He was a cad in surf and a con artist in snow; he was a caricature from New York to Miami, and the best New Yorker in Minnesota; he was Lenny Cantrow in The Heartbreak Kid.
He was a critic in Burbank and a curmudgeon in Studio 6B; he was a complainer to Johnny Carson and a character on the couch of The Tonight Show; he was George Maitlin in The Couch Trip.
He was a courtier in the company of men and a company man till the end; he was a chamberlain with the spine of Chamberlain; he was Tony Abbott in Heaven Can Wait.
He was a collaborator in a white jacket and a courier to cultists with black hearts; he was Dr. Hill in Rosemary’s Baby.
He was a crook in London and a cheat throughout England; he was Nicky Holiday in The Great Muppet Caper.
He was Charles Grodin with more classics than a survey course on Zoom, including Midnight Run, Seems Like Old Times, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Real Life, Dave, and the modern remake of King Kong.
His legacy is a series of first-class performances on TV and in film.