2010 GACF "COMEDY LEGEND" Award Recipient
Ed Asner
Ed Asner —
Some may best remember him as gruff but soft-hearted journalist Lou Grant in the “Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
Others may know him as the voice of grumpy Carl Fredricksen in the 2009 animated movie “UP!” or in the role of Santa Claus in “Elf” with Will Ferrell.
Either way, Ed Asner has left his talented mark on a variety of comedic and dramatic television and movie roles for decades.
This June in Norfolk, Neb., Asner will be honored at the 2010 Viaero Great American Comedy Festival with the festival’s annual “Comedy Legend” award.
Perhaps best known for his comedic and dramatic crossover portrayal of Lou Grant, he originated the role on the landmark TV newsroom comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the 1970s and continued in the newspaper-set drama “Lou Grant,” which earned him five Emmys and three Golden Globe Awards.
A native of Kansas City, Asner received two more Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for roles in the mini-series “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Roots.”
One of the most honored actors in the history of television, Asner has been the recipient of seven Emmy Awards and 16 nominations, as well as five Golden Globe Awards and served as National President of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms. He was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 1996.
Asner received the Ralph Morgan Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 2000 for distinguished service. In March 2002, he was again honored by The Guild as the 38th recipient of the prestigious Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment.
Asner also has consistently served and committed himself to the rights of the working performer in addition to advocating for human rights, world peace, environmental preservation and political freedom.
Asner has more than 100 television credits, and he has lent his voice to popular cartoon shows such as “The Simpsons.” Asner's has had roles in dozens of motion pictures, including several Hallmark movies and was nominated for another Emmy for “The Christmas Card” in addition to his Emmy-nominated guest appearance on “CSI/NY.”
