Ed Asner was a prestigious and iconic American actor and union leader who served as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) from 1981 to 1985. Born to an Orthodox Jewish immigrant family in Kansas City, Kansas, his background in labor organizing and Jewish ethical traditions informed his lifelong democratic socialist politics.
Asner won seven Emmy Awards during his career, primarily for his depiction of newsman Lou Grant on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its hour-long drama spin-off Lou Grant. His credits also include voice acting as Carl Fredricksen in Pixar’s animated feature Up (2009). In 2001, he was awarded the SAG Life Achievement Award. Asner was among the prominent Hollywood actors to publicly critique U.S. foreign policy and military aid to Israel. During his SAG presidency in 1982, Asner’s public opposition to U.S. military intervention in El Salvador created friction with conservative industry figures and network advertisers, contributing to CBS’s cancellation of Lou Grant despite its high ratings.
Asner maintained long-standing ties with progressive Jewish groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), signing statements calling for an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories, opposing unconditional U.S. military assistance to Israel, and arguing that Jewish values mandate universal human rights. Following his death in August 2021, his history of political advocacy has been frequently cited by contemporary entertainment industry figures engaging in anti-war and pro-Palestinian organizing.