Then she stubbed it out in an ashtray. He was 86. When Johnny Carson retired from The Tonight Show, on May 22, 1992, an era also ended for the de Cordovas. I know he would understand my not attending his funeral services, and I hope you will also. Gracie, as usual, took her her breakfast tray at precisely nine oclock. On September 1, 2009, Janet died. As for never being mentioned again or appearing on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson again, that too is an Urban Legend. The house was lit, always. They know exactly whom you are quoting, what you mean. . I thought, This is a bit strange. As much known for his comically wry late-night talk show appearances, as his often noted old-school toupee, actor Charles Grodin died this week. He was a poor money manager, and I think they always feared for money, because they spent like drunken sailors. Anne Douglas had advised Janet to send her favorite furniture ahead in order to re-create her master suite in Gracies house. The problem was downstairs, in the servants quarters, where Gracie Covarrubias, the longtime housekeeper, was trying to revive her husband, Javier, who was dying of a heart attack. THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, Johnny Carson, (aired June 24, 1968), 19621992. ph: Paul Wilson / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection. The film was a box-office hit, and he reprised the role in the 1993 sequel, Beethoven's 2nd. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for The Heartbreak Kid in 1972. I havent. I think she was looking ahead and seeing no one around to take care of her in her old age., Joanna Carson recalls checking in, with trepidation, on Janet in San Luis Potos by telephone. Johnny mentioned Charlie with Donna Mills on 1984-09-26 and Charlie appeared a few more times on the show with assorted guest hosts. She was no longer the flawless Mrs. De of 40 years ago, but at 89 she was still very elegant. I gotta agree with Dave, though: Grodin and Coleman wouldve been a fantastic comic duo, with Colemans expressive hound dog frustration making a nice foil for Grodins stone-cold deadpan. sons, Charles Grodin was born on April . Im looking for warm bodies, thats all. Difficult truths about the chatshow format were drawn out in these exchanges like poison from a wound. Gracie would ask her, What do you want for lunch, Mrs. De? She would say, I want a souffl, and Gracie would go make it for her. It was a tremendous blow to his ego. My adopted hometown.. Charles Grodin, the urbane actor who made his roles as a curmudgeon seem cool, died Tuesday at his home in Connecticut of bone marrow cancer. When a smile did come, it was impatient or insincere. Hughes called on Janet at her apartment a few times while she was dating Meyer, she said, attempting to exercise his droit du seigneur. Trump avoided . Grodin was also a prolific author and published his final book in 2013. In 2004, Grodin wrote The Right Kind of People, an off-Broadway play about co-op boards in certain buildings in Manhattan. About The Author MindxL@7411 - Previous Dean Martin - Johnny Carson Show -1975 Almost Got Show Canceled. Janet did not slave in the kitchen, but she made sure everything was either brought in from Chasens or was the caviar pasta from Le Domeher favorite because it had lots of vodka and lots of caviar. Producer and director George Schlatter (The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Rowan & Martins Laugh-In) tells me, I think she single-handedly introduced Chteau dYquem to this town., For years, whenever Carson threatened to quit, Janet would make a play behind the scenes. Grodin studied acting at the University of Miami but left without graduating and won a scholarship at the Pittsburgh Playhouse School. Grodin's commentaries were heard on New York City radio station WCBS and other affiliates of the CBS Radio Network, as well as on the CBS Radio Network's Weekend Roundup. Janet also had a reputation as a procurer. This kind of girl no longer exists in Hollywood. https://www.gofundme.com/support-the-life-and-times-of-holly, COPYRIGHT 2020 By TheLifeandTimesofHollywood.com, https://www.gofundme.com/support-the-life-and-times-of-holly, Stories From The Life and Times of Hollywood. The next day she received me in her bedroom, propped up on her Porthault-covered pillows, in a silk nightgown. In 1977, Grodin hosted an episode of the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live, where the entire episode revolved around his forgetting that the show was live, and he proceeded to wreck sketches because of his failure to prepare accordingly. We never fiddled with that. It was the worst screen test in the history of Hollywood, she told me. Johnny Carson, byname of John William Carson, (born October 23, 1925, Corning, Iowa, U.S.died January 23, 2005, Los Angeles, California), American comedian who, as host of The Tonight Show (1962-92), established the standard format for television chat showsincluding the guest couch and the studio bandand came to be . Last Update: Jan 03, 2023. The following year Grodin returned to Carsons show to promote the paperback release of his biography his then-new film Takin Care of Business. [33], Grodin is mentioned as a hero of Mac and Dennis in an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Grodin's specialty was deadpan humor - the slow double-take, the droll. Some of these houses are said to have cost as much as two million denarii. Grodin told Letterman that his shtick originated when he appeared on Carsons show straight after a medley by Diana Ross of her greatest hits. and began the three-day drive to San Luis Potos. According to several friends of Janets, Freddie was too ashamed to tell her that he and Carson had had a very ugly break at the studio a year previously. In this clip from late in Lettermans NBC tenure, Grodin comes on to Late Night not to plug anything, but to threaten Letterman with a libel suit for comments made about Grodin during interviews with Carol Burnett and Dabney Coleman. Please look on the enclosed as a bonus for almost 25 years as Tonight Show producer. He is survived by his second wife, Elissa Durwood, whom he married in 1983, and their son, Nicholas; and by his daughter, Marion, from his first marriage, to Julie Ferguson, which ended in divorce.. Her body was cremated in San Luis Potos and taken to Los Angeles by Gracie and Selene. But I think they wanted to go to all the Hollywood parties, and they needed each other for those occasions., Freddie was known to be an affable charmer in the presence of a star or a V.I.P., but with underlings he would invariably get acerbic. Though Freddie had made about a half-million dollars a year at the height of his career, they had burned through most of their savings. And I said, Think real good, because you dont have a doctor there or your friends. And she said, But I have you.. The first time I went to the Racquet Club, Janet told me, William Powell [the star of the Thin Manfilms] was there, and he was very nice to me. She was talking about the long marriage and kids Peter and I haveall of the grandchildren. For decades, Johnny Carson was the king of late night. I used to be able to walk into a party and say, I smell marijuana. Johnny Carson used to say, They ought to bring you to the airport instead of the dogs., Janets attachment to Selene made some guests ill at ease. I burst into tears, says one Beverly Hills socialite. So everybody thought I had a fat chance and was very stupid to let Irving go., Freddie lived with his mother, and even many of his friends thought he was gay. They bought Carla Ridge in 1968, and at last had the proper setting for her social rise. All her attention was directed to J.C., since he showeda coup. Grodin's son, Nicholas, confirmed the news to the New York Times, saying he passed away in his home in Wilton, Connecticut. His 1980s roles included Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times (opposite Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn) and 1988's well-reviewed comedy Midnight Run, a buddy movie co-starring Robert De Niro. He was worrying about meletting me spend on my clothes, and he would dress cheaply. There are fading Kodachrome photos of baby Selene being passed between Janet and another grande dame of the period, Mary Benny, the wife of Jack Benny, who was Janets role model. He had been the son of a con man during the Great Depressionthey went from first-class hotel to hotel with all their clothes on their backs. Very attractive, very lean, flawlessly groomed, 50-ish and bra-less. After a 12-year-long hiatus from film, in 2006 Grodin returned to acting in the comedy The Ex starring Zach Braff.[25]. Charles Grodin: American actor Charles Grodin was once banned from The Tonight Show because of his mock angry segments in addition to the angry letters from viewers, who couldn't understand his . He took Freddie off the floor, and he was never allowed back on. I liked Johnny a lot, Janet told me. Grodin co-starred in the action comedy Midnight Run (1988) and in the family film Beethoven (1992). It's a Glorious Dayand All That, a Broadway play, and directed Lovers and Other Strangers and Thieves, also on Broadway. When the offer came in 1967 for the lead in The Graduate, he balked at the low fee $500 a week, which compared poorly with the $1,000 he was getting as guest star on the western series The Guns of Will Sonnett and turned it down. Category: Videos. My children are very lovely and everything, but I didnt feel them as close as she was with me. The first, fleeting marriage was to a high-school sweetheart named Joe Lilly. She ran the house, and in Janet and Freddies time it was a very important house for social occasions., Janet and Freddie became the official godparents of Selene. Johnny didnt want Howard to know we were married, said Janet, going on to explain that the richest man in the film industry would have been jealous. Hes also on Twitter @grmartin. None of us knew what to think. Much of his career was at Universal Studios, where he was known for turning out entertaining pictures quickly, even with difficult actors, and on a low budget. On September 15, 2001, at age 90, Freddie died at the Motion Picture Home, in Woodland Hills, California. When Charles Grodin died earlier this week at the age of 86, he left behind decades of wonderfully deadpan comic performances in film and TV, as well as eight books published between 1989 and. He never looked impressed. Charles Grodin. Charles Grodin, a beloved comedian and actor known for his roles in "The Heartbreak Kid," "Midnight Run," and "Beethoven," has died at the age of 86. "Charles Grodin, known for 'The Heartbreak Kid' and Broadway roles, dead at 86", "The Heartfelt Kid: Actor/Playwright Charles Grodin Premiers New Play in San Francisco", Charles Grodin Urges New Yorkers To Mentor Kids, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Grodin&oldid=1137701831, American people of Russian-Jewish descent, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2017, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Internet Off-Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 00:47. The films director, Elaine May, later cast him as a CIA agent in her 1987 satire Ishtar. Janet was well known for never leaving the house without having her hair dressed by her stylist, Yuki, who made house calls, sometimes on a daily basis. Paskelbta 2022-06-04 Autorius homes for sale in northern michigan with acreage When Howard was busy, he would have Johnny take girls to Mocambo, because he had about six of them going at the same time. Freddie de Cordova, the executive producer of Johnny Carsons Tonight Show, and his wife, Janet, a leading local socialite sometimes referred to as the Duchess of Trousdale, were asleep in their separate bedrooms. But his complex, discomfiting performance proved to be a masterclass in the comedy of embarrassment. But then we thought, Well, she will have Gracie, so it may be O.K. In 2006, Gracie packed Janets Volvo and an S.U.V. Look at you, he sneered on one show. He said, Janet buzzed me to see if I was watching the Cavett show. They have three permanent servants and had hired a fourth for the festivities. I said, Think about it. A minute later she put her hand to her head, closed her eyes, and said yes. I've ever worked with, he's a wonderful director, writer, and actor."[26][27]. It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business. Sean Hannity has spent three decades in radio and TV studiously avoiding guests who can effectively puncture his right-wing blather, only booking diverging viewpoints if its somebody he can comfortably steamroll in debate. He directed 23 movies. One of the better known was Bedtime for Bonzo (1951) starring a chimpanzee and future President Ronald Reagan. Freddie had produced the show for almost 25 years. The comic thriller Midnight Run (1988) was a late highlight that came long after Grodin might have been expected to land a leading role. It was lit like important company could come through at any moment, even when there was no one on the calendar for a social call, and at the end there never was. She clips them out for me. In an interview with Deadline, Grodin talked about his relationship with C.K. Season 8. She and old Fred have separate bedrooms and talk openly about leaving notes under each others doors. Janet: Jo-aann-ah! He would appear once a month, to the exclusion of all other talk shows. There were tons of flowers, all perfect, and superb hors doeuvres. Johnny Carson's Final Snub of Tonight Show Producer Fred de Cordova. [21] After a supporting role in the acclaimed Ivan Reitman comedy Dave, Grodin signed on to play The Old There are also houses much grander than the one owned by the de Cordovas, with much larger staffs. He both starred in and wrote the screenplay for 11 Harrowhouse (1974). I thought, Oh, my gosh! Our deepest condolences go out to Grodins friends, families and colleagues After dinner, back in the living room for demitasse, Janet lit up a joint and passed it around. of Johnny Carson and . What are we going to do? I knew it wasnt going to happenJohnny loved that show too muchbut she always went behind Freds back to me to try to make sure it wasnt going to end when it didnt need to., The de Cordovas raison dtre, said Dominick Dunne, was to live an A-list life. He began to go through a pile of newspapers and the Hollywood trades, in preparation for his ritual midmorning phone call with Carson, in which they discussed the headlines that might make fodder for Carsons monologue that night. But actually Freddie had a long romance with James Masons wife, Pamela. He would talk about his affairs with old movie stars like Joan Crawfordhe was very proud of those stories. The actor's son, Nicholas, confirmed the news of his father's . Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, comedy, travel, theme parks, wrestling, and anything else that gets in his way. The fee was raised but Grodin lost the part after being uncooperative in his screen test. She and Gracie looked at assisted-living facilities in the Beverly Hills area, and they were a shock to Janet, a bigger shock than the Motion Picture Home. Gracie, change her drink! Then Gracie would hover over her, and about 10 minutes into the conversation, she leans over Janet, inserts a handblown Murano-glass swizzle stick into Janets glass, and stirs her drink., Alcohol was not her only poison. After a supporting role in the 1970 comedy film Catch-22, Grodin gained recognition as a comedy actor when he played the lead role in the 1972 film The Heartbreak Kid. Moments later, the Bennys daughter, Joan, came down the stairs and said, Jack is gone. The witty playwright Leonard Gershe responded, And, thank God, so are the de Cordovas.. Below is that full, fascinating article from Vanity Fair: When Freddie de Cordova, Johnny Carsons longtime producer, died in 2001, his wife knew her big-caviar days were over. Her skin was already so paper-thin that you could see the veins in her forehead. snoopy happy dance emoji 8959 norma pl west hollywood ca 90069 8959 norma pl west hollywood ca 90069 The sponsor AT&T removed its name from the programme and it became one of the lowest-rated entertainment specials in TV history. There was a lot of innuendo around that he was a procurer for Howard, but nobody had to get ladies for Howard, believe me. More than one friend of hers told me that she was often a go-between for Carson and potential conqueststhe one who would follow a girl into the powder room at 21 and tell her that Johnny was interested, according to one. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s, appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. He was referenced in three different episodes of The Simpsons ("I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", "Little Big Girl" and "Mathlete's Feat"). For three decades, Johnny Carson is the king of late-night comedy. I admired him greatly. She wore a daring black one-piece bathing suit cut in a V shape up the front, causing gents to gasp and little boys to remember it 45 years later.. It hurt her pride. Things continued to get worse as Janets eyesight weakened and funds dwindled. (Janet so favored yellow that only sponges of that color were allowed in the house; the pink and blue ones that came in the package with the yellow ones were stacked by the hundreds in the garage.) Join Facts Verse as we explore why Johnny Carson hated this Tonight Show guest more than anyone.. Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show Starring Carson for three decades, from 1962 to 1992. Carson teased endlessly on the air about Freddies exotic A-list weekendshe would discuss how he had spent the weekend sorting his sock drawer while Freddie was out hobnobbing with the gods.. Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd in The Heartbreak Kid, 1972. At the time of their marriage, Freddie was directing Jack Bennys TV program and making good money, but not the princely sum Janet aspired to spending. In 1981, he landed a role in The Great Muppet Caper playing Nicky Holiday, a jewel thief who falls in love with Miss Piggy. When Charles Grodin died earlier this week at the age of 86, he left behind decades of wonderfully deadpan comic performances in film and TV, as well as eight books published between 1989 and 2013. He made frequent appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. Actor and comedian Charles Grodin, who made his mark in the movies and on TV, died Tuesday. Also in 1993, Grodin played the role of Harrison Winslow in the film Heart and Souls. Dear Janet, I am sorry for the loss of Freddie. However, his last show with Johnny as host was the show mentioned above on 1982-09-21. Im doing it right now.. Its something special. The Republican social group stayed by themselves, in Pasadena and Hancock Park. Want to Read. He took Freddie off the floor, and he was never allowed back on. People should know what a classy guy he was., In our long conversations, Janet was somewhat cold and distant about her late husband. Joan Rivers was a regular guest host on Carson's show,. It was getting pathetic.. He was heavyset and bald, but he had a hell of a personality. "I . If you dont spend it, you dont enjoy it, and I think its pretty stupid not to enjoy it. But Howard used Johnny in such a way that it raised suspicion. However, he turned down the part of Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate because of the low salary offered by producer Lawrence Turman, although Turman assured him that the part would make him a star, as it ultimately did for Dustin Hoffman. Grodin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Orthodox Jewish parents,[2][3] Theodore (19001953), who owned a store that sold wholesale supplies, and Lena (19071996; ne Singer), who worked in her husband's business and volunteered for disabled veterans. Everything in its place. He wasnt very good to her. Who has died on this day? If an ice bucket on the bar was one centimeter out of place, she would veer over, pass by, touch it back into place, and say something to Gracie or one of the other girls who worked thereI think there were always three girls, Gracie and two under her. Anne Douglas, the wife of Kirk Douglas, recalls, The dinners at that house were things of beauty. Everyone is six feet under, said Janet when I asked her if she missed her life in Beverly Hills. A master of deadpan, Pittsburgh native Grodin starred in . Pamela was a bitch to me, for no reason, because I think shed already given Freddie the heave-ho., Janet and Freddie were married in November 1963, three days after the Kennedy assassination. Not much is presented about memorable moments or sketches on "The Tonight Show," but certain segments will be forever branded into the memories of average late-night television viewers. She had her own checking account under her maiden name, Janet Thomas. Jolene Schlatter, Georges wife, says that when Janet told her the amount of the clothing allowance, I almost fainted. He said he had no personal relationship at all with his colleague Cybill Shepherd, while the screenwriter, Neil Simon, wanted to fire him. Janet could be a very demanding and difficult lady, but there was something special about her bond with Gracie.. were johnny carson and charles grodin friends. Grodin won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special in 1978 for the Paul Simon Special alongside Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, and Lily Tomlin. He also directed Rock Hudson, Errol Flynn, Tony Curtis, Audie Murphy, Yvonne de Carlo, Bob Hope and Humphrey Bogart. In 1975, Grodin received critical acclaim for the Broadway romantic comedy Same Time, Next Year. Today they all seem to get married and have three kids immediately and then divorce., A dame! is how Janets friend Gore Vidal describes her. [6] His maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Russia who "came from a long line of rabbis" and moved to Baltimore at the turn of the 20th century. His gaze was flat and pitiless, his mouth a straight horizontal line. George Segal wrote me a nice letter. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s, appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. They were panicked they would be raided and hauled off to jail.. GRODIN: Well, we were very good friends off screen, and we really had a lot of laughs off . Charles Grodin speaking to Terry Gross in 1989. All this info came from Continue Reading 32 Sponsored by PureCare Knee Protector In 'Louie' & Why He's Like "No Other Director", "Veteran Actor Charles Grodin on Playing Louis C.K. That was a big part of her life., The beige rotary-dial phone next to Janets bed helped her monitor the latest gossip as well as peoples movements in the house, says Deamer. Over that time period, the beloved entertainer had a wide . The social columnist David Patrick Columbia recounts that the Bennys daughter, Joan, told of the time back in the 1960s when marijuana had become inside-fashionable. Carla Ridge, as they called their pavilion-like modern house, had been a glittering hub of L.A.s social scene, and the thought of giving all that up was hard to take. That was July 1991, so what happened next was Johnny exploded in the after-show meeting in his office. With that kind of money Id have a diamond ring or three., She continues: It used to drive Audrey Wilder [wife of director Billy Wilder], who was Janets closest friend, crazy. Why isnt she thinking about tomorrow? Janets objets were even placed around the house. Charles Grodin, the comic, scene-stealing actor of such films as The Heartbreak Kid, Midnight Run and Beethoven who later established himself as a curmudgeonly talk show guest without rival, died . On March 20, 1990, in the middle of the night, paramedics were called to the de Cordova home at 1875 Carla Ridge Road, in the Trousdale section of Beverly Hills. Grodin, who appeared in such films as Midnight Run, The Heartbreak Kid, Beethoven, The Great Muppet Caper and on TV as a favored guest of Johnny Carson and David Letterman, died today of bone. episcopal dioceses in new york state; michael bloomberg private jet; sharon township franklin county ohio zoning map; female personal trainers near me Gracie had made a large Mexican dinner, and Janet, dressed in cream Armani, decked out in gold and diamonds with the gardenia in place, was helped down the staircase by Gracies grandchildren and presided at the head of the dining-room table. Former President Donald Trump Saturday insisted his former secretary of state was not taking a dig at him when Mike Pompeo warned conservatives against following 'celebrity leaders'. They may have thought that Freddie was, but you didnt say that. With a later time slot and a edgier approach to humor than Carson, Late Night let Grodin really lean into the abrasive side of his talk show persona, as seen in his very first appearance on a Letterman show. He was also too well-defined a presence to slip between roles without bringing his own baggage along. He is survived by his second wife, Elissa Durwood, whom he married in 1983, and their son, Nicholas; and by his daughter, Marion, from his first marriage, to Julie Ferguson, which ended in divorce. It got to the point where Gracie, after all those years working for Janet, was very well known to the Beverly Hills set. Perfectly nice, and she did the apartment over, but not really ideal. Janet recalled, Youd walk out the front door and see the supermarket carts at the end of the walkways. He continued in this vein for years, transferring his act to Late Night with David Letterman, where he would usually begin by ignoring the presenter before taunting him. "The idea that we hate each other is the media makes a big thing about it," he said. When Jack Benny was on his deathbed, a group of close friends gathered at the house and were sitting downstairs in the living room, waiting for it to happen. I havent stopped doing it, he said. Between 19792008, writing specials competed alongside, 1990s/2000s: Family films and talk show host, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business, How I Get Through Life: A Wise and Witty Guide, We're Ready for You, Mr. Grodin: Behind the Scenes at Talk Shows, Movies, and Elsewhere, I Like It Better When You're Funny: Working in Television and Other Precarious Adventures, If I Only Knew Then Learning from Our Mistakes, Just When I Thought I'd Heard Everything: Humorous Observations on Life in America, "Charles Grodin, Star of 'Beethoven' and 'Heartbreak Kid,' Dies at 86", "Humanitarian always has been Charles Grodin's main role", "Charles Grodin, Deliciously Droll Actor, Dies at 86", "Charles Grodin, Pittsburgh native and star of 'Midnight Run,' dies at 86", "Playhouse provided training ground for Grodin", "HB Studio - Notable Alumni | One of the Original Acting Studios in NYC", "Charles Grodin, deadpan comic actor known for 'Midnight Run' and 'Beethoven,' dies at 86", "Charles Grodin: Beethoven and The Heartbreak Kid actor dies aged 86", "Saturday Night Live (Classic): "Charles Grodin/Paul Simon", "The Awkward, Hostile, and Absolutely Hilarious Late Night Appearances of Charles Grodin", MOVIE REVIEW: Heart and Souls: Comedy Wins a Few, Loses a Few, "The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder; Charles Grodin", "Charles Grodin on Working With Louis C.K. The hammer has a rubber tip and is bent. Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era, including Real Life (1979), Seems Like Old Times (1980), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Ishtar (1987), Dave (1993), and Clifford (1994). It originated as a nightly show on CNBC, replacing Tom Snyder after he left to start The Late Late Show on CBS. He called himself the old queen. I think those days were behind him when he got into his 50s, but who knows? The first thing she showed me, as I took a seat in the slipper chair next to her bed, was a handwritten letter from Johnny Carson. Grodin had two children: daughter Marion (a comedian), from his marriage to Julie Ferguson, and son, Nicholas, from his marriage to Elissa Durwood. She used to say, Janets going to wind up with nothing, the way she spends. This is one of those stories where the servants become more than just the help., Michelle Phillips, the former Mamas & the Papas singer, who was a protge of Janets, recalls, Janet kind of freaked out. There were other comic moments shared off camera between the two friends, who happened . Author Bill Zehme, who is at work on a book titled Carson the Magnificent, says, It was when Johnny returned to the air after his son Ricky died. Gracie was also well turned out. 's FX show Louie as Dr. Bigelow, C.K. But Janet became very prominent with them, very active. According to George Schlatter, Janet went back and forth, pitching the Republican social group to the Hollywood group, helping to bring the two together.