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Who are Ed Asner's children? 'Up' actor had a love child while married with 3 kids

Ed Asner, famous for his portrayal of Lou Grant on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' as the old man on Disney's 'Up' has died at the age of 91
UPDATED AUG 30, 2021
Ed Asner was known for his iconic character Lou Grant (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for The Golden Trailer Awards)
Ed Asner was known for his iconic character Lou Grant (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for The Golden Trailer Awards)

Legendary actor and TV icon Ed Asner, famous for his portrayal of Lou Grant on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', has died at the age of 91. He also voiced the character of Carl Fredricksen in the popular Pixar movie 'Up'. Confirming the news of his death on Sunday, August 29, his children 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 his tragic death is yet to be ascertained. His passing was mourned by hundreds on social media, who shared glimpses and snippets from his TV roles, from 'Lou Grant' to 'Rhoda' and 'Roseanne'. With a total of seven major wins, Asner happened to be the most decorated male star ever in the history of the Emmys. Away from the silver screen, Asner was believed to be a doting father to his children — including his three children with his first wife Nancy Sykes, and his 'illegitimate' son with partner Carol Jean Vogelman. 

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Who are Ed Asner's children?

In 1959, Ed Asner married Nancy Sykes, with whom he had three children — twins Matthew and Liza Asner and younger daughter Kate Asner. The couple divorced in 1988, but a year before that, he fathered a son with his lover Carol Jean Vogelman. Asner was romantically involved with Carol from 1986 to 1988, while he was still married. Charles Edward Vogelman was solely raised by his mother. But he reconnected with his father later in life. 

In a 1988 article published by Deseret News, it was written, "Actor Ed Asner has admitted he fathered a 10-month-old boy out of wedlock and agreed to pay more than $2,100 a month in child support, a lawyer says. Asner also must pay the mortgage on a $300,000 condominium where the child lives with his mother, Carol Jean Vogelman, said attorney Ronald Supancic, who represents Vogelman's former husband."

The birth of Charles sparked quite the scandal at the peak of Asner's professional success. He got embroiled in legal action when Carol's former husband David Stone complained that "His $3,000-a-month alimony payment was being used to support a child that wasn't his."

Asner's eldest son, Matthew 'Matt' Asner is a prominent film producer noted for movies like 'Femme Fatale', '100 Voices: A Journey Home' and 'Saidoweizu'. He is also the CEO and President of The Ed Asner Family Center. Following his father's death, Matt tweeted a video from his 90th birthday, with the caption, "I wanted to post this again so people can enjoy. Love you dad. There will never be another like you."



 

Matt's twin sister Liza previously worked as a booking agent and producer for the TV show 'God Help Us'. Seen many times by her father's side on the red carpet, Liza had also worked as an associate producer at Quince Productions. Asner's youngest daughter Kate is a well-noted face in Hollywood, who followed her father's footsteps and took up acting. Born in 1966, Kate has been seen in notable films like 'What Women Want', 'Open Season' and made guest appearances in shows like 'Ally McBeal', 'Malcolm in the Middle', 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' and others. 

Not much is known about Asner's youngest child Charles, but the actor had once opened up about his autism. "I confess to you that I did not see the signs. I really found a high-spirited, rule-breaking youngster," he shared about Charles in an interview with The Tennessean. The experience prompted him to be involved with the nonprofit organization Autism Speaks. 

Asner tied the knot with Cindy Gilmore later in 1998 but their marriage remained childless. In 2007, Gilmore filed for a legal separation while Asner sought divorce in 2015. 

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