Joker To Journalist
Charles Grodin always itched for
something more substantial than Hollywood;
he found it on "60 Minutes II"
ALICE BURDICK SCHWEIGER
Special to the Jewish News
Ill or Charles Grodin, com-
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mentator on 60 Minutes II,
the transition from film star
to television news was easy.
"I worked in theater and movies, but
my personal life has always been more
focused in news," says Grodin, who
starred in more than 30 films, includ-
ing Beethoven, Heaven Can Wait, Catch
22, Rosemary's Baby and Midnight Run.
"When I was 12 years old, I was the
humor editor in school, and I
wrote a piece about Truman and
Dewey. I think I know more
about government than govern-
ment people know about show
business."
Grodin's training ground for
his coveted CBS news position
was cable television. He was a
talk-show host on CNBC from
1995-1998 and MSNBC from
1998-1999, dealing with social
and political issues.
"When they hired me to be
on CNBC, they knew me as
someone who was in the
movies, and thought it would be
more of an entertainment type
program," he says. "But on my
second night, my guest was New
York Gov. Mario Cuomo for a
whole hour. About four months
Charles Grodin
later, the O.J. Simpson trial
began and I was able to move
"My mother passed away three years
more toward social issues, which was
ago at the age of 88 and I had an
where my head was anyway."
extraordinary relationship with her. It's
Born and raised in a predominantly
hard to talk about her even now. My
Jewish suburb of Pittsburgh, Grodin
mother was buried next to my father,
began acting when he left the
even though he predeceased her by 42
University of Miami after one semes-
years. The same rabbi officiated at
ter. "My dad had just died and I was
both funerals."
too depressed to stay in college,
While Grodin, who lives in
although I was doing well," he says.
Connecticut with his wife, Elissa, and
"So I came home and began acting
13-year-old son, Nicky, doesn't formal-
classes at the Pittsburgh Playhouse,
ly practice Judaism now, he says he has
which is what I eventually wanted to
a strong identification. "My wife
do anyway."
joined
the synagogue up here, but I'm
After years of performing in summer
more of a cultural Jew," says Grodin,
stock, he appeared in an Off-Off-
who has an older married daughter
Broadway show called Don't Destroy
from a previous marriage.
Me, and made his Broadway debut in
As for his heroes, Grodin's cousin
Tchin Tchin, starring Anthony Quinn.
Phyllis Zusman, of Farmington Hills,
In 1962 he made his first feature film,
is one of the people who come to
Sex and the College Girl.
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While his career continued to take
off, he branched out and wrote several
books, including It Would Be So Nice
If You Weren't Here (1989) and How I
Get Through Life (1991).
Grodin grew up in a close-knit fami-
ly. His father, Ted, who had changed
his last name from Grodinsky, sold
hangers, buttons and suit liners to
cleaners, tailors and dressmakers. His
mother, Lena, helped with the business.
She was an Orthodox Jew, and kept
a kosher home. "But my father did
not practice," Grodin says.