Actor Ed Asner Rushed to Hospital

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Veteran actor Ed Asner was rushed to a hospital on Tuesday night while performing in a one-man show in Gary, Indiana and was being treated for exhaustion, his publicist said on Wednesday.
Asner, 83, “had to be taken off stage due to exhaustion and is resting comfortably at a Chicago-area hospital,” Charles Sherman told Reuters.
The actor, best known for his role as Lou Grant in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and a later dramatic series “Lou Grant,” both of which won him Emmy awards, “is expected to be released later today,” Sherman said.
Asner was performing a one-man show, “FDR,” in which he plays President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Earlier in the evening he had conducted an acting class in Gary, but appeared disoriented when the performance began. Medical personnel were called.
Sherman said Asner, who has served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, had been slated to perform “F.D.R.” in other cities later this week, and he did not know whether those performances would be canceled or rescheduled.
Last week another “Mary Tyler Moore” veteran, Valerie Harper, revealed she is suffering from incurable brain cancer, and may have only months to live.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
