WILTON, CT (CelebrityAccess) — Charles Grodin, a comedian and actor who appeared in films such as “The Heartbreak Kid” and “Midnight Run” died on Tuesday at his come in Connecticut. He was 85.
The actor’s son Nicholas told The Associated Press that his father died at his home in Wilton after suffering from bone marrow cancer.
Grodin, who was known for his deadpan comedic delivery, specialized in fish out of water roles, including the beleaguered dad in the 1992 film “Beethoven” or the neurotic crooked accountant he played in “Midnight Run” in 1988.
Born Charles Grodinsky Pittsburgh in 1935, Grodin attended the University of Miami but left to pursue acting, studying the craft at HB Studios in New York.
Grodin made his big screen debut with an uncredited role in the 1954 Disney film “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea” but his breakout role came in 1970 when he portrayed Captain Aarfy Aardvark in the screen adaption of the Jospeh Heller novel “Catch-22.”
After “Catch-22” he followed it up 2 years later with his turn as sporting goods salesman Lenny Cantrow in “The Heartbreak Kid” which earned him a Golden Globe for best supporting actor.
The two films opened doors for Grodin’s career as an actor and he worked steadily through the 1980s and 1990s before slowing in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
However, he enjoyed a career resurgence in the last decade, appearing on numerous television and film projects.
His final film role came in 2017 when he appeared in “The Private Life of a Modern Woman” which was screened at the Venice Film Festival.
Grodin was also a published author, including an autobiography, observational humor, and practical guides to working as an actor.
Grodin was married twice. He and his first wife, Julia Ferguson had a daughter together, the comedian Marion Grodin but the marriage ended in divorce. He later married again and had a son, Nicholas with his second wife, Elissa Durwood.
