Charles Grodin, 'Midnight Run' and 'Beethoven' Star, Dies At 86
The treasured actor had succumbed to cancer.
Charles Grodin, treasured actor who appeared in hit films such as Midnight Run, The Heart Break Kid, and Taking Care of Business, died on Tuesday at his home in Wilton CT. His son, Nicolas, confirmed that his father has succumbed to bone marrow cancer.
He was 86 years old.
Charles also became a beloved fixture in family films, appearing in classics like The Great Muppet Caper, Beethoven, and Beethoven's 2nd.
On stage, Grodin made his Broadway debut in the comedy Tchin-Tchin in 1962 alongside Anthony Quinn and Margaret Leighton. He went on appear in 1964's Absence of a Cello. Grodin took a turn in the director's char for the Broadway productions of 1968's Lovers and Other Strangers in and 1974's Thieves. In 1975, Grodin scored his breakout Broadway role in Bernard Slade’s Same Time, Next Year opposite Ellen Burstyn.
Charles appeared in several television shows throughout the 1960s. In 1981, guest starred on an episode of Laverne and Shirley. One of his finest performances came in 2013 with a special guest-starring role on the long-running NBC drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 2016, Grodin appeared in the ABC miniseries Madoff. One year later, he appeared alongside Alec Baldwin, Sienna Miller, and Colleen Camp in the James Toback film An Imperfect Murder. It would be Grodin's final on-screen appearance.
In 1972, Charles was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in Midnight Run. In 1978, he garnered a Primetime Emmy Award for his writing contribution to The Paul Simon Special.