Welcome to Just curious media. This is let's talk Cobra Kai. I'm Jason Connell.
Sal Rodriguez:
And I'm Sal Rodriguez.
Jason Connell:
All right, so we are back for a super special episode and a beautiful tribute to one famous actor.
Sal Rodriguez:
Oh yeah. An actor's actor. I definitely would use that phrase here. I don't throw that phrase around much, but no, absolutely applicable here.
Jason Connell:
Yeah, so we are here doing a tribute episode for Ed Asner, who played Sid Weinberg on Cobra Kai.
Sal Rodriguez:
That's right. Johnny's stepfather, his his mean stepfather?
Jason Connell:
Yes, Ed Asner was on three episodes playing said Weinberg goes back to 2018. We saw him in a couple of episodes. Ace degenerate. I think that was the original episode sound. And you're molting? Both and 2018.
Sal Rodriguez:
You know, he has such a presence that I thought he was in more episodes. It was only a three. That's it. Just three episodes.
Jason Connell:
Then they brought him back in 2021. And the episode now you're gonna pay in a really great episode. And yeah, he could have come back a lot more often. And maybe that was part of the plan. So we don't know. And unfortunately, we lost the great Asner. Just last Sunday, August 29 2021, passed away in Tarzana, California.
Sal Rodriguez:
That's right rest in peace. Interesting because Tarzana is where he lived in real life, which is right next to where Sid lived. Right and Encino. These are neighboring cities. For those who don't know, you haven't seen no, you have Tarzana right next to each other. So he died very close to where Sid lived. Yeah, that
Jason Connell:
is that's kind of meta.
Sal Rodriguez:
That is very interesting. I mean, I literally think, you know, SIDS house compared to Ed's house. Probably no more than three, four miles at the most.
Jason Connell:
Yeah. When he died of natural causes at the age of 91. So he lived a great long life and super productive in the arts. So I mean, oh, yeah, he was a staple in TV when I knew what TV was, as I was a young buck coming up watching shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, comes to mind ran from 1970. I was born in 71 to 77. I cut it on reruns, of course. Sure. But do you know the background of that show by chance?
Sal Rodriguez:
No, I know very little because I caught on to it as know when he was Lou Grant when the Lou gret show was on. That's when I first heard of him. And I knew that something about Mary Tyler Moore and wasn't in connection with Rhoda, what the hell like spin offs of each other?
Jason Connell:
Right, so he played Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. And of course, Lou Grant got his own spin off now. He was like the head of this evening news show and he was married Tanner Morris boss and he was great in that role. Of course, the show was created by James L. Brooks, who if you know that name, he made movies like Terms of Endearment broadcast news Academy Award winner and what else did he do so well? The
Sal Rodriguez:
name jumps out at me. I believe he was part of the Simpsons crew as well.
Jason Connell:
Absolutely. Yes, big time. So and not to mention, just Mary Tyler Moore and Ed Asner. That show had the likes of Gavin MacLeod, Cloris Leachman, Valerie Harper, Rhoda Ted Knight, and Betty White, among others,
Sal Rodriguez:
all star cast,
Jason Connell:
all star cast. So then, when that show went off the air literally the same year, Lou Grant gets his own show and it runs from 77 to 1982. He plays a newspaper editor, he was fired from the new station from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. And then that show has its run again created by James L. Brooks.
Sal Rodriguez:
Interesting to see a newspaper editors show today like yeah, would there still be the same drama today as there was back then?
Jason Connell:
You could do that show sell from your previous experience at the to look in times.
Sal Rodriguez:
Let me tell you something, being a newspaper editor, at my level, nowhere near as exciting as the loo grant level. That's for sure.
Jason Connell:
You didn't have all the hygiene from all the writers and all that funny business just a
Sal Rodriguez:
lot of a annoyances you know, after being a newspaper editor, I realized why Jay, Jonah Jameson Peter Parker's editor was always angry. Now I get it. It's just like a lot of mishaps happening all the time. Yeah.
Jason Connell:
Well, these are just a couple of beats on it as nors filmography, but he did some other things, too. So like, for instance, he was head of a huge guild in Los Angeles, which
Sal Rodriguez:
was green Actors Guild. He was the president from 81 to 85. Yeah, that's impressive.
Jason Connell:
Oh, yeah, he had a good run on Emmys as well. If I'm not mistaken.
Sal Rodriguez:
I think he's the winningest Emmy winner with seven athalon. Now, he won what's called primetime Emmys because I think then they also have the Daytime Emmys. So I believe he is the winningest Primetime Emmy winner
Jason Connell:
and then he would pop up in various things of course I love the movie Up Pixar film animated movie and
Sal Rodriguez:
and see that we never saw I didn't see that. That's what the guy was. He's like a balloon and carried around by a balloon.
Jason Connell:
Exactly. he befriends this young kid and have this adventure came out in 2009. He played Carl Fredricksen. Fantastic. And of course, his voice is so recognizable and we love it. I got to see it. And then a couple of years later at our United Film Festival, I played this in Los Angeles and New York and could have been other cities as well. But he was in a short film called good men. And it was a drama about two elderly Jewish friends who get into an argument over the controversial circumstances surrounding 911. Well, was this two people? That was Ed Asner? And mark right now? And mark right now you may know the name he direct movies like On Golden Pond, which we also played at the film festival, and we got to meet Dabney Coleman. So it all came about because of Goodman and the writer director Brian Connors submitted to our festival. Now, I don't know if you did that q&a or not. So it's been so long ago. But do you remember that film at all? Wow, there's
Sal Rodriguez:
so many films I do not remember. But this is really meta. I mean, this is Ed Asner. In a short film, in a film festival that you founded and ran that I hosted and moderated. I possibly ran this q&a, possibly, but no, I do not remember and mark right, Dell. He directed a movie called for the boys starring Bette Midler. Yeah, I snuck into every war as an extra. You know, because you call in they'd be like, if you worked in Korea, you can't work in Vietnam. You know, I snuck my way into every war. In the Vietnam war scene. There's bet mid are singing a song to us. There are places I remember. Oh, yeah. So she's she serenading us? We have tears in our eyes in for the boys Directed by Mark ryedale. I think if you can see that movie and that scene, you can see me pretty clearly. So this is all meta with the film festival with Edie with Mark with you and I fantastic.
Jason Connell:
Absolutely. Well, unfortunately, Mr. Eisner was not at any of our Q and A's but Brian Connors and Mark ryedale Were so we were able to build a relationship and then that's what led us to honoring mark right now and Dabney Coleman at the VISTA theater with their handprints. Oh, by the way, sidebar, Quentin Tarantino recently bought the VISTA thing what? Yes,
Sal Rodriguez:
I did not know that man. You tell me now.
Jason Connell:
I found that out about a month ago. I was like, wait a second what our festival was always there and down the street the last four years, three bigger events at the VISTA. And they would tell me the owners who I knew very well know very well. They would say Oh, Tarantino loves this theater. Well, case in point during the pandemic shutdowns couldn't open Well, Tarantino has got deep pockets and he already owns a new Beverly and brought it back as it was about to be completely shut down. So he bought it owns it and I hope he will leave all handprints in front of the visit. And I'm sure he will, I'm sure well,
Sal Rodriguez:
I if he ever had any plans to do anything to those handprints, you and I will be there with picket signs. Yes, out front what
Jason Connell:
has taken lift the most John land is the vamos zigman the Cairo Gatling. So anyway, back to Ed Asner never met him. But I felt like we had crossed paths. Lots of time. Now
Sal Rodriguez:
wait a second. Jason, you just you just brought something up that I had forgotten about. You say you've never met him I'd never met at as an ER either. But I have been literally two to three feet away from him. Because when I was a personal trainer, I used to be a personal trainer at various locations in the San Fernando Valley, but in particular, this small studio in Burbank, and I'd be there with a client early morning. A few feet away was Ed Asner with his trainer. And we're going back about 2025 years mind you. Okay, so I'm like in my 20s, right. And I remember looking at it as an or thinking, Yeah, that guy looks really old. I mean, I knew who he was, you know, but I was like, he looks really old. Like, he looked old, then and what I mean, and it wasn't just because I was in my 20s. Like, I thought he looked old. The thing about it as though the magic of him as an actor, is that he was old, but he could just like, Bring it on, like come alive. And all of a sudden, all this power and energy would come out of him. And then I guess when they yell cut, he goes back to you know, being an elderly gentleman, you know, but yeah, it was like such a it was so different. Because very soon thereafter, I saw him on TV, playing a role and just He looked very different. So this guy was definitely a chameleon in every shape of the word.
Jason Connell:
Yeah. So yeah, I didn't not only not meet him, I've never seen him and never will, but I know him through his amazing work. And as recent as this cell I watched the show Grace and Frankie, it took me a while to give it a try. I enjoy it. It's fun. It really is. But he wasn't an episode in 2019. Of course, anytime he comes on screen, it's like oh my god. There's that aster and he's part of Cobra Kai now. Well, I was watching season seven episode four last night and then they're on a break. I guess it comes back in 2022. And guess who pops on the screen reprising his roles Howard J But one at Asner. Wow, nice. So and that'll be it. Maybe he's in more of 2022 Because I already filmed it. But I'm like, oh my god, there he is. And we're covering him today. So it was very serendipitous and wonderful to see him a delight. As always, it was sad news. But I always say so if you live into your late 80s 90s, and you've had this kind of run, I mean, what else can you ask for? We hate losing great talent like this, but they left us so much to go back and enjoy for years to come. Oh, yeah.
Sal Rodriguez:
You know, when it comes to being a performer or an entertainer or any creator, you want to have a body of work you want to leave behind a body of work, and he definitely absolutely has and a little sad though, because I guess he's not in season four of Cobra Kai right.
Jason Connell:
I don't know if you know something. I
Sal Rodriguez:
don't know. I don't I hope. I hope he's in season four. So we can have one last glimpse as Sid.
Jason Connell:
Yes, that would be great. Well, I happen to also notice that one, William Zabka, and Ralph maggio had wonderful tweets and I figured we'd just kind of say them aloud and share them with our listeners. Sabka writes devastated to hear this news. What a legend. What a beautiful human and special friend. I learned so much from him my love and deepest condolences to the Asner family. Rest in peace, dear ed, and his Twitter handle our social media handle is the only Ed Asner. And so true sound
Sal Rodriguez:
well, and you know what I also read recently that the creators of Cobra Kai had no one else in mind for the role of Sid, they wanted Ed Asner from the beginning. And luckily they got him because I don't know if they had a second choice for Sid, but he was the guy and they got the guy.
Jason Connell:
And it was perfect. So shall we do us the honors of reading rough macho, sweet Yes,
Sal Rodriguez:
macho says so saddened by this news, a legend and icon in the acting world. Endless respect for his body of work on so many levels. Ed has graced the Cobra Kai series, and am grateful to have had a moment or two to meet and connect with him an absolute privilege. Hashtag rip Ed Asner. These last two Zabka Macho. Yeah, that kind of moves me they're
Jason Connell:
so good. And we talked about this before we recorded this episode, the fact that we were trying to think like, well, who all he act with? Well, really, it was Zabka and asked her and of course there was a nurse there
Sal Rodriguez:
was a nurse. Oh, and then the Butler was a butler? Yes.
Jason Connell:
They were never in the they were it was very brief. So we were thinking why did macho even get a chance to work with him? And he did say here, you know, he met him very briefly and spent that time with him, but really is aapka got to really kind of hone in and think about his character. And that was his stepfather. And part of what the show runners do is they create new things. And they've given Johnny Lawrence just more of a backstory, which he didn't have before. Like, who was his dad, who was his stepfather? But interesting now that Zabka got to experience this and work with him. And yeah, just a beautiful tribute from both actors who really carry the show on their back.
Sal Rodriguez:
Yeah, a wonderful tribute. I'm sure everybody saddened by this on many levels, I would imagine of everyone I would imagine that it would hit Zabka the hardest.
Jason Connell:
And look for season four in memory of ourselves. Yeah, always love those two. Yeah,
Sal Rodriguez:
there'll be something I think there will be something and I think I might have read that there will be something Yeah.
Jason Connell:
Okay. Well, they did a very good job with that with Mr. Miyagi, although when they started the series he'd already passed but that one episode, they did a really touching job and I'm sure they'll do the same here. So
Sal Rodriguez:
and then rob garrison. They did a nice tribute with Rob Garrison as well. Of course,
Jason Connell:
Rob garrison. That was beautiful. That was way too early for Rob garrison. Rest in peace. So that's all I got. So anything else to add before we say goodbye?
Sal Rodriguez:
No rest and peace at Azur. Absolutely.
Jason Connell:
So thank you so much for listening and please be sure to subscribe to Let's Talk Cobra Kai, wherever you get your podcast. You can also really help us by giving the show a five star rating on Apple podcast.
Sal Rodriguez:
And for all your listeners that enjoy sharing your thoughts. You can leave us a review on Apple podcasts, send us a direct message or post a comment on our social media which is at let's talk Cobra Kai, as well as at just curious media.
Jason Connell:
If you're a dedicated listener of Let's Talk Cobra Kai, consider supporting the show on Patreon. This greatly benefits us on many fronts and offers you access to exclusive content and much more. We also highly recommend checking out our other podcast and visiting just curious media.com
.jpg)
