Before All in the Family star Carroll O’Connor became a household name, the actor was convinced the sitcom would never be a success, feeling it was too offensive for American audiences. With that in mind, he made it clear to creator and producer Norman Lear that he would only sign on to play the role of Archie Bunker with the condition that a specific demand be reflected in his contract.
Here’s what O’Connor demanded, got, and in the end, didn’t need.
Lear’s Unconventional Comparison
In his 2014 memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, renowned creator and producer Norman Lear recounted the moment he knew Carroll O’Connor was the perfect Archie Bunker. When O’Connor auditioned, he transformed from a cultured, New York- and Dublin-trained actor into the very essence of Archie Bunker within moments. Lear described the moment as akin to Justice Potter Stewart’s famous definition of pornography: “I know it when I see it.”
“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.”
The Unusual Clause O’Connor Insisted On
At the time, O’Connor and his family were living in Italy. He was so sure that All in the Family wouldn’t last, he demanded a specific clause in his contract: Lear had to guarantee airfare to fly him back to Italy if the show bombed.
“Carroll O’Connor bet me, and put it in writing, that CBS couldn’t keep the show on the air,” Lear revealed. “He had an apartment in Rome that he would not vacate because he was so sure he’d be back there in six weeks.”
Once Lear struck a deal with CBS for the show, he called O’Connor in Rome. “I phoned Carroll in Rome and he couldn’t believe we had been picked up,” Lear wrote.
O’Connor’s Perspective on Archie Bunker
In a 1999 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, O’Connor recalled a conversation where a CBS writer expressed surprise that he would play such a bigoted character. The writer said, “I’m surprised that you would do a show like this. You’re a liberal man and you come on playing a guy like this. I’m really shocked at you.”
O’Connor’s response highlighted the show’s true intent. “The show’s point was to make a fool out of Archie Bunker. And that’s how we’re going to repay his racism – by making a fool out of him. We did make a fool out of him and everybody saw him being made a fool.”
Through his role as Archie Bunker, Carroll O’Connor not only delivered an iconic performance but also contributed to a cultural conversation that challenged and exposed prejudiced attitudes, making All in the Family a groundbreaking and enduring classic.
