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Charles GrodinAmerican theater and film actor
Date of Birth: 21.04.1935
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Theatrical Debut and Acting Training
- Early Film and Television Roles
- Comic Stardom
- Continued Success and Career Pause
- Renaissance and Peak Popularity
- Post-Beethoven Career
- Television, Writing, and Advocacy
- Personal Life
Early Life and Education
Charles Grodin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1935. His parents were orthodox Jewish immigrants from Russia. Grodin's father, Ted, was a wholesale distributor, and his mother, Lana, assisted him in his business while also volunteering at a veterans' hospital. Charles had an older brother.
Theatrical Debut and Acting Training
Grodin made his acting debut on Broadway in the 1962 play "Tchin-Tchin." He honed his craft under the tutelage of legendary acting teachers Uta Hagen and Lee Strasberg, proponents of the Stanislavski Method.
Early Film and Television Roles
In the 1960s, Grodin appeared in several television series. His breakthrough film role came in Roman Polanski's 1968 horror classic, "Rosemary's Baby," in which he played Dr. Hill. He also directed several Broadway plays during this period.
Comic Stardom
In 1972, Grodin's comedic talents were showcased in the film "The Heartbreak Kid," which cemented his status as a comedy actor. He followed this with notable roles in "King Kong" (1976) and "Heaven Can Wait."
Continued Success and Career Pause
Grodin starred in a series of well-received comedies in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including "Real Life," "Seems Like Old Times," "The Great Muppet Caper," and "The Incredible Shrinking Woman." From 1982 to 1988, he experienced a cinematic hiatus.
Renaissance and Peak Popularity
Grodin's career was revitalized in the late 1980s with his acclaimed performance alongside Robert De Niro in "Midnight Run" (1988). He won the Best Actor award at the Valladolid International Film Festival for his role as criminal financier Jonathan Mardukas, aka "The Duke." The following year, he starred in the popular comedy "Taking Care of Business."
The pinnacle of Grodin's film career was the "Beethoven" franchise, in which he played George Newton, the reluctant owner of a giant St. Bernard. The heartwarming family films grossed nearly $150 million and $118 million worldwide, respectively.
Post-Beethoven Career
After a supporting role in "Dave" (1993), for which he received an American Comedy Award, Grodin stepped away from filmmaking for several years. He returned in 2006 with the film "The Ex."
Television, Writing, and Advocacy
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Grodin hosted the talk show "The Charles Grodin Show" on CNBC and worked as a political commentator for CBS. He also wrote several plays and non-fiction books, including "Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here," "Spilled Milk and Other Clichés and How I Get Through Life," and "If I Only Knew Then... Learning from Our Mistakes."
Personal Life
Grodin was married twice, first to Julie Ferguson from whom he had a daughter, Marion. In 1985, he married Elissa Durwood, with whom he had a son, Nick (born in 1988). He also raised Alex Fiscetti, an autistic boy adopted into the family. Grodin and his family resided in Wilton, Connecticut.
