souls” and “The Great Muppet Caper” to R-rated comedies like “Midnight Run” and “Taking Care of Business.”
Grodin starred in comedies like “The Heartbreak Kid,” but frequently played straight man to the likes of Kevin Kline in “Dave,” Lily Tomlin in “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” or Martin Short in “Clifford.” Comedy was Grodin’s forte, but he also appeared in horror films like “Rosemary’s Baby,” the war film “Catch-22” and the 1976 remake of “King Kong.”
In 1995, Grodin turned talk show host and hosted “The Charles Grodin Show” for three years on MSNBC. He continued as a commentator on “60 Minutes II.”
Grodin was also a playwright and authored a series of memoirs about his experiences in the entertainment industry. Titles include “It Would Be So Nice If You Weren’t Here,” “We’re Ready For You Mr. Grodin” and “I Like It Better When You’re Funny.”
