Charles Grodin. Actor: Midnight Run. Deadpan comedian Charles Sydney Grodin (originally Grodinsky) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania of Russian/Polish ancestry and raised in a Jewish orthodox home. He attended the University of Miami but dropped out, opting instead for the life of a struggling actor. The movie Jeolmeunieui yangji (1951) was said to have steered him towards his chosen profession. In his own words: "It was two things. One is...