Ed Asner has sadly passed away at the age of 91.
As reported by The Guardian, the news was confirmed by the actor's representative, with Asner's children posting the following message to the star's official Twitter account:
"We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you."
The acting legend is perhaps best known by modern audiences for his roles as Carl Fredricksen in Disney's Up and as Santa Claus in the 2003 movie Elf.
Asner also provided his voice to many iconic animated TV shows over the years - including Gargoyles, in which he voiced Hudson, and the 90s Spider-Man series, in which he voiced Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson.
However, Asner's acting career spanned seven decades, and the star was also known for his role as Lou Grant in both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the eventual eponymous spin-off series.
His role as Lou Grant lead to Asner winning five Primetime Emmys - three as Supporting Actor and two as Lead Actor.
Asner also won two other Emmy awards for his respective roles the TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) and Roots (1977) - making him the most honored male actor in the awards' history.
Asner was also a former president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
He was born on November 15, 1929, in Kansas City, Missouri, and later grew up in Kansas City, Kansas.Following his military service, he helped to establish the Playwrights Theatre Company in Chicago, before moving to New York and landing his first Broadway role in Face of a Hero in 1960.
Earlier this year, he spoke to Digital Journal about his career and life in quarantine, in which he said: "I’m all right. I am on the last mile but that’s all right. I have been surviving and I am taking care of business, whatever comes up."
In the interview, he also revealed that Lou Grant was his favorite ever role, saying: "Seven years of Lou Grant in the Mary Tyler Moore Show, followed by five years of a more serious Lou Grant on his own show was a lot of time. That’s a lot of film."
Below is a wonderful interview with YouTuber Jake's Takes, in which, Asner reveals he still cries at Up:Our thoughts are with Asner's family, friends, and fans at this time.