Yitzhak Edward Asner (born November 15, 1929, died August 29, 2021) was an American actor, voice actor and a former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He was primarily known for his role as Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series Lou Grant, making him one of the few television actors to portray the same leading character in both a comedy and a drama. He was also known for portraying Santa Claus in the comedy film Elf (2003) and its animated remake Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas (2014). He was the most honored male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven. Asner died on August 29, 2021 of natural causes at his home in Tarzana, California at age 91.