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who abandons his bride to pursue Cybill Shepherd. Grodin starred in the lavish 1976 King Kong remake as the greedy showman who brings the big ape to New York.

But his most famous role came in Midnight Run in 1988. He played a mobsters’ accountant in trouble for jumping bail.

Robert De Niro starred as the bounty hunter trying to bring him safely cross-country to LA.

De Niro said: “Chuck was as good a person as he was an actor. Midnight Run was a great project to work on, and Chuck made it an even better one.

“He will be missed. I am very, very sad to hear of his passing.”

Family comedy Beethoven brought him further success in 1992, followed by the 1993 sequel Beethoven’s 2nd.

Grodin and his first wife, Julia Ferguson, had a daughter, the comedian Marion Grodin.

He had son Nicholas with his second wife, Elissa Durwood.

Universal Pictures/Getty Images > Charles Grodin in a scene from the 1993 film ‘Beethoven’s 2nd’

Bernard Taupin was born on this day in 1950. He is an English lyricist, poet, singer and artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, having written the lyrics for most of John’s songs. In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement placed in the UK music paper New Musical Express by Liberty Records, a company that was seeking new songwriters. John responded to the same advertisement and they were brought together, collaborating on many projects since. Taupin and John were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992.