Ed Asner - # 270

Ed Asner, Emmy-Winning ‘Lou Grant’ and ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’ Star, Dies at 91

 

He was number 270 on the list.

Seven-time Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, who starred as Lou Grant on both sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and hourlong drama “Lou Grant” before a late-career rejuvenation through his poignant voicework in 2009 animated film “Up,” has died. He was 91.

His publicist confirmed the news to Variety, writing that he died on Sunday surrounded by family. Asner’s official Twitter account posted a message from his family, saying “Goodnight dad. We love you.”

Asner had worked for many years as a character actor in series television and movies before hitting paydirt and stardom as the tough-talking TV newsroom head Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which brought him three supporting actor Emmys. He was part of an all-star cast which included Mary Tyler Moore, Ted Knight, Gavin MacLeod, Betty White, Cloris Leachman, Georgia Engel and Valerie Harper. When the sitcom called it quits, he returned as the same character in a harder-hitting hourlong series, which earned him two leading actor Emmys and a total of five noms. The actor picked up two additional Emmys for his work on the miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Roots,” and won a total of seven.

More recently he appeared on “Grace & Frankie,” “Cobra Kai” and provided voices for “American Dad!”

Within the industry he was respected for his activism on liberal causes that were close to his heart and for his service as Screen Actors Guild president from 1981 to 1985. In recent years he had been vocal in his opposition to the current SAG-AFTRA leadership regime. In December Asner was one of 10 actors who filed a class-action lawsuit against the union over changes made to its health care plan.

“There have been few actors of Ed Asner’s prominence who risked their status to fight for social causes the way Ed did,” said SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris. “He fought passionately for his fellow actors, both before, during and after his SAG presidency. But his concern did not stop with performers. He fought for victims of poverty, violence, war, and legal and social injustice, both in the United States and around the globe.”

During his time in office at SAG, Asner was criticized for making political statements about U.S. involvement in El Salvador. His outspokenness may have cost him his $60,000-per-episode salary on newspaper-centered series “Lou Grant,” which CBS controversially cancelled after five seasons, as well as other lucrative offers. He nonetheless continued to criticize the industry’s labor standards and fight for unionism.

Asner also fought a tempestuous battle for the commingling of SAG and the Screen Extras Guild to which there was opposition from within the ranks, most loudly vocalized by actor Charlton Heston, which brought the two thesps to the brink of libel action.

Asner had rarely been active in politics or union activities, but he was vocal during the crippling 1980 SAG strike, the results of which prompted him to run for the office, which he won the next year. His battles included improving the employment and compensation conditions for actors as well as uniting SAG and SEG, which eventually came to pass; he also championed a SAG-AFTRA merger, but changed his view by 2012, when members approved the combination after Asner and other union activists failed to persuade a judge to grant a court order preventing the vote.

But he drew fire with his public pronouncements against U.S. involvement in El Salvador, which many saw as an abuse of his SAG office. While he was president an award to a former SAG president, Ronald Reagan, was rescinded because of the now U.S. president’s dissolution of the air traffic controllers’ union — although Asner himself did not vote on it. He also protested South Africa’s apartheid policies while in office.

Such controversies drew fire from Heston, an avid Reaganite, and a duel began that almost wound up in court. Asner was elected to another two-year term in 1983, winning by a landslide, after which he stepped down in 1985, throwing his support to Patty Duke. He continued to defend his political activism, calling it not a “luxury, but a necessity,” throughout his life.

He remained active in TV movies and miniseries beginning in the mid-’70s, winning Emmys for such blockbusters as “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Roots.” He also starred in such praised telepics as “A Small Killing,” and “A Case of Libel.” He also made the occasional movie during the ’70s and ’80s such as “Skin Game,” “Fort Apache the Bronx,” “Daniel” and, later, “JFK.”

His 1987 series on ABC, “Bronx Zoo,” was short lived and, at the time, Asner gave voice to concerns that his left-leaning politics were out of favor and possibly costing him work, telling Variety that he knew of a couple of cases in which he’d lost work “but I’m sure that was the tip of the iceberg.” He noted that ABC tested another Asner series, “Off the Rack,” by asking viewers, “What do you know of Ed Asner’s politics and how would it affect your liking the show?” Almost unanimously respondents said they knew nothing of Asner’s beliefs nor did they care.

Asner worked steadily on the bigscreen during the 1990s and 2000s with credits including “Academy Boyz,” “Hard Rain,” “The Bachelor,” “Above Suspicion,” “Elf” and Enchanted Cottage.”

During the same period he regularly popped up on TV. For CBS he recurred on “Hearts Afire” and short-lived series “The Trials of Rosie O’Neill” (drawing a supporting actor Emmy nomination for the latter), was a regular on brief Tom Selleck sitcom “The Closer” in 1998 and appeared as Pop in a 1993 production of “Gypsy” that starred Bette Midler. He also starred in a short-lived ABC sitcom, “Thunder Alley,” reprised the role of Lou Grant in an uncredited role on “Roseanne” and guested on “Dharma and Greg,” “Mad About You,” “The X-Files” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

He also recurred as a judge on “The Practice” and as the chairman of the network’s parent company on “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and had a story arc on “ER” as a curmudgeonly old doctor who runs a storefront clinic.

In 2002 he starred as the pontiff in a movie for Italian television, “Pope John XXIII.”

He received an Emmy nom for supporting actor in a miniseries or movie in 2007 for Hallmark telepic “The Christmas Card” and an Emmy nom for guest actor in a drama series in 2009 for a spot on “CSI: NY.”

In 2011, the actor played Warren Buffett in the HBO telepic “Too Big Too Fail” and recurred on the CMT sitcom “Working Class.”

Asner also spent a great deal of time doing voice work for animated series including “Fish Police,” “Batman,” “Captain Planet and the Planeteers” (he drew a Daytime Emmy nomination), “Gargoyles,” “Freakazoid,” “Spider-Man” (another Daytime Emmy nom), “WordGirl” (a third Daytime Emmy nom) and “The Boondocks” — preparation, perhaps, for his fine voice work on 2009’s “Up,” which won two Oscars, including for best animated feature.

The success of that film spurred interest in Asner, who was a very busy actor in the succeeding years, with roles on “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Middle,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “The Sarah Silverman Program,” “Hot in Cleveland” and “Royal Pains,” to name a few. He also recurred on the brief 2011 CMT laffer “Working Class” and on A&E’s “The Glades” and did voice work on “The Cleveland Show.”

The actor appeared on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” in a recurring segment entitled “Does This Impress Ed Asner?”

The youngest of five children, Edward Asner was born in Kansas City. At Wyandotte High School he was all-city tackle and an editor of the school paper.

He spent two years at the U. of Chicago, followed by a stint in the Army. When he returned to Chicago he joined Paul Sills in the Playwrights Theater Group, which became the Compass Players and the Second City Group. He acted in 26 plays with the group over the next two years.

Asner left the troupe in 1955 to move to New York, where he played Peachum in “The Threepenny Opera” at the Theatre de Lys for three years at $65 a week while keeping himself solvent doing odd jobs. He made his Broadway debut in the short-lived “Face of a Hero,” starring Jack Lemmon, and continued to work onstage at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford and the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Central Park productions before striking out for L.A.

He moved in 1961 to Los Angeles, where he worked on TV series such as “Naked City,” “Slattery’s People,” “The Fugitive” and “Ironside,” settling in to life as a character actor. His film work was also character driven in such films as “Kid Galahad,” “The Satan Bug,” “The Slender Thread,” “El Dorado,” “Gunn” and “Change of Habit” in the 1960s.

A 1970 pilot, “Doug Selby D.A.,” didn’t go anywhere but brought him to the attention of Grant Tinker, who cast him as Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” one of his first attempts at comedy. The program ran for seven high-rated seasons and ran in syndication for decades.

Asner received SAG’s Life Achievement Award in 2002, two years after winning the guild’s Ralph Morgan Award. In 2003, he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.

In 2013, Asner again took on a prominent role on a SAG-AFTRA controversy, serving as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging extensive mishandling of $130 million in unpaid residuals and foreign royalties. The suit was dismissed in early 2014 but the federal judge in the case indicated that the plaintiffs might be able to file again.

Asner was twice married, the second time to producer Cindy Gilmore, and twice divorced. He is survived by four children, Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles.

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1961      The Murder Men              Dave Keller         Stock footage

1962      Kid Galahad        Assistant District Attorney Frank Gerson                Uncredited

1965      The Satan Bug    Veretti

1965      The Slender Thread         Detective Judd Ridley    

1966      The Venetian Affair         Frank Rosenfeld              

1967      El Dorado            Bart Jason          

1967      Gunn     Police Lt. Jacoby              

1969      Change of Habit                Lt. Moretti         

1970      Halls of Anger    Ernie McKay      

1970      They Call Me Mister Tibbs!           Woody Garfield                

1971      Skin Game           Plunkett              

1971      The Todd Killings              Fred Reardon    

1974      The Wrestler      Frank Bass          

1976      Gus        Hank Cooper     

1981      Fort Apache, The Bronx Connolly             

1982      O'Hara's Wife     Bob O'Hara        

1983      Daniel   Jacob Ascher     

1984      Anatomy of an Illness     Norman Cousins              

1986      The Christmas Star           Horace McNickle             

1987      Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night                 Scalawag (voice)              

1988      Moon over Parador         Himself                

1990      Happily Ever After            Scowl the Owl (voice)    

1991      JFK          Guy Banister     

1992      The Real Story of Happy Birthday to You                Charlie (voice)   Short film

1995      Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken            Hudson (voice) Direct-to-video

1995      Goldilocks and the Three Bears Bruno   

1997      The Fanatics       Charlie Atwater                

1997      A Christmas Carol             Jacob Marley (voice)       Direct-to-video

1998      Hard Rain            Uncle Charlie    

1999      Love and Action in Chicago           Taylor   

1999      The Bachelor      Sid Gluckman    

1999      Our Friend, Martin           Mr. Harris (voice)             Direct-to-video

2000      Perfect Game    Coach Billy         

2001      The Animal         Chief Marion Wilson      

2003      Elf           Santa Claus        

2005      Sheeba Grandpa Cecil   

2006      The Heart Specialist        Mr. Olson           

2006      The Christmas Card         Luke Spelman   

2007      Christmas Is Here Again                 Krad (voice)       

2008      Channels              Ed Packard         

2008      Gigantic                Kirby Weathersby           

2008      Christmas Cottage           Sidney  

2009      Up          Carl Fredricksen (voice)

2009      Dug's Special Mission     Carl Fredricksen (voice) Video short; uncredited

2010      Not Another B Movie      Angry Investor  

2010      Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Granny Goodness (voice)             Direct-to-video

2011      All-Star Superman            Perry White (voice)         Direct-to-video

2011      Witness Insecurity           Maxwell              

2011      Let Go   Artie Satz            

2011      Sheeba Grandfather      

2012      Foodfight!           Leonard (voice)

2012      Elephant Sighs   Leo        

2012      Home Alone: The Holiday Heist Mr. Carson         

2013      Axel: The Biggest Little Hero        Bonta / Narrator (voices)             

2013      I Know That Voice            Himself                

2014      Audrey Walt     

2014      The Games Maker           Nicholas              

2015      I Thought I Told You to Shut Up!!               Himself                 Short film

2015      The Nutcracker Sweet    Owl (voice)        

2016      Boonville Redemption   Judge Mordecai Price    

2017      The Gliksmans   Moshe

2017      Saving Christmas              Rick        Direct-to-video

2017      Joe's War             Harry     Direct-to-video

2017      CarGo    Art (voice)          

2018      The Parting Glass              Tommy                

2019      The Garden Left Behind                 Dr. Cleary           

2019      Faith, Hope & Love          Harry Karetas    

2020      M.O.M.: Mothers of Monsters   Dr. Harry Arden                Cameo

2021      Senior Entourage              Ed          

TBA        Awaken                                Completed; posthumous release

TBA        The Gettysburg Address                Edward Everett (voice) Post-production; posthumous release

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1957      Studio One          Juror / Third Actor           3 episodes

1958      Decoy    Sergeant              Episode: "An Eye for an Eye"

1960–1962          Route 66              Various                 5 episodes

1961      Naked City          Lt. Vincent Busti                2 episodes

1961      Target: The Corruptors!                 Tyler      Episode: "The Golden Carpet"

1962      Outlaws                Keef       Episode: "The Dark Sunrise of Griff Kincaid"

1962      Cain's Hundred Dave Keller         Episode: "Blues for a Junkman: Arthur Troy"

1962      Alfred Hitchcock Presents             Warden Bragan                 Episode: "What Frightened You, Fred?"

1962      Sam Benedict     Dr. Everett Colner            Episode: "Nothing Equals Nothing"

1962      Alcoa Premiere Daniel Stryker    Episode: "The Contenders"

1962–1963          The Untouchables           Frank / Jimmy Canada / Fedor Bartok      4 episodes

1962–1963          Dr. Kildare           Dr. Frank Williams / John Fossman            2 episodes

1963      The Eleventh Hour           Max Brenson      Episode: "My Name is Judith, I'm Lost, You See"

1963      The Alfred Hitchcock Hour            Jack Stander       Episode: "To Catch a Butterfly"

1963      The Virginian      George Johnson               Episode: "Echo of Another Day"

1963      Stoney Burke     Kapp      Episode: "Tigress by the Tail"

1963      The Nurses         Phil Granger       Episode: "The Gift"

1963      Ben Casey            Jerome Lynch     Episode: "The Echo of a Silent Cheer: Part 2"

1963      The Lieutenant Charles Perry     Episode: "A Troubled Image"

1963      The Outer Limits               Detective Sgt. Thomas Siroleo     Episode: "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork"

1963      The Richard Boone Show              Harry Forman    Episode: "Where's the Million Dollars?"

1963–1964          The Defenders Harry Obermayer / Tim Sellers   2 episodes

1963–1965          Mr. Novak           Paul Berg / Harmon Stern             2 episodes

1964      Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre                Sgt. Slade             Episode: "A Case of Armed Robbery"

1964      Slattery's People               Frank Radcliff     3 episodes

1964      The Reporter     Max Holte           Episode: "Vote for Murder"

1964      The Farmer's Daughter George Chase    Episode: "Like Father, Like Son"

1964–1965          Profiles in Courage          Oliver E. Wells   2 episodes

1964–1966          Gunsmoke          Sergeant Wilks / Jack Redmond 2 episodes

1965–1967          The Fugitive        Joe Bantam / Roy Malinek / Sheriff Mayhew        3 episodes

1965      Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea               Brynov Episode: "The Exile"

1965      Burke's Law        Pablo Vasquez   Episode: "Nightmare in the Sun"

1965      A Man Called Shenandoah           Sam Chance        Episode: "The Verdict"

1966      Please Don't Eat the Daisies         Alvin      Episode: "My Good Friend, Whatsisname"

1966      The Rat Patrol    Captain Friedrich              Episode: "The Life Against Death Raid"

1966      Run for Your Life               Cappi     Episode: "The Committee for the 25th"

1966      Felony Squad     Bull Bradovich   Episode: "The Killer Instinct"

1966      The Doomsday Flight      Feldman               TV Movie

1966–1969          The F.B.I.             Pete Zacharias / Walter Gretzler / John Carl Brock             3 episodes

1967      The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.                 George Kramer Episode: "The Double-O-Nothing Affair"

1967      Iron Horse           Ned Morley        Episode: "The Prisoners"

1967–1968          The Invaders      Harry Ferguson / Taugus               2 episodes

1967–1969          Judd, for the Defense     District Attorney Orloff / Capt. Paul Wyatt             2 episodes

1967–1969          Ironside                Marlon Davis / Warrant Officer Frank Simpson    2 episodes

1967–1977          Insight   Various characters           7 episodes

1968      The Wild Wild West        Furman Crotty   Episode: "The Night of the Amnesiac"

1969      Mission: Impossible        George Simpson               Episode: "The Mind of Stefan Miklos"

1969      Medical Center Coach Trask        Episode: "The Last Ten Yards"

1969      The Name of the Game Vince Leonard / Cesare Marino 2 episodes

1969      Here Come the Brides    Matt Balter         2 episodes

1969      CBS Playhouse   Nat Congdon      Episode: "Sadbird"

1969      Sadbird                 Nat Congdon      TV movie

1969      Daughter of the Mind     Saul Wiener        TV movie

1970      House on Greenapple Road         Sheriff Muntz     TV movie

1970      The Old Man Who Cried Wolf     Dr. Morheim      TV movie

1970–1972          The Mod Squad                 Sgt. Ed Lassiter / Joe Walton / Harry Loring           3 episodes

1970–1977          The Mary Tyler Moore Show       Lou Grant            166 episodes

1971      They Call It Murder          Chief Otto Larkin              TV movie

1971      The Last Child    Barstow                TV movie

1972      Cade's County    Nick Grainger     Episode: "The Fake"

1972      Haunts of the Very Rich Al Hunsicker       TV movie

1973      The Girl Most Likely to...               Ralph Varone     TV movie

1973–1976          Police Story        Frank Moran / Arch Tatum / Lt. Dave Blodgett     3 episodes

1974      Rhoda   Lou Grant            2 episodes

1975      The Wide World of Mystery         Detective Ed Ames          Episode: "The Impersonation Murder Case"

1975      Death Scream    Peter Singleton TV movie

1975      Hey, I'm Alive     Ralph Flores       TV movie

1975      Hawaii Five-O    August March    Episode: "Wooden Model of a Rat"

1976      Rich Man, Poor Man       Axel Jordache    2 episodes

1977      Roots     Capt. Thomas Davies       2 episodes

1977–1982          Lou Grant            Lou Grant            114 episodes

1977      The Gathering   Adam Thornton                 TV movie

1978      Great Performances       Various characters           Episode: "The Good Doctor"

1979      The Family Man                Eddie Madden   TV movie

1981      The Marva Collins Story                 Narrator (voice)                TV movie

1984–1985          Off the Rack        Sam Waltman    7 episodes

1985      Tender Is the Night          Devereux Warren            Miniseries

1985      The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible Joshua (voice)    Episode: "Joshua and the Battle of Jericho"

1986      Tall Tales & Legends       Lucky Jake           Episode: "My Darlin' Clementine"

1986      Highway to Heaven         Harold   Episode: "The Last Assignment"

1986      Kate's Secret      Dr. Resnick          TV movie

1986      Disneyland          Horace McNickle              Episode: "The Christmas Star"

1987      Cracked Up         Reverend Vincent Owens             TV movie

1987–1988          The Bronx Zoo   Principal Joe Danzig         21 episodes

1988      A Friendship in Vienna   Opah Oskar Reikman      TV movie

1990      Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less       Harvey Metcalfe               TV movie

1990–1996          Captain Planet and the Planeteers            Hoggish Greedly (voice)                33 episodes

1991      Switched at Birth              Ted Marx             TV movie

1991–1992          The Trials of Rosie O'Neill             Walter Kovacs    17 episodes

1992      Cruel Doubt        Bill Osteen          2 episodes

1992      Fish Police           Chief Abalone (voice)     6 episodes

1992–1993          Hearts Afire        George Lahti      12 episodes

1992–1994          Batman: The Animated Series     Roland Daggett (voice)   5 episodes

1993      Animaniacs         Papa Bear (listed in the credits as "Vern") (voice)               Episode: "Garage Sale of the Century/West Side Pigeons"

1993      Bonkers                Grumps (voice) Episode: "Seems Like Old Toons"

1993      Gypsy    Pop        TV movie

1994      Dinosaurs            Evil Georgie (voice)         Episode: "Georgie Must Die!"

1994–1995          Thunder Alley    Gil Jones              27 episodes

1994–1996          Gargoyles            Hudson (voice) 39 episodes

1994–1998          Spider-Man        J. Jonah Jameson (voice)               35 episodes

1995      Duckman             Mort Sidelman (voice)    Episode: "The Germ Turns"

1995–1997          Freakazoid!         Sgt. Mike Cosgrove (voice)           16 episodes

1996      Gone in the Night             Det. John Waters              TV movie

1996      Bruno the Kid     Engineer (voice)               

1996      Roseanne            Lou Grant            Episode: "Call Waiting"; uncredited

1996      The Magic School Bus     General Aranius (voice) Episode: "Spins a Web"

1996      The Story of Santa Claus                Santa Claus (voice)          TV movie

1996      The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest       Von Romme / Sentry #4 (voices)                Episode: "Nuclear Netherworld"

1996–1997          Mad About You                 Zigmund Klarik 3 episodes

1996–1997          Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles             Hudson (voice) 10 episodes

1997      Dog's Best Friend             Jeep       TV movie

1997      Adventures from the Book of Virtues       Daniel (voice)     Episode: "Faith"

1997      Dead Man's Gun               Jebusi McKinney               Episode: "Next of Kin"

1997      The Angry Beavers           Risk Keeper (voice)          Episode: "Mission to the Big Hot Thingy/I Dare You"

1997      Life with Louie   Mr. Applegate (voice)    Episode: "The Kiss Is the Thing"

1997      Jumanji                 The Judge (voice)             Episode: "The Trial"

1997–2004          The Practice       Judge Matlin Pratt / Judge Marcus Winnaker       4 episodes

1997–1998          The New Adventures of Zorro     Additional voices              26 episodes

1998      Soul Man             Frank Weber      Episode: "Yes Sir, That's My Baby"

1998      Ask Harriet          Old Man Russell                3 episodes

1998      The Closer           Carl Dobson        10 episodes

1998      More Tales of the City    Jack Lederer       Miniseries; episode #1.5

1998      Hercules               Mentor (voice) Episode: "Hercules and the Disappearing Heroes"

1998      Maggie Winters                Nathan Winters                Episode: "Angstgiving Day"

1998      The X-Files          Maurice               Episode: "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas"

1998–2000          Superman: The Animated Series                Granny Goodness (voice)             4 episodes

1999      The Sissy Duckling            Elmer's father (voice)     TV movie

1999      The Simpsons    Editor (voice)     Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"

1999      Disney's Recess Thaddeus T. Third V (voice)          Episode: "The Biggest Trouble Ever"

1999      Olive, the Other Reindeer             Santa Claus         TV movie

2000      Common Ground             Ira           TV movie

2000      Touched by an Angel      Bud        Episode: "Here I Am"

2000      The Hoop Life    Coach    Episode: "The Second Chance"

2000      Arliss     Lenny Crowley   Episode: "Last Call"

2000      Becoming Dick   Davis Aldrich      TV movie

2000      Buzz Lightyear of Star Command               Fixer (voice)        Episode: "The Return of XL"

2000      The Wild Thornberrys     Frank Hunter (voice)       Episode: "The Anniversary"

2000–2001          Johnny Bravo     Dr. Miller / Uncle Lou (voices)     2 episodes

2001      Max Steel            Chuck Marshak (voice)   4 episodes

2001      The Huntress     Max Quinlin        Episode: "Generations"

2001      Family Guy          Steve Bellows (voice)      Episode: "One If by Clam, Two If by Sea"

2001      Dharma & Greg                 Earl Tucker          Episode: "How This Happened"

2001      Curb Your Enthusiasm    Mr. Weiner         Episode: "The Acupuncturist"

2001      The Ellen Show Santa Claus         Episode: "Ellen's First Christmas"

2001      3×3 Eyes              Grandpa Ayanokoji (voice)           English dub

2001–2002          King of the Hill   Stinky (voice)     2 episodes

2002      John XXIII: The Pope of Peace      Angelo Roncalli TV movie

2002      Teamo Supremo               Mr. Large (voice)              2 episodes

2002      The Man Who Saved Christmas Charles Gilbert TV movie

2003      ER           Dr. James McNulty           3 episodes

2003      Grim & Evil          Mr. Voorhees (voice)     Episode: "Grim for a Day/ChickenBall Z/Max Courage!"

2003      Spider-Man: The New Animated Series   Officer Barr (voice)          4 episodes

2003      Duck Dodgers    Guard Captain (voice)     Episode: "I'm Going to Get You Fat Sucker/Detained Duck"

2003      National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure           Uncle Nick           TV movie

2004–2005          Justice League Unlimited              Granny Goodness / Hephaestus (voices)                2 episodes

2004–2005          Center of the Universe   Art Barnett          12 episodes

2005      The Dead Zone Marty Bracknell                Episode: "Coming Home"

2005–2014          The Boondocks Ed Wuncler Sr. (voice)    6 episodes

2006      The Christmas Card         Luke Spellman   TV movie

2006      W.I.T.C.H.            Napoleon (voice)              3 episodes

2006–2007          Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip      Wilson White     6 episodes

2007      Andy Barker, P.I.               Mickey Doyle     Episode: "The Lady Varnishes"

2008      The Spectacular Spider-Man        Uncle Ben (voice)             Episode: "Intervention"

2009      Star-ving              Mr. Lipschitz and his twin Mr. Lipschitz   Episode: "El Al-Qaeda"

2009      The Line               Patrick 7 episodes

2009      CSI: NY Abraham Klein/Klaus Braun         Episode: "Yahrzeit"

2009      WordGirl              Kid Potato (voice)             Episode: "Nocan the Contrarian/Meat My Dad"

2010      The Sarah Silverman Program     Commandant Von Reichenstein Episode: "Wowschwitz"

2010–2019          American Dad! Various voices   4 episodes

2010–2011          The Cleveland Show        Various characters           5 episodes

2011      Young Justice     Kent Nelson (voice)         Episode: "Denial"

2011      Working Class    Hank Greziak      6 episodes

2011–2017          Michael: Every Day          Dr. Wasserman 7 episodes

2011      Too Big to Fail    Warren Buffett TV movie

2011      Royal Pains         Ted Roth              2 episodes

2012      The Middle         Ben        Episode: "The Paper Route"

2012      Hot in Cleveland               Jameson Lyons Episode: "Rubber Ball"

2012      Hawaii Five-0     August March    2 episodes

2012      Home Alone: The Holiday Heist Mr. Carson          TV Movie

2012      Regular Show     Santa Claus (voice)          Episode: "The Christmas Special"

2013      Law & Order: Special Victims Unit             Coach Martin Schultz      Episode: "Monster's Legacy"

2013      Maron   Marc's Dad          Unaired pilot

2013      The Glades          Dr. Ted Hardy    3 episodes

2013      The Crazy Ones Mr. Finger           Episode: "The Stan Wood Account"

2013      Christmas on the Bayou                 Papa Noel            TV movie

2014      Men at Work      Bob        Episode: "Gigo-Milo"

2014      Mom     Jack Bumgartner               Episode: "Kimchi and a Monkey Playing Harmonica"

2014      Chasing Life        Artie Carver        Episode: "Locks of Love"

2014      Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas    Santa Claus (voice)          Television special

2015      The Good Wife Guy Redmayne 2 episodes

2015      Criminal Minds Roy Brooks          Episode: "A Place at the Table"

2015–2018          Forgive Me          Bishop 6 episodes

2015      Murdoch Mysteries         Kris Kringle          Episode: "A Merry Murdoch Christmas"

2015      All of My Heart Vern      TV movie

2016      SpongeBob SquarePants               Angry Old Timer (voice)                 Episode: "Whirly Brains"

2017      Bones    Rufus Tucker      Episode: "The New Tricks in the Old Dogs"

2017      A StoryBots Christmas    Santa     Television special

2017      All of My Heart: Inn Love               Vern      TV movie

2017      Titanic: Sinking the Myths             Wilhelm Müller                 TV Documentary

2018, 2021          Cobra Kai             Sid Weinberg     3 episodes

2018      MacGyver           Saul        Episode: "Skyscraper - Power"

2018      All of My Heart: The Wedding     Vern      TV movie

2019–2021          Grace and Frankie            Howard Jay         2 episodes

2019      Dead to Me        Abe Rifkin            5 episodes

2019      Doom Patrol       Hospital Patient                Episode: "Flex Patrol"

2020      Modern Family Herschel Braverman        Episode: "Dead On Arrival"

2020      Blue Bloods         Chuck Kennedy Episode: "Vested Interests"

2020      Ballmastrz: 9009               Rupert T. Digzfield IV (voice)        Episode: "Onward, True Blue Friends Win Eternal; Paladin of the Heavens, Start Today!"

2020      Briarpatch           James Staghorne Sr.        3 episodes

2020      Royalties              Papa / Hal           Episode: "Break It In"

2020–2021          Central Park        Ambrose (voice)               2 episodes

2020      Teen Titans Go!                 Mike Cosgrove (voice)    Episode: "Huggbees!"

2021      Dug Days             Carl Fredricksen (voice) Main role; posthumous release

Video games

Year       Title       Voice role            Notes

2003      Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic    Vrook Lamar      

2004      X-Men Legends Healer

2004      Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords   Vrook Lamar      

2009      Up          Carl Fredricksen               

2012      Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure Carl Fredricksen              

Audiobooks

Year       Title       Role

2015      Rain of the Ghosts           Old Joe Charone