Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. After a small part in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, he played the lead in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and supporting roles in Mike Nichols's Catch-22 (1970), the 1976 remake of King Kong, and Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (1978). Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era, including Real Life (1979), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Ishtar (1987), Dave (1993), and Clifford (1994). Grodin co-starred in the action comedy Midnight Run (1988) and in the family film Beethoven (1992). He made frequent appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. In the mid-1990s, Grodin retired from acting and wrote autobiographies; he became a talk show host on CNBC and in 2000 a political commentator for 60 Minutes II. He returned to acting with a handful of roles in the mid-2010s, including in Louis C.K.'s FX show Louie and Noah Baumbach's film While We're Young (2014). Grodin won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special in 1978 for the Paul Simon Special alongside Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, and Lily Tomlin. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for The Heartbreak Kid in 1972. He won Best Actor at the 1988 Valladolid International Film Festival for Midnight Run, and the American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance in Dave in 1993.
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 21, 1935
- May 18, 2021 (aged 86)
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Actor, also director, writer and producer
- 51 on MovieCove · 74 credits in all
What are Charles Grodin's films like?
Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 4 · Wry 3 · Earnest 32
Light 33 · Serious 5 · Dark 3
Grounded 28 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 0
Gentle 25 · Charged 16 · Intense 0
A split, not a type: Steady 20 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 4
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 21
A split, not a type: Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 1
Casual 31 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 31 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 2
Resolved 35 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 6 of 26 analyzed roles.
Show the 26 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Lenny Cantrow in The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
- Heroas Howard R. Chesser in 11 Harrowhouse (1974)
- Shadowas Martin Cramer in Thieves (1977)
- Allyas Jim Benson in The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank (1978)
- Shadowas Tony Abbott in Heaven Can Wait (1978)
- Allyas Michael Lindsay in Just Me and You (1978)
- Heroas Jake Dekker in Sunburn (1979)
- Shadowas Ira Parks in Seems Like Old Times (1980)
- Shadowas Nicky Holiday in The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
- Allyas Warren in The Lonely Guy (1984)
- Tricksteras Buddy in The Woman in Red (1984)
- Allyas Herb Derman in Movers & Shakers (1985)
- Heroas George Lollar in Last Resort (1986)
- Shadowas Jim Harrison in Ishtar (1987)
- Threshold guardianas George Maitlin in The Couch Trip (1988)
- Shapeshifteras Jonathan Mardukas in Midnight Run (1988)
- Shapeshifteras Spencer in Taking Care of Business (1990)
- Heroas George Newton in Beethoven (1992)
- Heroas George Newton in Beethoven's 2nd (1993)
- Mentoras Murray Blum in Dave (1993)
- Mentoras Harrison Winslow in Heart and Souls (1993)
- Shapeshifteras Martin Daniels in Clifford (1994)
- Mentoras The Old Man in My Summer Story (1994)
- Tricksteras The Old Man in My Summer Story (1994)
- Allyas Chaz in All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! (1994)
- Tricksteras Jerry in The Humbling (2014)
Moods and endings
- Happy21
- Bittersweet10
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous9
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Charles Grodin's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 51 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).
- While We're Young (2014) · actor · free
- Clifford (1994) · actor · free
- The Woman in Red (1984) · actor · free
- The Couch Trip (1988) · actor · free
- The Humbling (2014) · actor · free
- The Ex (2006) · actor · free
- You Can't Hurry Love (1988) · actor · free
- An Imperfect Murder (2017) · actor · free
- Last Resort (1986) · actor, writer · free
Subscription and free streaming for Charles Grodin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
74 credits, 51 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
An Imperfect Murder(2017)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
The Comedian(2016)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Madoff(2016)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
While We're Young(2014)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The New Yorker Presents(2015)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
The Humbling(2014)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
The Michael J. Fox Show(2013)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
Brazzaville Teen-Ager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
The Ex(2006)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
The World of Jim Henson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
My Summer Story(1994)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Clifford(1994)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Beethoven's 2nd(1993)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Heart and Souls(1993)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Dave(1993)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Beethoven(1992)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Taking Care of Business(1990)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Muppets at Walt Disney World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Cranium Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Live with Kelly and Mark(1988)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
Midnight Run(1988)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
You Can't Hurry Love(1988)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
The Couch Trip(1988)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Ishtar(1987)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Fresno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Last Resort(1986)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Movers & Shakers(1985)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
The Woman in Red(1984)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Lonely Guy(1984)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Charley's Aunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Great Muppet Caper(1981)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Seems Like Old Times(1980)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
It's My Turn(1980)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Sunburn(1979)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Real Life(1979)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Heaven Can Wait(1978)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Just Me and You(1978)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Bad Men of the West(1974)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Paul Simon Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Thieves(1977)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
King Kong(1976)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Laverne & Shirley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
11 Harrowhouse(1974)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Heartbreak Kid(1972)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Catch-22(1970)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Rosemary's Baby(1968)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Judd, for the Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
The Guns of Will Sonnett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Captain Nice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Felony Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Shane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
The Big Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
My Mother the Car (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
The Young Marrieds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Sex and the College Girl(1964)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
The Defenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 72 titles from 1954 to 2025; peak year 1993.
Biggest box office
Beethoven (1992)
Highest rated
Midnight Run (1988)
Most popular right now
The Woman in Red (1984)
Film career
Peak 1993 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 15 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1954Screen debut· 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- 1972First top-billed film· The Heartbreak Kid
- 1993Career best· Beethoven's 2nd
- 2016Career best· Madoff
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Charles Grodin's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 46; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up15
- 50th to 74th10
- 25th to 49th13
- Below 25th13
Shape of the crowd
17 of their 51 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved5
- Universally Panned2
- Divisive2
- Cult Classic4
- Crowd Pleaser14
- Broadly Agreed7
- Mixed17
Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 35 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Charles Grodin's work okay for kids?
Across up to 17 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Charles Grodin work with?
People who share at least 2 of Charles Grodin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gordon A. Webb shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Elaine MayShared titles: Ishtar (1987), Heaven Can Wait (1978), The Heartbreak Kid (1972)See all 3 shared titles with Elaine May
- Arthur HillerShared titles: Taking Care of Business (1990), The Lonely Guy (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Arthur Hiller
Writers
- Neil SimonShared titles: The Lonely Guy (1984), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Heartbreak Kid (1972)See all 3 shared titles with Neil Simon
- Steven KampmannShared titles: Clifford (1994), The Couch Trip (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Steven Kampmann
- William PorterShared titles: Clifford (1994), The Couch Trip (1988)See all 2 shared titles with William Porter
- Amy Holden JonesShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Beethoven (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Amy Holden Jones
Actors
- Bonnie HuntShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Dave (1993), Beethoven (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Bonnie Hunt
- Danny DeVitoShared titles: The Comedian (2016), All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Danny DeVito
- Robert De NiroShared titles: The Comedian (2016), Midnight Run (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Robert De Niro
- Kyra SedgwickShared titles: The Humbling (2014), Heart and Souls (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Kyra Sedgwick
Cinematographers and editors
- Sheldon KahnShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Dave (1993), Beethoven (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Sheldon Kahn
- Aaron YanesShared titles: An Imperfect Murder (2017), The Humbling (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Aaron Yanes
- Stephen M. KatzShared titles: My Summer Story (1994), Last Resort (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Stephen M. Katz
- Bill ButlerShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), It's My Turn (1980)See all 2 shared titles with Bill Butler
Producers
- Gordon A. WebbShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Dave (1993), Beethoven (1992), The Couch Trip (1988)See all 4 shared titles with Gordon A. Webb
- Ivan ReitmanShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Dave (1993), Beethoven (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Ivan Reitman
- Joe MedjuckShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Dave (1993), Beethoven (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Joe Medjuck
- Michael C. GrossShared titles: Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Dave (1993), Beethoven (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Michael C. Gross
Mixed roles
- Buck HenryShared titles: The Humbling (2014), Heaven Can Wait (1978)See all 2 shared titles with Buck Henry
- Art GarfunkelShared titles: Acts of Love and Other Comedies (1973), Simon and Garfunkel: Songs of America (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Art Garfunkel
