Ed Asner (November 15, 1929 - August 29, 2021) was an American actor, voice actor, and former president of the Screen Writers Guild.
One of the oldest actors of the 21st century, he was best known for his live-action role as Lou Grant in the 1970s Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for reprising his role in the spin-off series of the same name.
As a voice actor, he starred in numerous animated shows and movies such as Gargoyles, Our Friend, and Disney-Pixar's Up. For his role in the latter, he was awarded a Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture, alongside Carmen Ngai, Brian Tindall, and Ron Zorman.
In WordGirl, he was best known for guest starring in three episodes as Kid Potato, father of The Butcher. In his appearances, his character often tries to mentor The Butcher into improving himself as a villain, and even mentor him as a father.
He was the second eldest of the series' cast members, the first being Carl Reiner.
On August 29, 2021, Asner died of natural causes at the age of 91, making him the fourth member of the show's cast to pass on.
Trivia[]
- His performance as Kid Potato earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program, making him the first voice actor of WordGirl to earn a nomination.
- He's also the first and only guest star to earn a nomination for voice acting on WordGirl.