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Ed Asner, Legendary ‘Lou Grant’ Actor And Activist, Is Dead At 91

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Ed Asner, who played Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later his own spinoff, died Sunday at age 91. Deadline reported the legendary actor died “peacefully” and “surrounded by family” on Sunday morning.

His family posted word of his death on his Twitter account on Sunday afternoon.

Asner’s career in Hollywood spanned decades and he was a familiar face on TV, movies and even animation. As Deadline notes, he made history in a variety of ways, both behind the scenes and on camera.

Asner, former president of the Screen Actors Guild, is best known for his role as Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff series Lou Grant, making him one of the few television actors to portray the same character in both a comedy and a drama.

He is the most awarded male performer in Emmy history with seven wins — five of them for playing Lou Grant.

In later years, Asner served as the character model and voice of the main character in Pixar’s 2009 animated film Up. On Sunday, his Twitter avatar was still the animated character Carl Fredricksen, wearing a medical mask.

Asner was also a dedicated activist and fought for union rights in Hollywood and beyond, drawing praise and fond memorials from fans on Twitter and those who worked with him in the wake of his passing.

[via Deadline]