Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, Elf, Up) stars in FDR, his solo drama exploring the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, for five performances this week and weekend at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach outside Los Angeles.
The seven-time Emmy Award winner based FDR on Sunrise at Campobello, the 1959 Broadway hit by Dore Schary, which was set in the 1920s and starred Ralph Bellamy as the future President. Asner, who just turned 85, has been touring on and off with the show since 2010.
Last year he had to cut short a performance at the Marquette Pavilion in Gary, IN when he couldn't manage his lines and was taken to the hospital suffering from exhaustion. But anyone who thought old "Lou Grant"'s performing days were over has been set straight since. "Reports of my imminent demise are greatly exaggerated," Asner tweeted, whereupon he resumed his screen career and picked up touring with FDR. As of this writing, his IMDB page lists no fewer than eight movies featuring Asner that are currently either announced, in pre-production, filming, or in post-production. How many octogenarians can say that?
Asked whether his lack of physical resemblance to FDR made the role challenging, Asner told Melissa Parker of Smashing Interviews, "Well, I don't sound like him either, but hopefully the phenomenon of his words eventually wins the audience over. He was also tall and strong before he was struck down with polio, something that people may forget."
Added Asner, "When he died, I thought God the father had died. He very much had an influence on me. He was a champion of the poor, of the underprivileged." Indeed, the actor has attributed the surprising early cancellation of his popular TV show Lou Grant in 1982 to his own liberal political views.
FDR runs November 19 - 23 at the Laguna Playhouse. For schedule and tickets click here.
