When Carroll O’Connor took on the role of the loudmouthed, prejudiced Archie Bunker in All in the Family in 1971, he couldn’t have known how much it would change his life and the landscape of television forever.
A Close Call: The Original Choice for Archie Bunker
Interestingly, O’Connor was not the first choice for the role. Norman Lear, the show’s creator, had initially considered another actor entirely for the part. In his 2014 memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, Lear revealed that Archie Bunker was inspired by his own father. “I wrote love letters to [my father] all my life, many of them in All in the Family, in which Archie has so many of my father’s characteristics,” Lear wrote.
Despite this personal connection, it wasn’t until Lear met O’Connor that he realized he had found his Archie. “When Carroll came to audition, he entered as the cultured, New York- and Dublin-trained actor he was,” Lear wrote. “When he turned to the script to read, his voice, his eyes, and the attitude of his body shifted; he opened his mouth, and out poured Archie Bunker. Carroll hadn’t reached page 3 before I wanted to run into the street shouting for joy.”
O’Connor’s Skepticism
At the time, O’Connor was living in Rome, Italy, and was quite skeptical about the show’s potential success. In fact, he was so doubtful that he insisted on a clause in his contract guaranteeing airfare back to Italy if the show failed. Lear recounted in his memoir, “Carroll O’Connor bet me, and put it in writing, that CBS couldn’t keep the show on the air. He had an apartment in Rome that he would not vacate because he was so sure he’d be back there in six weeks.”
When CBS picked up the show, O’Connor was stunned. Lear wrote, “I phoned Carroll in Rome and he couldn’t believe we had been picked up.” As the show soared in the ratings, O’Connor remained in the United States, becoming a television icon.
The Hollywood Star Lear Considered
Norman Lear, born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1922, revealed that he had also considered a major Hollywood star for the role of Archie Bunker. “One of our ideas for Archie was the only star on the list, Mickey Rooney,” Lear wrote. Rooney, famous for his roles alongside Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, and Audrey Hepburn, was an intriguing choice. However, Lear admitted, “if you didn’t have Carroll O’Connor so fixed in your head,” Rooney might have been a fit.
When Lear approached Rooney with the idea of Archie’s bigotry and offensive language, Rooney was horrified. He reportedly told Lear, “Norm, they’re going to kill you, shoot you dead in the streets.”
The Impact of All in the Family
Despite Rooney’s grim prediction, All in the Family became a groundbreaking hit, transforming television with its bold exploration of social issues through the lens of Archie Bunker’s flawed perspective. The show’s success cemented O’Connor’s place in television history and validated Lear’s vision.
The legacy of All in the Family and Carroll O’Connor’s portrayal of Archie Bunker endures, reminding us of the power of television to challenge, provoke, and entertain.
