Ed Asner, known to millions as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, died Sunday. He was 91. "We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully," read a tweet shared Sunday to his official Twitter account. "Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head - Goodnight dad. We love you." Hard-drinking, tough-talking Grant, who originated on CBS' "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and grew to headline on drama spinoff "Lou Grant," made Asner a household name. But he was much more than one indelible character. Asner, a U.S. Army veteran, took on a broad range of roles over an acting career that spanned seven decades, playing burly cops and 5 o'clock-shadowed heavies in pre-"Mary" '60s dramas while endearing himself to younger generations who wouldn't know Lou Grant from Ted Baxter in 2003's "Elf" and 2009's "Up." His seven Emmys, five for playing Grant on "Mary" and "Lou Grant," are a record for a male actor. And Asner was the first actor to win Emmys for playing the same character on both a comedy and drama series. He won his other two Emmys for playing harsh, unlikable characters on two historic miniseries, "Roots" and "Rich Man, Poor Man." But if Asner, who compiled more than 400 screen credits, were only remembered as Lou Grant, that would be plenty. Story by Bill Keveney. Photo by @gettyimages