Charles Grodin, an American actor noted for his comedic performances in films like

Beethoven

, died at the age of 86, AFP learned from his son Nicholas on Tuesday.

The actor had a small role, that of the obstetrician, in the classic

Rosemary's Baby

 by Roman Polanski before shining alongside Robert de Niro in the crime comedy

Midnight

Run

, and in the

King Kong

remake

 of 1976. .

But it was above all the popular comedy

Beethoven

, where he shared the poster in 1992 with a bulky Saint-Bernard dog, which had made him known to the general public.

Sixty years of career

Charles Grodin, who suffered from bone marrow cancer, died at his home in Wilton, in the eastern United States, his son said.

"So sad to hear that.

He was one of the funniest people I've ever met, ”the legendary American comic Steve Martin responded on Twitter.

Born in Pittsburgh in 1935, Charles Grodin had made a name for himself on the stage and had broken through to Broadway in the early 1960s before going on to roles, often secondary, in the cinema.

He hosted his own talk show in the 1990s and made frequent appearances on Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Jay Leno shows.

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