On life during the quarantine, 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.”
Asner shared that lately, he spends his time doing voiceovers, and a play via Zoom. “That’s all I can do,” he admitted. “Due to the pandemic, we don’t get together to film anything. The Zoom readings are going very well.”
He revealed that playing Lou Grant was his favorite role he ever tackled. “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,” he said.
“I’m the spunk-master, I love spunk,” he added. “I constantly swing back and say that I hate spunk. We become the very thing we despise.”
For young and aspiring entertainers, he said, “It’s a lovely art to pursue, I think. Do it with all your heart and all of your might and pray for the best.”
A seven-time Emmy award-winning actor, Asner also wished his co-star Betty White a very Happy 99th birthday. “Betty’s a hottie,” he said. “She’s the Viking Princess. I will always love her.”
I still get warm when I see this look. Happy 99 baby. You are a testament to living life on your own terms. Sending you a great big socially distanced kiss. I love you @BettyMWhite pic.twitter.com/DWM9tTthIm
— Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) January 17, 2021
He acknowledged that he enjoyed doing Soap Myth with Emmy and Tony-nominated actress Tovah Feldshuh. “Tovah’s a ‘schtarker,’ she’s a strong one. That was a very important play,” he said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Hanging in There.” “I have to remind myself that I am in my last decade,” he said. “It will be a miracle if I go beyond 100.”
While he has never been to Greece, he noted that he would love to go there someday.
For his fans, he joked, “Send money. You can never have enough money.” “Their cards and letters fill me with gratitude. I still sign through the mail. It keeps me busy these days,” he said.
To learn more about iconic actor Ed Asner, follow him on Twitter.