When Carroll O’Connor took on the role of the blustery and bigoted Archie Bunker in 1971’s “All in the Family,” he had no inkling of the monumental impact he would have on television and his own life.
The Role That Almost Wasn’t His
Interestingly, O’Connor was not the initial choice for the role. Producer Norman Lear had envisioned a different Hollywood star bringing Archie to life. In his 2014 memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, Lear revealed that Archie Bunker was modeled after his own father.
“I wrote love letters to [my father] all my life, many of them in ‘All in the Family,’ where Archie embodies so many of my father’s characteristics,” Lear shared.
Despite these deep personal connections, it was only when Lear met O’Connor that he saw the perfect embodiment of Archie. “When Carroll came to audition, he entered as the cultured, New York- and Dublin-trained actor he was,” Lear wrote. “But once he turned to the script, his transformation was astounding; he became Archie Bunker. By page 3, I wanted to run into the street shouting for joy.”
A Skeptical O’Connor
At the time, O’Connor was living in Rome, Italy. Skeptical about the show’s potential success, he insisted on a contract clause that guaranteed Lear would fly him back to Italy when the show inevitably failed.
“Carroll O’Connor bet me, and put it in writing, that CBS couldn’t keep the show on the air,” Lear recalled. “He maintained his apartment in Rome, convinced he’d be back there in six weeks.”
However, when CBS picked up the show, Lear phoned O’Connor in Rome. The actor was stunned. “I phoned Carroll in Rome and he couldn’t believe we had been picked up.”
An Alternative Vision: Mickey Rooney
Before O’Connor became the definitive Archie, Lear considered a different Hollywood legend for the role. Born in New Haven, CT in 1922, Lear had another name on his list: Mickey Rooney.
Lear recounted reaching out to Rooney, known for his numerous films with Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, and Audrey Hepburn. Lear explained Archie Bunker’s bigotry and offensive language to Rooney, who responded with a stark warning: “Norm, they’re going to kill you, shoot you dead in the streets.”
Rooney’s prediction couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead of backlash, Lear found success, and “All in the Family” became a groundbreaking hit, cementing O’Connor’s place in television history.
With O’Connor’s brilliant portrayal, Archie Bunker became a household name, forever changing the landscape of American television.
