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Ed Asner dies at 91

Legendary TV actor Ed Asner has died aged 91.

Best known for playing the role of Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Asner passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday morning. 

His family tweeted from his 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 cause of death is not yet clear. 

Born Yitzhak Edward Asner in 1929 in Kansas City, Missouri, the late star is the most decorated male performer in the history of the Emmys, with a total of seven wins, five of which were for his role as Lou Grant. 

'At least 50 percent of people recognize me for that role,' Asner told The Malibu Times in 2015. 'It put me on the map and I'm forever grateful for that.' 

His character in The Mary Tyler Moore Show proved so popular that he ended up having his own spin-off show, Lou Grant, which was a drama. Grant also appeared on Rhoda and Roseanne.

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He is the only actor to win an Emmy for playing the same character in a comedy and a drama.

His renowned performances in Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man, both earned Emmy awards. 

A former president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1981-85, Asner was a much-loved and well-respected member of the Hollywood community. 

Asner received SAG's Life Achievement Award in 2002 and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame a year later. 

He was caught up in a political controversy in 1982 after speaking out against the U.S. involvement with repressive governments in Latin America, a move which he blamed for the cancellation of Lou Grant and also stopped his run for a third term as SAG's president. 

He had more than 300 acting credits and remained active throughout his 70s and 80s in a variety of film and TV roles. 

In more recent years, Asner played roles in Christmas classic Elf alongside Will Ferrell - and was also the lead voice in the Pixar movie Up. 

He also appeared on Grace & Frankie, Cobra Kai, Dead To Me, and provided voices for Seth MacFarlane's animated series American Dad! 

'I never get enough work,' he told The Associated Press in 2009. 'It's the history of my career. There just isn´t anything to turn down, let me put it that way.

'I'd say most people are probably in that same boat, old people, and it's a shame.'

Asner was born on Nov. 15, 1929 in Kansas City and began his acting career at a young age having helped found the Playwrights Theatre Company in Chicago after initially pursuing journalism at the University of Chicago.

His first Broadway role was alongside Jack Lemmon in the 1960 production of Face of a Hero and he made his TV debut in 1957 on anthology Studio One. 

Asner is survived by wife Cindy Gilmore and four children: Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles. 

Reference: George Stark For Dailymail.com and Tracy Wright For Dailymail.com