When Carroll O’Connor was approached to star in All in the Family, he was convinced the sitcom would never succeed, believing it was too controversial for American audiences. With this in mind, he made a unique demand before agreeing to play the role of Archie Bunker. Here’s what O’Connor insisted upon, got, and ultimately didn’t need.
Lear’s Unusual Comparison for Casting O’Connor
Norman Lear, the legendary creator and producer of All in the Family, vividly recalled the moment he knew O’Connor was the perfect Archie Bunker. In his 2014 memoir Even This I Get to Experience, Lear described the actor’s transformative audition:
“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.”
Lear likened this revelation to a famous remark by Justice Potter Stewart on identifying pornography: “Not that I knew exactly what I wanted to hear before Carroll started to read. It was more like Justice Potter Stewart’s oft-quoted definition of pornography: ‘I know it when I see it.’”
O’Connor’s Unique Contract Clause
Living in Italy at the time, O’Connor was highly skeptical of the show’s potential success. So convinced was he that All in the Family would fail, he insisted on a specific clause in his contract. As Lear recounted in his memoir, O’Connor demanded that the contract include guaranteed airfare back to Italy when the show inevitably flopped.
“Carroll O’Connor bet me, and put it in writing, that CBS couldn’t keep the show on the air,” Lear explained. “He had an apartment in Rome that he would not vacate because he was so sure he’d be back there in six weeks.”
To O’Connor’s astonishment, Lear later called him in Rome to announce that CBS had picked up the show. O’Connor could hardly believe the news.
O’Connor’s Perspective on Archie Bunker
In a 1999 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, O’Connor recounted a conversation with a CBS writer who expressed surprise at his decision to 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 replied, explaining the show’s intention: “The 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.”
Conclusion
Carroll O’Connor’s initial skepticism and unique contract clause highlight the risks and uncertainties involved in pioneering controversial television content. However, his portrayal of Archie Bunker turned into one of the most iconic performances in television history, proving that sometimes, taking a chance on a seemingly risky project can yield timeless rewards.