Ed Asner passed away at 91 in 2021 having won the hearts of millions of TV viewers as Lou Grant on the mega-hit "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-77) in the role of Lou Grant; the crusty news editor with a heart of gold. Asner's portrayal of Grant was so beloved and heralded (earning 3 Emmys), CBS created a spinoff show with the titular name "Lou Grant." This new show took a new trajectory as a serious news drama about the inner workings of a fictional LA newspaper. Again, Asner played a news editor. Asner's depiction of his comical role on earned him two additional Emmys. The focus of "Lou Grant" was on journalism as well as controversial topics such as gay rights, mental health, child abuse and nuclear proliferation. Interestingly, Asner's political convictions regarding Central America became enmeshed in the cross hairs of his real life role as President of the Actors Union. Asner's writes with candor about his political positions. This proved admirable a fascinating and provided an inside look into this tumultuous time period. Asner's stark honesty addresses his own failings particularly in his marriages due to his numerous affairs. In large part, this book reads as an unabashed apology to his first wife; mother of two of his sons and a daughter. However, this abruptly short bio didn't contain a lot to satiate my curiosity about his fascinating career. He speaks about his Jewish upbringing within a loving family. Asner's ascent into acting came about circuitously not wanting to follow into the family scrap metal business and he delved into his serendipitous acting career that got its genesis in college in Chicago. The full title of Asner's biography is "Son of a Junkman: My Life from the West Bottoms of Kansas City to the Bright Lights of Hollywood." Asner spoke of his fondness for his "Marty Tyler Moore family" although there was an underlining pin of disassociation between him and Moore that piqued my interest but wasn't elaborated upon. I got the sense of Asner as a man of integrity (apart from his infidelities) and as a kind, thoughtful person. A significant portion of "Son of a Junkman" which comes at the end is an interview Samuel Warren Joseph which is written out verbatim. Joseph contributed to TV shows in the 90s but his relevance or connection to Asner was ambiguous. The interview does asked detailed questions asking Asner about his working relationship with various actors and celebrities and about his specific roles and performances. While the questions drew more insight into Asner's career, personality and relationships, it felt like a requisite expansion to Asner's account. Perhaps, this was a blatant representation of utilizing a ghost writer. Moreover, Asner's life story felt written on behalf of his family. Asner shared his life without a lot of bunk but all the refuse in his life felt like clutter without much glitter. I think it could have used more spunk!
No comments:
Post a Comment