When Carroll O’Connor stepped into the role of Archie Bunker in 1971, he couldn’t have imagined how profoundly it would reshape his career and television history. The irascible, bigoted character he brought to life on All in the Family became a cultural touchstone, but O’Connor almost missed out on the part. Before settling on the Dublin-trained actor, the show’s creator, Norman Lear, had another Hollywood heavyweight in mind.
Archie Bunker wasn’t just a fictional character; he was inspired by someone very close to Lear’s heart—his own father. In his memoir Even This I Get to Experience, Lear reflected on how Archie’s personality mirrored his father’s traits. “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 revealed. But while Lear had a clear vision of who Archie should be, finding the right actor to portray him was no easy task.
Enter Carroll O’Connor, an actor with a refined background who was worlds away from the brash persona of Archie Bunker. Yet, when O’Connor auditioned, something magical happened. As Lear recounted, “When Carroll came to audition, he entered as the cultured, New York- and Dublin-trained actor he was. 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.” It was a transformation so perfect that Lear was ready to shout with joy.
Despite this, O’Connor wasn’t convinced the show would succeed. Living in Rome at the time, he was so skeptical of the show’s potential that he insisted on a clause in his contract guaranteeing airfare back to Italy if the show flopped. O’Connor’s bet against the show was soon proven wrong when All in the Family skyrocketed in popularity, and he remained firmly in the U.S.
But what if O’Connor hadn’t taken the role? Lear had another actor in mind—none other than Mickey Rooney, the legendary star who had graced the silver screen alongside the likes of Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn. Lear recalled reaching out to Rooney, who was intrigued by the concept but ultimately declined, fearing the controversial character would bring backlash. Rooney famously warned Lear, “Norm, they’re going to kill you, shoot you dead in the streets.”
Rooney’s prediction couldn’t have been more off the mark. Instead of a disaster, Lear had crafted a groundbreaking show that would forever alter the television landscape. And at the heart of it all was Carroll O’Connor, the actor who almost didn’t believe in Archie Bunker but ended up defining him for generations to come.
