An ode to Ed Asner; from 'Lou Grant' to 'Up', here are some of his best performances

Veteran actor Ed Asner passed away on August 30, at the age of 91. The actor is the most honoured male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven of them. Ed Asner's death was confirmed by his family via his official Twitter handle. They wrote, "We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you." As an ode to the legendary actor, Ed Asner here is some of his best performances.

1. Rich Man, Poor Man

Rich Man, Poor Man is a 1976 American television miniseries based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw. Asner played the dark role of Axel Jordache for which he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Performance in a TV series. The series was a commercial and critical success.

2. Lou Grant

Lou Grant is an American drama television series starring Ed Asner in the title role as a newspaper editor. The third spin-off of the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Lou Grant won 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series twice. Asner received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1978 and 1980. In doing so, he became the first person to win an Emmy Award for both Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for portraying the same character. Lou Grant also won two Golden Globe Awards.

3. Up

Ed Asner voiced the character of Carl in Pixar's computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film Up. The movie premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3-D film to do so. The film received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences, with many calling it one of the best-animated films of all time. The characters, themes, narrative, and moreover, Asner's vocal performance especially were praised by the critics.

4. The Mary Tyler Moore Show 

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom. The show starred Moore as Mary Richards, an unmarried, independent woman focused on her career.  Ed Asner co-starred as Mary's boss Lou Grant. Asner won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Television Series. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a groundbreaking series in the era of second-wave feminism.

5. Elf

Asner played the role of Santa Claus in the  Christmas comedy film Elf. The film centres on Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human who was adopted and raised by Santa's elves. The movie is often listed among the greatest Christmas films of all time.

6. El Dorado

El Dorado is a 1966 American Western film, loosely based on the novel The Stars in Their Courses by Harry Brown. El Dorado follows a noble gunfighter (John Wayne) who helps an old friend (Robert Mitchum) save a local rancher family from being forced out of their land. In the Western film, Asner portrays Bart Jason, the rival rancher hoping to take the family's land and steal their water. 

Image: @lorrie_e Twitter