Nancy Sykes Wiki: Facts about Ed Asner’s First Wife

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Ed Asner's First Wife

Actor Ed Asner and wife Nancy Sykes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, California. (Photo by Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Beloved Hollywood actor Ed Asner passed away in August 2021, drawing attention to his survivors, including his wife and children. Many fans are particularly curious about Asner’s first wife. Nancy Sykes and Ed Asner were married for almost 30 years and shared three children together. Sykes was also involved in the film and TV industry. For those who want to know more about who Nancy Sykes is, we have the answers in this Nancy Sykes wiki.

About Nancy Sykes
GenderFemale
SpouseEd Asner (1959 - 1988)
ChildrenMatthew Asner (Son), Liza Asner (Daughter), Kate Asner (Daughter)
JobActress

Who Is Nancy Sykes?

Information on Nancy Sykes’ early life, such as a place or date of birth, is scarce. According to one report, she was born in 1930. Not much is known about Sykes’ family, either. Her son Matthew Asner has said she spent summers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, as a child, however.

Nancy Sykes and Ed Asner’s Relationship

Nancy Sykes and Ed Asner were married in 1959. It’s unclear how they met and how long they dated before tying the knot. The couple made their home in Los Angeles, California, where Asner thrived as a television actor.

One of his most famous roles was as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, for which he won three best supporting actor Emmys.

The two would split in 1988, reportedly after Asner admitted to having a son with another woman.

Nancy Sykes’ Children

Nancy and Ed became parents to twins, Matthew and Liza Asner, on September 9, 1963. Daughter Kate Asner joined the family three years later, in 1966.

Matthew is a multi-hyphenate Hollywood scion. He’s directed and produced dozens of documentaries and shorts, including the award-winning 100 Voices: A Journey Home and episodes of the History Channel’s History’s Mysteries. He wrote for many of the features as well.

In addition, he made acting appearances in television series like Growing Pains, Thirtysomething, and L.A. Law. He’s also president and CEO of The Ed Asner Family Center.

Liza is another Asner director-producer-writer. She has all three credits on the upcoming Be Careful What You Wish For. The Thanksgiving-oriented short costars father Ed Asner and actress June Squibb. Sister Kate will star as herself in the project.

The youngest of the trio, Kate is a prolific actor, having guest-appeared in the shows Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Hughleys, and Malcolm in the Middle among others. She also had a cameo in the box-office hit What Women Want.

Nancy Sykes’ Career

Per IMDb, Nancy Sykes served as a crew member on various film and TV production sets between 1993 and the early 2010s. She mostly offered craft services, though she’s also credited as a stand-in on the movies Shadowhunter (1993) and Fast Getaway II (1994).

Her last credit was for the Disney series Kickin’ It in 2012. Sykes absence from the limelight since then has led many to ask, Is Nancy Sykes still alive?

Sadly, Nancy appears to have passed away in 2019. Son Matthew dedicated a post to her in April 2019, writing: “It’s been a week since you’ve been gone. My emotions are still raw. But I am starting to shift emotionally. You are always with me. You are in me, my sisters, my wife, your grand children and all of the people that you loved and that loved you in life.”

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A year later, on April 19, 2020, he memorialized her with a collage of photos. The caption read: “It’s been one year. It still hurts. I wish you were here. I think about the incredible conversations we would have had about quarantine life. I love you mom.”