Charles Grodin
Known for Acting · 82 credits
- Born
- 1935-04-21
- Died
- 2021-05-18
- Place of birth
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Biography
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. After a small part in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, he played the lead in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and supporting roles in Mike Nichols's Catch-22 (1970), the 1976 remake of King Kong, and Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (1978).
Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era, including Real Life (1979), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Ishtar (1987), Dave (1993), and Clifford (1994). Grodin co-starred in the action comedy Midnight Run (1988) and in the family film Beethoven (1992). He made frequent appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.
In the mid-1990s, Grodin retired from acting and wrote autobiographies; he became a talk show host on CNBC and in 2000 a political commentator for 60 Minutes II. He returned to acting with a handful of roles in the mid-2010s, including in Louis C.K.'s FX show Louie and Noah Baumbach's film While We're Young (2014).
Grodin won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special in 1978 for the Paul Simon Special alongside Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, and Lily Tomlin. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for The Heartbreak Kid in 1972. He won Best Actor at the 1988 Valladolid International Film Festival for Midnight Run, and the American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance in Dave in 1993.
Known For
TV Shows (25)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Brett Forrester
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Daily Show
1996
as Self
Late Show with David Letterman
1993
as Self - Guest
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
Great Performances
1971
as Jake
Late Night with David Letterman
1982
as Self - Guest
The Virginian
1962
as Arnie Doud
The F.B.I.
1965
as Carl Platt
The Big Valley
1965
as Mark Dunigan
Laverne & Shirley
1976
The Defenders
1961
as Thomas Martin
Felony Squad
1966
Judd, for the Defense
1967
The Young Marrieds
1964
as Matt Crane Stevens
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
as Bells Pickering
The Michael J. Fox Show
2013
as Steve Henry
Shane
1966
as Jed
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
1992
as Narrator (voice)
My Mother the Car
1965
Captain Nice
1967
as News Vendor
The Great American Dream Machine
1971
as Himself
Fresno
1986
as Cane Kensington
Madoff
2016
as Carl Shapiro
Movies (57)
Heart and Souls
1993
as Harrison Winslow
Rosemary's Baby
1968
as Dr. Hill
Beethoven
1992
as George Newton
King Kong
1976
as Fred S. Wilson
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
2012
as (archive footage)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
1954
as Drummer Boy (uncredited)
Catch-22
1970
as Captain Aarfy Aardvark
Midnight Run
1988
as Jonathan Mardukas aka “The Duke”
The Woman in Red
1984
as Buddy
Beethoven's 2nd
1993
as George Newton
Clifford
1994
as Martin Daniels
Dave
1993
as Murray Blum
Ishtar
1987
as Jim Harrison
Heaven Can Wait
1978
as Tony Abbott
The Ex
2006
as Bob Kowalski
So I Married an Axe Murderer
1993
as Commandeered Car Driver
Taking Care of Business
1990
as Spencer Barnes
The Comedian
2016
as Dick D'Angelo
While We're Young
2015
as Leslie Breitbart
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
1994
as Chaz
The Humbling
2014
as Jerry
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
1981
as Vance Kramer
The Great Muppet Caper
1981
as Nicky Holiday
Night of 100 Stars
1982
as Self
Last Resort
1986
as George Lollar
11 Harrowhouse
1974
as Howard R. Chesser
Sunburn
1979
as Jake
The Couch Trip
1988
as George Matlin
Real Life
1979
as Warren Yeager
You Can't Hurry Love
1988
as Mr. Glerman
It's My Turn
1980
as Homer
The Lonely Guy
1984
as Warren
The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s
2002
as Self (archive footage)
Seems Like Old Times
1980
as Ira Parks
An Imperfect Murder
2017
as Arthur
The Heartbreak Kid
1972
as Lenny Cantrow
The Meanest Men in the West
1978
as Arnie Doud, Harge Gang
Thieves
1977
as Martin Cramer
The World of Jim Henson
1994
as Nicky Holiday (archive footage)
Waiting for Ishtar
2017
as Self
Movers & Shakers
1985
as Herb Derman
The Paul Simon Special
1977
as Self
Charley's Aunt
1983
as Lord Fancourt Babberly
It Happened One Christmas
1977
as Joseph
The Muppets at Walt Disney World
1990
as Quentin Fitzwaller
It Runs in the Family
1994
as Mr. Parker (The Old Man)
The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank
1978
as Jim Benson
Cranium Command
1989
as Left Brain (voice)
Sex and the College Girl
1964
as Bob
Simon and Garfunkel: Songs of America
1969
as Self
Paul Simon and Friends | The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song
2007
as Self
Just Me and You
1978
as Michael Lindsay
Char·ac·ter
2012
as Self
King Kong! The Living Legend
1986
as Self
The Harmony Game
2011
as Self
Brazzaville Teen-Ager
2013
as Father
Charles Grodin: Rebel With a Cause
2025
About Charles Grodin
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. After a small part in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, he played the lead in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and supporting roles in Mike Nichols's Catch-22 (1970), the 1976 remake of King Kong, and Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (1978). Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became fami… With 82 credits spanning from 1954 to 2025, Charles Grodin has appeared in 57 films and 25 TV shows.
Fans searching for Charles Grodin movies, Charles Grodin filmography, or the latest projects starring Charles Grodin can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Charles Grodin Movies
- Heart and Souls (1993) — as Harrison Winslow
- Rosemary's Baby (1968) — as Dr. Hill
- Beethoven (1992) — as George Newton
- King Kong (1976) — as Fred S. Wilson
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) — as (archive footage)
Where to Watch Charles Grodin Films
Most Charles Grodin movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Charles Grodin, check our movies catalogue and browse page.