One of the modern masters of the slow burn may be un-retiring from acting. As long as he stays retired from talk show hosting, we’re good. And what’s The Ex?
Whatever you thought of Charles Grodin as a television personality (and Howard Stern fans still have some very vehement feelings on this particular subject), you certainly can’t knock him as an actor. Though his career sort of petered out after one of his best performances (as Jonathan Mardukas in Midnight Run), his 70s – 80s run was downright inspiring: The Heartbreak Kid, Heaven Can Wait, Real Life, Seems Like Old Times, Ishtar (yes, motherfucker, Ishtar!)… the man could underplay with the best of them. He’s also the only person in film history to get laughs from the pronunciation of “chorizo”. So let’s not hold Clifford against him, okay?
One of Grodin’s most fondly recalled performances was in The Great Muppet Caper, where he was all too convincing as a jewel thief who lusts after Miss Piggy. Unsurprisingly, Jason Segel, who’s been charged with bringing the Muppets back to the big screen (with Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller), is a huge fan. And he’s got plans to get Grodin interacting with Jim Henson’s coterie of characters again.
As Segel told MTV’s Shawn Adler, “It’s a really brilliant cameo, I must say. I’m really proud of it.”
Unfortunately, Segel has vowed to deliver a family friendly Muppet movie, so Grodin’s cameo probably won’t entail him finally closing the deal with Piggy. But maybe they could shoot something off the clock. Something tasteful, but lightly charged with man-on-Muppet eroticism. Perhaps they could get Sam the Eagle involved. I’d like that.