Ed Asner and The Path to Lou Grant

TVC 483.4: Legendary actor, author, and activist Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, Elf, Disney Pixar's UP, Briarpatch) talks about the roles that actor Richard Crenna and The House on Greenapple Road—a made-for-TV movie produced by Quinn Martin—both played in helping him land his signature role of Lou Grant. Ed can currently be seen as town boss James Staghorne Sr. in Briarpatch, which airs Monday nights on USA Network.

Ed's memoir, SON OF A JUNKMAN: My Life from the West Bottoms of Kansas City to the Bright Lights of Hollywood, not only pays tribute to his cast members on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Lou Grant, but reveals the person on whom Ed based his portrayal of Grant when he did the hour-long series. Son of a Junkman also discusses the challenges that Ed faced during his tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild; the backlash he faced from the El Salvador controversy in 1982, and the effect that had not only on Lou Grant, but his acting career in general; and the influence that Ed's father continues to have on his life today.

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