Dryly humorous stage performer, director (of the Broadway comedies "Lovers and Other Strangers" and "Thieves") and writer who made his Broadway acting debut in "Tchin-Tchin" (1962) and performed in his first film, "Sex and the College Girl" (released 1970) in 1964. Grodin's next screen role was as Mia Farrow's disbelieving obstetrician in "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), but he first displayed his trademark deadpan delivery and almost ironic detachment from the character portrayed with his complex performance as the callow yet surprisingly engaging newlywed and social-climbing heel, in Elaine May's "The Heartbreak Kid" (1972).
With equal skill, he has since played both romantic leads and supporting character roles ranging from the nerdy to the nasty and gave a memorable performance as the hero's scheming secretary in Warren Beatty's "Heaven Can Wait" (1978). As a jewel-thief besmitten with Miss Piggy in "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981), Grodin stole the film by playing the romance "straight" with apparent hilarious sincerity. One of his finest tongue-in-cheek performances is as the priggish and irritating embezzler handcuffed throughout most of the film to Robert De Niro in the odd-couple comedy, "Midnight Run" (1988). Grodin continues to alternate between stage and film and in 1985 he wrote, produced and starred in a satire of Hollywood filmmaking, "Movers and Shakers".
Grodin continued to be a regular presence in Hollywood films of the 90s. He starred with James Belushi in an engaging switched identity comedy, "Taking Care of Business" (1990), co-starred with an irrepressible canine in the surprise hit, "Beethoven" (1992) and played a supporting role as the accountant friend of "Dave" (1993), who balances the federal budget in a marathon overnight session for his good friend Kevin Kline, the imposter president of the USA.
In January 1995, Grodin began hosting an eponymous talk show on the CNBC cable network which was canceled in June 1998 in part because of declining ratings and also because of Grodin's nightly diatribes agains social ills and injustices. He has also written three books including a 1989 autobiography, "It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here", and its 1994 follow-up, "We're Ready for You, Mr. Grodin".
- Born:
April 21, 1935 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Director, Playwright, Producer
Family
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Brother: Jack Grodin. six years older
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Daughter: Marion Grodin. mother, Julia Grodin; produced father s CNBC talk show
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Father: Theodore Grodin. sold wholesale supplies to clearners, tailors and dressmakers; died c. 1953
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Grandfather: Charles Grodin. rolled cigars at home
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Mother: Lena Grodin. assisted in husband s store; died March 1996
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Son: Nicky Grodin. born c. 1988; mother Elissa Grodin
Milestones
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1962 First acting role was in the Broadway production of Tchin-Tchin
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1964 Feature acting debut in Sex and the College Girl (shot in Puerto Rico in 1964 as The Fun Lovers ; released in Chicago in 1970 as Sex and the College Girl )
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1965 Began working as assistant to director Gene Saks in New York
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1966 Co-wrote (lyrics and libretto) and directed first off-Broadway play, Hooray! It s a Glorious Day...and All That
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1968 Directed play, Lovers and Other Strangers on Broadway
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1968 Film debut, Rosemary s Baby
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1974 Adapted 11 Harrowhouse to film (also starred)
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1974 Produced first Broadway play, Thieves (also director)
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1975 Starred on Broadway in Same Time, Next Year
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1977 Co-writer of The Paul Simon Special
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1977 Produced and directed off-Broadway production, Unexpected Guests
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1980 Played Goldie Hawn s husband in roles included Neil Simon s Seems Like Old Times
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1983 Directed Marlo Thomas TV special Love, Sex and Marriage
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1985 Debut as screenwriter and co-producer of film, Movers and Shakers
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1988 Played a bounty hunter opposite Robert De Niro in the well-reviewed comedy, Midnight Run
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1990 Wrote and starred in off-Broadway comedy, Price of Fame
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1992 Played the nervous family man in the kids comedy Beethoven
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1993 Reprised his role in the sequel, Beethoven s 2nd
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1995 Hosted own talk show on CNBC cable network titled, The Charles Grodin Show
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1998 Moved to MSNBC as host of weekend talk show; show cancelled in November 1999
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2000 Joined CBS 60 Minutes II as a commentator
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2004 Cast in the play The Right Kind of People, at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco; play is based on Grodin s experience sitting on the board of the New York co-op he lived in from 1986 to 1992
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2004 Wrote The Right Kind of People, an off-Broadway play about Co-op boards in certain buildings in Manhattan
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2007 Returned to acting in the Zach Braff comedy The Ex