By Mark Gray
5:43am PDT, May 20, 2021
Legendary actor and comedian Charles Grodin has passed away at 86 after a battle with bone marrow cancer, his family announced on May 18, 2021. Often known for his cranky humor, Charles appeared in a slew of films and TV shows since the 1960s including "Beethoven," "The Heartbreak Kid" and "Midnight Run." In 1978, he also won an Emmy for his work on "The Paul Simon Special." Following his death, many in the entertainment world reacted with sadness. Keep reading to see who is honoring the on-screen legend…
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"His performance in Elaine May's 'Heartbreak Kid' was a masterclass in comedic acting. R.I.P. Charles Grodin." –Eugene Levy
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"Chuck was brilliant, hilarious and kind…. I was 29 yrs old when we made 'Beethoven,' brand new to movies and he, the seasoned genius. He treated me as an equal. He came to tapings of 'The Building' the first series I created, he'd sit in the way back, just to the side of the audience. After each taping, he'd call me and encourage me, discuss each scene, sincerely supportive. We'd have those dinners where we'd laughed till we cried. I'm so deeply saddened that we won't have more of his unique, sharp wit and trademark pause before the perfect delivery of a line. Thank goodness movies are forever… See you on the big screen my friend." –Bonnie Hunt
In referring to film "Real Life," Ben Still tweeted, "One of the funniest comedies and comedic performances ever. #RIPCharlesGrodin." He also retweeted Steve Martin's homage.
"My heart is heavy today – we lost the bright and talented, Charles Grodin. All my love and empathy to beautiful family – he will be incredibly missed! 'Taking Care of Business' was one of my favorite sets I ever worked on. Here's to Charles!" –Jim Belushi
"I loved Charles Grodin so much. He would bust my balls and give me so much s*** in a way that left me no choice but to giggle with glee. Never mean spirited, just quick and brilliant." —Kathy Griffin
"In my opinion, the funniest performance ever given by an Actor in a Hollywood movie was Charles Grodin in 'The Heartbreak Kid!' He once told me that 'If you like that movie too much, I worry about you.' Clearly Charles spent too much time in therapy. Thank you for ALL the LAUGHS!" –Rob Schneider
"R.I.P. Charles Grodin. A brilliant comedy actor. I had the wonderful experience of working with him in my first feature 'Real Life' and he was amazing. Rest In Peace, Chuck." –Albert Brooks
"RIP Charles Grodin. Ordering a plate of chorizo and eggs in his beloved memory." –Patton Oswalt
"RIP Charles Grodin. One of the great cranky comedic geniuses." –Marc Maron
"Ohhh what absolute pure joy you brought to this world! Thank you! Rest In Peace Charles Grodin" –Maureen McCormick
"Oh my God, the BEST. Rest In Peace Charles Grodin. Thank you." –Bradley Whitford
"I had the honor of playing his wife in Jules Feiffer's 'Grown Ups' and never laughed harder at someone's deadpan humor. Brilliant actor and a great man. #RIPCharlesGrodin" –Marilu Henner
"Just watched #MidnightRun last week. My God, he was so powerfully funny. Watch him investigate the 'counterfeit' $20s. Or with DeNiro visiting his ex wife. Grodin steals the scene doing absolutely 'nothing.' A comic genius. RIP" –Paul Reiser
"Oh, God! I adored Charles! I did his talk show years ago and we had so much fun every time I ran into him. Brilliant actor! And when I first moved to NY I was an extra on 'Heartbreak Kid.' He was so kind on set. Such a loss of a great talent! And kind man! #RIPCharlesGrodin" –Morgan Fairchild
"God I loved him." –Billy Eichner
"No, not #CharlesGrodin. Rest In Peace Legend. Thank you for every gift you gave us, especially the masterpiece that is 'Midnight Run.'" –Josh Gad
"'THE HEARTBREAK KID' is one of the most perfect comedic performances in film history. A performance so incredibly funny & real & heartbreaking & embarrassing & completely understandable it's a true masterpiece for that and so many more #CharlesGrodin will live forever RIP genius" –Diedrich Bader
"RIP Charles Grodin. I had the honor of working with him on an episode of 'SVU,' & he was wonderful to be around. What was especially impressive was hearing about the unheralded, extensive advocacy work he was doing on behalf of incarcerated women. He was thoroughly committed to it." –Anthony Rapp
"Rip Charles Grodin. If there was a Mount Rushmore for the greatest talk show guests ever, he would be front and center. He elevated crankiness to an art form." –Jennifer Tilly
"RIP Charles Grodin. I am begging you to watch 'Midnight Run' if you've somehow never seen it" –Ike Barinholtz
"Charles Grodin had such a dry sense of humor and was so great on Carson and in movies like 'Heaven Can Wait' and 'Dave'. He'll be missed." –Joe Scarborough
"My [timeline] is 95% Charles Grodin clips today which is as it should be." –Kristen Johnston
"'Midnight Run'
'The Great Muppet Caper '
'Seems Like Old Times'
#CharlesGrodin was one of my all time favorites. #RestInPeace" –Meredith Salenger
