The actor known for comedy movies like 'Midnight Run' and 'The Heartbreak Kid' has passed away at the age of 86 after struggling with bone marrow cancer.
- May 19, 2021
AceShowbiz - Actor Charles Grodin, the star of comedy hits "Midnight Run", "The Heartbreak Kid", and the Beethoven family films, has died at the age of 86.
According to his son Nicholas, the star had been battling bone marrow cancer. He died on Tuesday (18May21), at his home in Wilton, Connecticut.
Grodin famously turned down the title role in "The Graduate", a part that went on to make Dustin Hoffman a star, but his own career took off with a lead role in Elaine May's 1972 comedy "The Heartbreak Kid".
Grodin had a small but memorable part as a skeptical doctor in 1968's "Rosemary's Baby". He was also part of the all-star cast in Mike Nichols' 1970 war comedy "Catch-22".
In 1975, he originated the role of George in "Same Time", "Next Year" opposite Ellen Burstyn. The hit play ran on Broadway for three years.
On the big screen, he played the mob accountant forced into a road trip with bounty hunter Robert De Niro in "Midnight Run", the conniving assistant to Warren Beatty's billionaire in "Heaven Can Wait", and the exasperated father dealing with an unruly St. Bernard in the Beethoven films. He also co-starred in "The Great Muppet Caper", "The Incredible Shrinking Woman", and "Seems Like Old Times".
Grodin also scored his own talk show that ran from 1995 to 1998 on CNBC.
Most recently, Grodin played a doctor on the series Louie and a victim of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme in the 2016 mini-series "Madoff".
