“Mary Tyler Moore Show” star Ed Asner spoke out this week to say that the cast of the legendary show was like a family, and that they had ups and downs just like any other family does.

“We loved each other,” the 89 year-old actor said. “We forgave each other’s faults and we stayed a family for many years, though eventually the taffy finally snapped.”

When asked what caused that “taffy” to break, Asner shrugged.

“I dunno,” he explained. “It’s a phrase I just made up. We just pulled and pulled and pulled, and finally, the taffy snapped and we all went our own ways. But the loyalty and dedication to each other were always there.”

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was hugely successful during it’s run from 1970-1977, earning 29 Emmy Awards, including three for Asner in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

“That show definitely had the stamp of approval,” Asner said. “It was a good show. I can remember when we first started out and the rest of the cast… were saying, ‘Will we make it?’ ‘Will we make it?’ What I said is, ‘I don’t give a s—. If I just keep doing scripts this good, that’s all I care about. Whether they cancel us or not isn’t important. The fact that we’ve got this good stuff to do is all that matters.’

“I think that quality work is more important than anything,” he continued. “People talk about the show in terms of a revolution for television, but I didn’t think in those terms. It’s just that it was well done. You just need to do good work. Of course, you never know that so much as when you’re doing good stuff and then that it’s over. Then the s— comes in.”

Asner is still staying busy with acting these days, even starting a career in voice work, including an appearance in the 2009 movie Up.

“I love doing voice work,” he said. “And it pisses me off that I don’t get the calls now. After ‘Up,’ it was like I died and went to heaven or something.”

Asner has been acting since the 1950s, and he has no plans to ever retire.

“I’m delighted I got through most of it with my clothes on,” he said.