Charles Grodin, the droll, offbeat actor and writer who scored as a caddish newlywed in 鈥淭he Heartbreak Kid鈥 and later had roles ranging from Robert De Niro鈥檚 counterpart in the comic thriller 鈥淢idnight Run鈥 to the bedeviled father in the 鈥淏eethoven鈥 comedies, has died. He was 86.
Grodin died Tuesday in Wilton, Connecticut, from bone marrow cancer, his son, Nicholas Grodin, said.
Known for his dead-pan style and everyday looks, Grodin also appeared in 鈥淒ave,鈥 鈥淭he Woman in Red,鈥 鈥淩osemary鈥檚 Baby鈥 and 鈥淗eaven Can Wait.鈥 On Broadway, he starred with Ellen Burstyn in the long-running 1970s comedy 鈥淪ame Time, Next Year,鈥 and he found many other outlets for his talents.
In the 1990s, he made his mark as a liberal commentator on radio and TV. He also wrote plays and television scripts, winning an Emmy for his work on a 1997 Paul Simon special, and wrote several books humorously ruminating on his ups and downs in show business.
Actors, he wrote, should 鈥渢hink not so much about getting ahead as becoming as good as you can be, so you鈥檙e ready when you do get an opportunity. I did that, so I didn鈥檛 suffer from the frustration of all the rejections. They just gave me more time.鈥 He spelled out that advice in his first book, 鈥淚t Would Be So Nice If You Weren鈥檛 Here,鈥 published in 1989.
Grodin became a star in the 1970s, but might have broken through years earlier: He auditioned for the title role in Mike Nichols鈥 1967 classic 鈥淭he Graduate,鈥 but the part went instead to Dustin Hoffman.
Grodin did have a small role in 鈥淩osemary鈥檚 Baby鈥 and was part of the large cast of Nichols鈥 adaptation of 鈥淐atch-22鈥 before he gained wide notice in the 1972 Elaine May comedy 鈥淭he Heartbreak Kid.鈥
He starred as a Jewish newlywed who abandons his comically neurotic bride to pursue a beautiful, wealthy blonde played by Cybill Shepherd. The movie was a hit and Grodin received high praise. He commented: 鈥淎fter seeing the movie, a lot of people would approach me with the idea of punching me in the nose.鈥
鈥淚 thought the character in 鈥楾he Heartbreak Kid鈥 was a despicable guy, but I play it with full sincerity,鈥 Grodin told the A.V. Club in 2009. 鈥淢y job isn鈥檛 to judge it. If it wasn鈥檛 for Elaine May, I probably would never have had that movie career.鈥
In the next few years, Grodin played in a lavish 1976 film remake of 鈥淜ing Kong鈥 as the greedy showman who brings the big ape to New York. He was Warren Beatty鈥檚 devious lawyer in 鈥淗eaven Can Wait,鈥 and Gene Wilder鈥檚 friend in 鈥淭he Woman in Red鈥 (Less successfully, he appeared in May鈥檚 1987 adventure comedy 鈥淚shtar,鈥 a notorious flop). His turn in 1981鈥檚 鈥淭he Great Muppet Caper鈥 was typically dedicated as a thief wooing Miss Piggy.
In 1988鈥瞫 鈥淢idnight Run,鈥 Grodin was a bail-jumping accountant who took millions from a mobster and De Niro was the bounty hunter trying to bring him cross-country to Los Angeles. They鈥檙e being chased by police, another bounty hunter and the Mob, and because Grodin is afraid of flying, they are forced to go by car, bus, even boxcar.
Grodin and De Niro improvised in many scenes in the film, revered as among the greatest buddy comedies. Often Grodin was genuinely trying to amuse his more intimidating co-star. One line he threw at De Niro: 鈥淵ou ever had sex with an animal, Jack?鈥
鈥淚 moved a little more toward drama and he moved a little toward comedy,鈥 Grodin said at the time. 鈥淎nd we met on a very good ground.鈥
鈥淏eethoven鈥 brought him success in the family-animal comedy genre in 1992. Asked why he took up such a role, he told The Associated Press he was happy to get the work.
鈥淚鈥檓 not that much in demand,鈥 Grodin replied. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like I have this stack of wonderful offers. I鈥檓 just delighted they wanted me.鈥
Amid his film gigs, Grodin became a familiar face on late-night TV, perfecting a character who would confront Johnny Carson or others with a fake aggressiveness that made audiences cringe and laugh at the same time.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all a joke,鈥 he told The Los Angeles Times in 1995. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a thing. It was a choice to do that.鈥
His biggest stage success, by far, was 鈥淪ame Time, Next Year,鈥 which opened on Broadway in 1975 and ran nearly 3陆 years. He and Burstyn were two people who 鈥 though each happily married 鈥 meet in the same hotel once a year for an extramarital fling. Beyond the humor, the play won praise for deftly tracing the changes in their lives, and in society, from the 1950s to the 鈥70s. Critic Clive Barnes called Grodin鈥檚 character 鈥渁 monument to male insecurity, gorgeously inept.鈥
After 1994鈥瞫 鈥淢y Summer Story,鈥 Grodin largely abandoned acting. From 1995 to 1998, he hosted a talk show on CNBC cable network. He moved to MSNBC and then to CBS鈥 鈥60 Minutes II.鈥
In his 2002 book, 鈥淚 Like It Better When You鈥檙e Funny,鈥 he said too many TV programmers鈥 believe that viewers are best served 鈥渋f we hear only from lifelong journalists.鈥 He argued that 鈥減eople outside of Washington and in professions other than journalism鈥 also deserved a soapbox.
He returned to the big screen in 2006 as Zach Braff鈥檚 know-it-all father-in-law in 鈥淭he Ex.鈥 More recent credits include the films 鈥淎n Imperfect Murder鈥 and 鈥淭he Comedian鈥 and the TV series 鈥淟ouie.鈥
Grodin was born Charles Grodinsky in Pittsburgh in 1935, son of a wholesale dry goods seller who died when Charles was 18. He played basketball and later described himself as 鈥渁 rough kid, always getting kicked out of class.鈥
He studied at the University of Miami and the Pittsburgh Playhouse, worked in summer theater and then struggled in New York, working nights as a cab driver, postal clerk and watchman while studying acting during the day.
In 1962 Grodin made his Broadway debut and received good notices in 鈥淭chin Tchin,鈥 a three-character play starring Anthony Quinn. He followed with 鈥淎bsence of a Cello鈥 in 1964.
He co-wrote and directed a short-lived 1966 off-Broadway show called 鈥淗ooray! It鈥檚 a Glorious Day ... and all that.鈥 That same year, he made his movie debut in a low-budget flop called 鈥淪ex and the College Girl.鈥
In 1969, Grodin demonstrated his early interest in politics by helping write and direct 鈥淪ongs of America,鈥 a TV special starring Simon and Garfunkel that incorporated civil rights and antiwar messages. But the original sponsor pulled out and Simon later called the little-noticed effort 鈥渁 tragedy.鈥
Simon returned with a special in 1977 that spoofed show business and featured Grodin as the show鈥檚 bumbling producer. Grodin and his co-writers won Emmys.
Grodin and his first wife, Julia Ferguson, had a daughter, comedian Marion Grodin. The marriage ended in divorce. He and his second wife, Elissa Durwood, had a son, Nicholas.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
