The classic sitcom All in the Family premiered on Jan. 12, 1971, and ran till April 8, 1979. The TV show created by Norman Lear starred Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker, a World War II veteran and blue-collar worker residing with his family in the Queens borough of New York City. O’Connor’s character was a bigot who clashed with his liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic played by Rob Reiner.
The Emmy-winning series was so successful it spawned several spinoffs including The Jeffersons and Archie Bunker’s Place. Episodes of All in the Family still air in reruns and are available for streaming, therefore a question viewers watching the show these days have is which of the cast members are still alive? Read on to find out the answer to that and what those stars are doing today.
Supporting cast members
One of the memorable actors who had a supporting role on the sitcom was Sherman Hemsley. He played the Bunkers’ neighbor before movin’ on up. Hemsley died on July 24, 2012, from a complication of lung cancer known as Superior Vena Cava Syndrome.
Before starring in Maude, Bea Arthur made a couple of appearances on All in the Family as Edith Bunker’s cousin. She died of cancer at her home in Los Angeles on April 25, 2009.
Carroll O’Connor
The man who played the Bunker family patriarch is also deceased.
O’Connor’s TV career spanned four decades. After All in the Family and Archie Bunker’s Place went off the air, he was cast in the drama In the Heat of the Night as police chief William “Bill” Gillespie. He also played the father of Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) in Mad About You.
O’Connor died on June 21, 2001, after suffering a heart attack. He was 76.
Jean Stapleton
Jean Stapleton played Archie Bunker’s better half on All in the Family but asked to be written out of Archie’s Place, making the main character a widower.
“My decision is to go out into the world and do something else. I’m not constituted as an actress to remain in the same role… My identity as an actress is in jeopardy if I invested my entire career in Edith Bunker,” she had told The Associated Press (per USA Today) about leaving the role.
Stapleton went on to earn an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in Eleanor, First Lady of the World. Her last acting role was in Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes. She died on May 31, 2013, at the age of 90.
Sally Struthers
Sally Struthers, who played Edith and Archie Bunker’s daughter Gloria Stivic, continued her career long after her All in the Family days. Struthers appeared on shows like 9 to 5, General Hospital, and Still Standing. She’s also known for her role as Babette Dell on the popular series Gilmore Girls.
Struthers has one child, Samantha, with her ex-husband William C. Rader.
Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner has been working as an actor, director, and producer since playing Archie Bunker’s son-in-law.
Some of the classic movies Reiner’s been behind the camera for include Stand by Me, Misery, A Few Good Men, and When Harry Met Sally. Reiner was once married to Penny Marshall. They divorced in 1981 and he wed photographer Michele Singer who he met while directing When Harry Met Sally.
