Charles Grodin, an Emmy-nominated actor and comedian, died on Wednesday, May 18th, aged 86. Grodin was best known for his roles in such films as The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Midnight Run (1988), and The Great Muppet Caper (1981), in which he played villain "Nickie the Hustler". On television, he appeared in dozens of shows, including The Twilight Zone (1960-1961), Kojak (1976), and Seinfeld (1992-1993). Grodin was also a respected writer. He wrote books, articles, two plays, and an Academy Award-nominated screenplay, Heavenly Pursuits (1986), for which he co-wrote the original story. Grodin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1935. He grew up in New York, where he worked as a cab driver before attending the University of Miami, from which he graduated in 1956. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Scott, and their two children, Marion and Nick.