Ed Asner

Born: November 15 1929
Where: Kansas City, Missouri, USA

The left-wing actor is better known for his American TV appearances but has also made his minor mark on the big screen.

Highlights include Oliver Stone's JFK and Fort Apache: The Bronx.

The former president of the Screen Actors Guild began his career on stage in Chicago and Off-Broadway (as Mr Peacham in the revival of The Threepenny Opera).

After appearing in several unmemorable film roles in the 1960s, Asner became an award-winning TV star in both sitcoms and dramatic TV-movies and series.

He is best known as the cantankerous but soft-hearted boss Lou Grant on two hit TV series, the TV newsroom sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the newspaper-set drama series Lou Grant.

The latter was supposedly cancelled because of the actor's liberal political leanings.

Since he became established as a small screen star, he has found the occasional strong role in films.

He was the captain of the force in Fort Apache, the Bronx, the lawyer defending accused Russian spies (modelled on the Rosenbergs) in Sidney Lumet's Daniel and Guy Bannister in JFK.

Asner continued to work steadily in a variety of films, including the thriller Hard Rain, the rom-com The Bachelor and the Ron Schneider comedy The Animal.

After winning a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2002, Asner returned to the big screen in the iconic role of Santa Claus in the holiday pleaser Elf.