Ed Asner tapes United Way video at KCKCC

Emmy-award winning actor Ed Asner will be popping up on your local television stations promoting the 2012 United Way drive in his hometown of Kansas City, Kan., in video taped at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

“Mr. Asner also did a public service announcement for the college’s KCEC cable channel 17,” said Michael Kimbrough, Director of the KCKCC Media Services Department.

The honorary chairman of Wyandotte County’s United Way campaign, Asner was in Kansas City for a performance of his critically acclaimed one-man show “FDR,” which he will open soon on Broadway.

“We are thrilled and honored to have Mr. Asner as our Honorary Campaign Chairman,” said Wendell Maddox, President and CEO of Wyandotte County United Way and a member of the KCKCC Board of Trustees. “To know that this prestigious celebrity wants to give back and help improve lives in his hometown is a wonderful act of kindness and we are grateful to him.”

One of the most honored actors in the history of television, Asner has received seven Emmy Awards and 16 nominations as well as five Golden Globe Awards for his roles in the Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant shows. 

He has also served as national president of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms, was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 1996 and received the Ralph Morgan Award from the Screen Actors Guild for distinguished serviced to the Guild’s Hollywood members in 2000.

In March 2002, he was honored by the Screen Actors Guild as the 38th recipient of the prestigious Life Achievement Award for career achievement and human accomplishment.

More recently, he starred as Carl Fredricksen in Pixar’s 2009 box off hit, “UP!,” which won Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score-Motion Picture at the 67th annual Golden Globe award and the Outstanding Animated Fil Award at the 82nd annual Academy Awards.    

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PHOTO: A taping session with veteran actor and KCK native Ed Asner (center) brought smiles all around from KCKCC’s Media Services Department made up of (from left) Director Michael Kimbrough, Dean Wesley, Randy Royer, Jim Hermann, Eva Simmons, Jamie White and Hellene Moore. (KCKCC Photo)