Edward Asner: The Only Actor to Win a Comedy and Drama Emmy for the Same Character
Edward Asner is obviously a very talented and accomplished actor. He has been in movies and numerous television series for many years, spanning between 1957 to the present day. He is also the only actor who has ever won both comedy and drama Emmys for the same character, but in two different series.
The Early Life of Edward Asner
Ed Asner
Asner was born November 15, 1929 in Kansas City Missouri. He attended the University of Chicago and served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps. While in Europe with the Army, he appeared in many plays that toured through the country. Following his military career, Asner joined the Playwrights Theatre Company in Chicago and then moved to New York City where he starred in Broadway plays, which eventually lead to his televised career.
Edward Asner Emmy Awards
Asner is best known for his character “Lou Grant, ” who was first introduced to The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977. After the show ended in 1977, Asner’s character was given his own show, Lou Grant. In contrast to the 30-minute comedy Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant was an hour-long drama about journalism.
As I have discussed earlier, Asner is the only actor who has ever won both comedy and drama Emmys for the same character (aka Lou Grant). He won three in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and two more in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series. This is quite the feat given that Emmys are quite a big deal to win. The winning of both categories numerous times also makes obvious that Asner is a versatile actor and does not necessarily conform to one specific genre.
In addition to winning five Emmy awards for his character “Lou Grant,” Asner has won three others, making for a grand total of eight. This means he has won more Emmy Awards for performing than any other male actor
The Recent Life of Edward Asner
More recently, Asner provided the voice for Carl Fredricksen in the Academy Award winning 2009 Pixar film Up. He received great critical praise for the role and it was even suggested that they create a new category for the Academy Awards for Best Vocal Acting in an Animated Film and name Asner as the first recipient.
If you were to check IMDb.com, you will also notice Asner is set to have roles in many upcoming films. If you ask me, I would definitely attest to saying that Asner is a very talented actor who doesn’t let age stop him from what he loves to do, and what he does so well: act. As long as Asner remains healthy, I’m sure we will see him on the silver screen for many years to come.