USA TODAY International Edition
In fact, co- star Ed Asner liked MTM’s spunk
When it comes to Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner differs with his Mary Tyler Moore Show alter ego, Lou Grant.
“She had spunk,” says Asner, paraphrasing the gruff but lovable newsman who professed to hate spunk in a classic scene with Moore’s Mary Richards. But does Asner hate spunk? “No. Not when she has it.”
“I loved her. The world loved her — and it should have,” Asner told USA TODAY after Moore’s death Wednesday at 80. “She was an inspiration to women and she was a good example as a human being. And, of course, she was a fighter.”
Moore’s newsroom associate producer, Mary Richards, a single working woman in her 30s, became a role model for many when the iconic comedy launched its seven- season run in 1970.
When Mary arrived in Minneapolis after a broken engagement, “she showed how a girl forges onward, upward and makes it on her own, as the ( theme) song says,” Asner says from Toronto, where he’s working on an independent film, The Parting Glass.
When Mary premiered, Asner says, he had no idea some would eventually pronounce it the greatest sitcom ever, or that it would be so beloved 40 years after ending its run in 1977. Howev- er, “as we began to work on it and shape it and round it, it became quite revealing to us that we were doing the Lord’s work,” he says.
Asner praises Moore’s generosity to her fellow actors, who earned stardom and eventually their own shows, including Asner’s Lou Grant drama spinoff. The cast also featured Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Betty White and Georgia Engel.
Moore “never missed an ( opportunity) to advance us. She took good care of us,” he says. “We worshiped her. We were all eager to throw ourselves on our swords for her.”
Asked if he had a favorite episode or scene featuring Moore, Asner cites the famed “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode, but then broadens his perspective. “You could take any of those shows and watch them and celebrate. I love them all.”