A look back at Charles Grodin’s wonderfully awkward late-night TV appearances
Charles Grodin and Johnny Carson in 1990. Photo: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images This post was originally published on December 12, 2011. It has been updated following the news of Grodin’s death on May 18, 2021.
Maybe you’ve only caught glimpses of Grodin — say, on a Miami beach honeymoon in The Heartbreak Kid, or introspectively playing the flute in Thieves — or maybe you only remember him “playing straight man to a St. Bernard.” But for better or worse, he holds a place in late-night history for adding some edge to a traditionally smooth-talking time slot.
Over the years, Grodin’s onscreen focus shifted from literary adaptations to more mainstream family fare, eventually fizzling altogether around 1995, when he quit acting to spend more time with his wife and two kids. But one thread remained constant: his delightfully volatile recurring appearances on post-prime-time staples like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and David Letterman’s Late Night and The Late Show.
Here are a few of Grodin’s greatest moments , from the absurd hosting job that reportedly got him banned from SNL to a more recent battle of wits with Sean Hannity. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Grodin’s dark turn on SNL came as no surprise to frequent Tonight Show viewers, who had seen the actor butt heads with their favorite host. Carson was the perfect foil for Grodin; friendly and always willing to roll with the punches, he also had an appreciation for the absurd. One night, for example, when his jokes got zero laughs from the studio audience, he staged an impromptu cleansing ritual by burning his script onstage .
Prime Time and beyond When Grodin quit acting and joined the ranks of celebrities trying their hand at hosting, he raised a few eyebrows. “I just really didn’t want to be an actor anymore,” Grodin told a Florida newspaper. “[W]hen you’re speaking what you think … it’s such a pronounced difference in what your sense of who you are as a person is. Imagine instead of talking to me as you are, you were pretending you were someone else.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Charles Grodin, Actor and Late-Night Staple, Has Died at 86Charles Grodin, the comedic actor and frequent talk-show guest, died Tuesday at the age of 86
Read more »
Charles Grodin, known for 'Beethoven' and 'Midnight Run,' Dead at 86Charles Grodin dead at 86.
Read more »
Deadpan Comedy King Charles Grodin Dies at 86Charles Grodin passed away today in his home in Wilton, Connecticut. We look back on his impressive career.
Read more »
Charles Grodin, Deliciously Droll Actor, Dies at 86“Low key but high strung,” as he described himself, he also starred in ‘The Heartbreak Kid,’ Midnight Run’ and ‘Heaven Can Wait.’
Read more »
Charles Grodin: A Career In Pictures – Photo GalleryCharles Grodin had a 60-year career in Hollywood, ranging from guesting on 1950s TV Westerns to playing opposite such big-screen and TV stars as Robert De Niro, Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn, Dustin H…
Read more »
Steve Martin, Albert Brooks Pay Tribute To Charles Grodin; Marc Maron Praises “Cranky Comedic Genius”Refresh For Updates Costars and fans alike remembered Charles Grodin today as one of film’s funniest actors and TV’s most compelling personalities. “So sad to hear,” tweeted…
Read more »