Charles Grodin, deadpan comic actor known for 'Midnight Run' and 'Beethoven,' dies at 86

[peppertree]

Charles Grodin, the actor who lent his droll wit and deadpan delivery to films such as "The Heartbreak Kid," "Heaven Can Wait," "Midnight Run" and "Beethoven," died Tuesday. He was 86.

The actor's son Nicholas told The Associated Press that his father died at his home in Wilton, Connecticut, from bone marrow cancer.

Grodin specialized in playing world-weary businessmen and uptight fathers, approaching each role with a deft combination of neurotic intensity and wry detachment.

He was especially prolific in the 1980s, taking on memorable supporting parts in various comedies such as Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Woman in Red (1984), and Ishtar (1987).

At: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/charles-grodin-deadpan-comic-actor-known-midnight-run-beethoven-dies-n1267844

Actor Charles Grodin, 1935-2021, breakfasting with Beethoven the St. Bernard.

[Sibelius Fan]

1. We lived in the same NYC apt building back in the 80s.

[peppertree]

2. Any anecdotes?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Sibelius Fan]

4. He didn't wear his rug around the building.

[peppertree]

6. Interesting. Thank you.

Reminds me of running into the occasional celebrity during my days in West L.A. in the 2000s and early '10s.

A few impressions:

Beck: Quiet and intriguing.
Tracy Chapman: Shy but sweet.
Robert Englund: Shy but polite; grandfatherly (believe it or not!).
Joshua Jackson: Peevish but dignified.
Michael Keaton: Polite and considerate.
Eugene Levy: Very shy; scared of his own shadow.
Joe Piscopo: Kind and humorous.
Sydney Pollack: Warm and sociable.
William Shatner: Impatient but polite.
Maria Shriver: Thoughtful and dignified; a lot on her mind (this was not long before the divorce).

[applegrove]

3. He was so funny in Midnight Run. Got to be one of the best scenes

ever when he and DeNiro were pretending to be police in the bar with the "funny money" when they were on the run. RIP

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. This makes me smile

Link to tweet

[peppertree]

7. Thanks for that! And that strength and incisiveness came through in his roles.

I can't say I'm too familiar with his work - but he would've been great in a politically-set show like West Wing or House of Cards.

Godspeed to Charles Grodin.