In a 1972 interview with the New York Times, Jean Stapleton described her character, Edith Bunker, in All in the Family with a wry hope: “I hope she’s not the typical American housewife.” Stapleton, who passed away on May 31 at the age of 90 in New York City, brought to life a character who seemed, on the surface, to be the antithesis of liberation—a working-class Queens housewife with a screechy voice, docile to the point of timidity, and constantly berated by her loutish husband as a dim-witted “dingbat” who should “stifle yourself.”
Yet, beneath Edith’s mousy, submissive persona, Stapleton imbued her with resilience, bravery, honesty, and compassion. Edith’s intuitive wisdom allowed her to navigate her husband’s stubbornness and crises like a breast cancer scare and fending off a sexual assault. Through these struggles, Edith became an unexpected poster child for the feminist movement, even appearing in ads promoting the Equal Rights Amendment.
“In most situations, she says the truth and pricks Archie’s inflated ego,” Stapleton explained in 1972.
Bringing such a complex character to life required deft, subtle acting skills, and Stapleton—an accomplished stage and screen actress with 70 TV and movie roles to her credit—had them in spades. Producer Norman Lear cast her as Edith after admiring her performance as Sister Miller in the original Broadway version of Damn Yankees in the 1950s. After All in the Family, Stapleton won acclaim for her portrayal of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Here are some intriguing facts about Jean Stapleton and her signature role:
- New York Roots: A native New Yorker, she was the daughter of an advertising salesman and an opera and concert singer.
- Name Change: She changed her last name from Murray to Stapleton, thinking it sounded “more distingué.”
- Early TV Role: In a 1962 episode of The Defenders, she played a murder witness who identified the defendant, portrayed by her future co-star Carroll O’Connor.
- Awards: She won three Emmy awards for her portrayal of Edith Bunker in 1971, 1972, and 1978.
- Country Living: Despite her Broadway career and time in Los Angeles, Stapleton and her husband, William H. Putch, made their main residence a four-bedroom log cabin in Chambersburg, Pa.
- Character Creation: She didn’t base Edith on an actual person but created her voice, walk, and other traits in collaboration with the show’s writers.
- Real-Life Role Reversal: While Edith dutifully did housework and fetched beers for Archie, Stapleton’s real-life husband shared cooking and child-rearing responsibilities.
- Singing Talent: Though Edith’s atonal singing of “Those Were the Days” was an act, Stapleton was a trained mezzo-soprano, making her operatic debut in 1984.
- Frugal Wardrobe: Edith’s frumpy wardrobe mostly came from thrift shops in Los Angeles.
- Women’s Conference: In 1977, she was invited by the Carter administration to be one of 45 commissioners heading a national women’s conference in Texas.
- Turned Down Roles: Stapleton reportedly turned down the role of Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, later filled by Angela Lansbury.
- Leaving the Show: When she wanted to leave the series in 1979, producer Lear found it difficult to let Edith Bunker die, to which Stapleton responded, “Norman, you realize, don’t you, that she is fiction.” Lear’s reply: “To me, she isn’t.”
For a heartfelt look at her legacy, watch Stapleton and O’Connor’s final TV appearance together on the Donny and Marie show in April 2000, a poignant moment a little more than a year before O’Connor’s passing.
Jean Stapleton’s portrayal of Edith Bunker left an indelible mark on television history, reminding us of the strength, resilience, and compassion found in the most unexpected places.