Ed Asner

Edward Asner: Emmy-winning star of Lou Grant and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, appears on this episode of A Word on Westerns. Hosts Rob and RJ Word dig into Asner's rich career—from his iconic role as Lou Grant in TV journalism to his adventures in the American West. Asner shares warm recollections of playing sly rancher Bart Jason opposite John Wayne in Howard Hawks's classic El Dorado (1966) and tales from the set with Robert Mitchum and actress Jacqueline Scott. He even recounts two different turns on Gunsmoke (as Sgt. Wilks in 1964's "Hung High" and drifter Redmond in 1966's "The Whispering Tree"), highlighting his dramatic range. The conversation also touches on Asner's many TV appearances—Route 66, The Virginian , and even a turn on The Fugitive —and his diverse film roles, from Westerns like The Skin Game (1971) to Pixar animation (Up, as Carl Fredricksen) . Along the way, Rob and RJ reflect on how Norman Lear and company created Lou Grant and the character's legacy as a gruff-but-goldenhearted boss, a role that earned Asner a record-breaking seven Emmys.