Ed Asner, best known for playing the newsroom boss Lou Grant on the legendary sitcom ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, died on Sunday at the age of 91.

“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,” his family said in a Twitter statement. His cause of death was not known. 

Also Read: Former child actor Matthew Mindler found dead after being reported missing

Born to Russian immigrant parents in Kansas City in 1929, the actor was raised an Orthodox Jew. He attended the University of Chicago and went on to serving in the Army Signal Corps. He moved to New York in 1950s. He did a few Broadway shows and gradually began getting roles in television shows.

Also Read: Sofia Vergara had thyroid cancer at 28, explains what saved her

When Asner saw the script for ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ he said, “I knew it was a winner. This was gold.” He went on to receive three Emmy Awards (in 1971, ’72 and ’75) for his role on the show. He won two more trophies
(1978, ’80) for playing the same role on CBS’ Lou Grant. He also
received Emmys for his roles in two renowned ABC miniseries:
1976’s ‘Rich Man, Poor Man’ and 1977’s ‘Roots.’

Also Read: Chadwick Boseman’s death influenced more colon cancer testing among Black people

He served two terms as president of the
Screen Actors Guild, from 1981-85 and received the SAG
Life Achievement Award in 2002.

Following his death, several of his friends and fans took to social media to pay tributes. 

“We’ve lost one of the great humans. Ed Asner went from the over-the-top comedy of MTM, to taking the SAME character and making him the centerpiece of an underrated drama of “Lou Grant. I met him, where else, at a charity event. His life was charity,” Keith Olbermann wrote. 

“Oh Ed Asner Rest In Peace and power friend. what a truly good and honorable human you were .gratitude for all you did for the screen Actors Guild ,when it was a true Union bless you,” Rosanna Arquette wrote.