Charles Grodin was a leading man AND a character actor who could seemingly slip into any role. Best known for his 1988 film Midnight Run with Robert De Niro and the 1980 comedy Seems Like Old Times with Goldie Hawn. And then later in life the Beethoven films.
He also wrote plays and television scripts, winning an Emmy for his work on a 1997 Paul Simon special and wrote several books humorously ruminating on his ups and downs in show business.
He largely abandoned acting in 1994 and became a familiar face on late-night TV, perfecting a character who would confront Johnny Carson or others with a fake aggressiveness that made audiences cringe and laugh at the same time.
‘It´s all a joke,’ he told The Los Angeles Times in 1995. ‘It´s just a thing. It was a choice to do that.’
Tributes from former co-stars Steve Martin and Albert Brooks were shared soon after news of his passing.
So said to hear. One of the funniest people I ever met: Charles Grodin, Star of ‘Beethoven’ and ‘Heartbreak Kid,’ Dies at 86 – https://t.co/OwDYFLIgae
— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) May 18, 2021