Jean Stapleton, who plays the dizzy, lovable foil to Carroll O'Connor's bombastic Archie Bunker, said yesterday that she had had enough of the weekly series and was anxious to leave it to resume her career on the stage and in movies. In an October 1977 episode, Edith is sexually assaulted and nearly raped at her 50th birthday party. However, Stapleton is … That included daughter Gloria and her husband Mike, better known to Archie as "Meathead." She also had roles in several TV shows and films, notably including the ABC series "Grace Under Fire," where she played Aunt Vivian. “Donny and Marie asked if they would do their Archie and Edith voices but refused." But last year, Sally Struthers. Much of the comedy revolved around the generational differences between the two Couple and the clash between conservative and liberal philosophies. Jean Stapleton was a legendary actress, mainly known for her role in the show called “All in the Family”. Actress Jean Stapleton, best known for her role as Archie Bunker's wife in the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom "All in the Family," has died, her son said. She had guest roles in numerous early TV shows, including "Dr. Kildare" and "Route 66." 11. They had two children, John and Pamela, both of whom survive. See the article in its original context from. Trusted by 20M users and growing - the best local & breaking news source in the US, featuring local weather, alerts, deals, events and more. Her first major role was in 1949 in a touring company of ‘Harvey.’ She was also an accomplished singer. When we met her, she was a curly-haired young woman taking baby steps into the world of women’s lib, and by the time she and Mike left the show just prior to the last season (and All in the Family’s transformation into Archie Bunker’s Place ), she was an independent woman standing up for herself and demanding equality. Beneath his crusty, irascible exterior, Archie is intensely protective of Edith and becomes upset at the mere thought of losing her. Jean Stapleton (1923-2013) -- An award winning actress who won three Emmys for her role as the gentle but defiant Edith Bunker on TV’s “All in the Family.” (Los Angeles Times) Jean Stapleton, better known as Edith Bunker, one of the most popular and beloved characters in U.S. television history, died in New York Friday at the age of 90. ", In that movie, she played the bookkeeper for Ryan's bookstore. Edith let Archie's ridiculous comments wash off her back, even when he addressed her as "dingbat" and repeatedly told her to "stifle it.". He died in 1993. Jean Stapleton Wiki Biography. "It was the first time they had gotten together on screen since ‘All In The Family,’” Pilato told Fox411. They then told her if she didn't join the spinoff she would be written out of "All in the Family" and recast in the spinoff. Together, they had two children: actor and director John Putch and TV producer Pamela Putch. ONE of the best‐known families in America may be breaking up. CBS maintains that Miss Stapleton and Mr. O'Connor are both Under longterm contracts to the network and that Miss Stapleton might yet be persuaded not to quit, as Mr. O'Connor had been a year ago, when he spoke of leaving the show. Being a televisions series that tackle controversial subjects like rape, homophobia, and racism, All in the Family has really and immediately changed the face of television. After "All in the Family," she starred in several TV movies, including "Aunt Mary" and "Eleanor: Woman of the World," about the young Eleanor Roosevelt. Edith, more a supporting character in the original outline for the show, soon became the central voice that kept it believable the family didn't splinter apart. and Rob Reiner, who played the Stivics, left the cast, and the series has, been continued this season without them. Jean Stapleton offered up an explanation in her interview at the Archive of American Television. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. “As soon as I graduated from high school, the desire to act seized … Unlike the idealized sitcom families of the 1950s and ’60s—those of Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show (ABC, 1958–66), and Father Knows Best, for example—the Bunkers fought the cultural and generational battles typical of the era in the living room of their Queens, N.Y., bungalow. 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Stapleton had a long history of comic roles, though she said she took it up a few notches for Edith, who called her husband "Awchie" and did have a ditzy side. Jean Stapleton (left) and Carol O'Connor, who starred together in 'All in the Family,' present an award during the Primetime Emmy Awards in 1996. When Ryan has to close the store, Stapleton tells her not to feel bad for her, because "I bought Intel at 6. In the Family,” said he had not been informed by Miss Stapleton of her desire to leave the show, but added that it was inconceivable that the series could continue without her. Stapleton was born in New York and began her acting at the age of 18. Jean Stapleton, the stage-trained character actress who played Archie Bunker's far better half, the sweetly naive Edith, in TV's groundbreaking 1970s comedy "All in the Family," has died. Jean Stapleton is one of the most enduring figures in American pop culture through her portrayal of Edith Bunker on All in the Family. All in the Family came at a moment in time that somehow turned out to be the perfect moment to put something that ‘quote-unquote’ radical on TV, and it was the perfect cast. Tonight, All in the Family and The Jeffersons are being rebooted for one night on television, live with an all-star cast recreating original episodes of the shows. And a year later I was on tour in a place in Florida. In his 1998 autobiography, he wrote, "The benign, compassionate presence she developed made my egregious churl bearable.". They met in 1956 while she was touring in another production of "Harvey.". As "All in the Family" went on, Edith also became more than one of Archie's targets. jean stapleton dies: carroll o'connor: jean stapleton death: sally struthers: maureen stapleton and jean stapleton sisters: why did jean stapleton leave all in the family: jean stapleton actress: jean stapleton … Born in New York, the daughter of a salesman and a singer, Stapleton attended Hunter College and began her acting career in summer stock at the age of 18. Jean Stapleton, who parlayed a cantankerous husband, a spacey demeanor, a nail-scraping Queens accent and a good heart into the beloved TV character Edith Bunker, died Saturday of natural causes at her New York home. May 1974: Actors Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton sing as they sit at a piano, in a still from the television series 'All in the Family'. 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During her career, Jean appeared in many different television shows and movies, and received many awards, for example Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy Award, Lone Star Film & Television Award and others. Sally Struthers and Jean Stapleton worked together between 1971 and 1978, portraying main characters on "All in the Family." Jean Stapleton, who plays the dizzy, lovable foil to Carroll O'Connor's bombastic Archie Bunker, said yesterday that she had had enough of the weekly series and was anxious to leave … “I think I've managed to keep my identity pretty well separate from Edith's, but if I keep on in the role, people will never think of me as anyone else,” Miss Stapleton said. Stapleton died Friday at 90. The finale of All In The Family aired on April 8, 1979 and a sequel series called Archie Bunker’s Place debuted on September 23. The cast of 'All in the Family.' 3. Despite pleas from Lear not to let Edith die, Stapleton left the show, re-titled Archie's Place, in 1980, leaving Archie to carry on as a widower. Until the current season, “All In the Family” had a central core of four playets living in the same household the middle‐aged Bunkers and their daughter and son‐in‐law, the Stivics. In the episode "Too Good Edith," the 209th and final episode of All in the Family, Edith becomes seriously ill while frantically helping Archie cook a large Irish dinner for a St. Patrick's Day party at the bar. Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker and Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker on the CBS TV series All in the Family in 1976. For her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/jean-stapleton As a result, “All In the Family,” one of the most popular shows on television since 1971, is likely to drop out of the CBS schedule next fall. Like so many television sitcoms, All in the Family focused on the domestic life of an American family. BONUS! She was 90. And a year later I was on tour in a place in Florida. Jean Stapleton, best known for her role as Edith Bunker on TV's 'All in the Family,' died on Friday at age 90. Jean Stapleton appeared in some early season one episodes but decided to leave late in 1979. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images) But underneath the mousy, submissive persona, Stapleton managed to ennoble Edith with a host of other qualities. Sally Struthers, who is best known for her role as Gloria Stivic on "All in the Family," once opened up about the last time she visited her on-screen mom Jean Stapleton. The audience‐popularity ratings for the series has remained high, and last Sunday's episode of “All In the Family,” when the Stivics reappeared in a one‐hour episode, attracted the largest audience of the week for an entertainment program and one of the largest of the year. ", She appeared in "Arsenic and Old Lace" on Broadway and won an Obie for "The Birthday Party. She played a waitress in the 1953 Broadway production "In a Summer House" and had a supporting role as Sister in "Damn Yankees," where she sang the hit song "You've Gotta Have Heart.". It signified a flood of other situational comedies dealing with controversial topics in realistic ways. When the "All in the Family" producers approached her about the spinoff, she declined, saying she felt more comfortable just staying on "All in the Family". She won three Emmys for playing Edith before finally asking that the character be written out of the sequel show, "Archie Bunker's Place," in 1980. She had been suffering from phlebitis and decided not to tell Archie, but when he finds out about it he scolds her for hiding it from him. ", She was married for 30 years to William Putch, producer/director of the Totem Pole Playhouse in Fayetteville, Pa. She also had supporting roles in films that included "Up the Down Staircase" and "Klute.". Jean Stapleton Is Leaving ‘All in the Family’. This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Edith owed to Lucille Ball's fluttery Lucy Ricardo in the same tilted way that Archie owed to Jackie Gleason's blustering Ralph Kramden. ALL IN THE FAMILY, Jean Stapleton, 1971-1979 Season 3 “I had to leave or risk being buried as far as casting is concerned in this kind of part,” she said. All In The Family has more spin-offs than any other TV sitcom. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Jean Stapleton (left) played Edith Bunker on 'All in the Family' opposite Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker. It’s a classic. She was a lifelong actress and gifted singer who rocketed to stardom in 1971, at the age of 48, when she was cast as Edith opposite Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker in Norman Lear's CBS sitcom "All in the Family.". As per Jean’s personal life, she was married to William Putch from 1957 until his death in 1983. Jean had performing in her blood. She was regarded as a fine singer, though most fans know her for her deliberately screechy duet with O'Connor on "Those Were the Days," the "All in the Family" theme song. Norman Lear, the prodUcer of “All. The series also includes The Jeffersons, Chico & The Man, Good Times, Maude, Sanford, […] All in the Family: Jean Stapleton Dies at 90, Farewell Edith Bunker by Trevor Kimball, June 2, 2013 Beloved character actress Jean Stapleton has died at the age of 90. She was nonjudgmental, the precise opposite of Archie, concentrating on keeping life upbeat and pleasant for the Bunker family. The story, sobering for a sitcom, then progresses to her family's response and attempts to bring the assailant to justice. Jean Stapleton, best known for her role as Edith on "All in the Family," also had a prolific career on stage and advocated for women's rights. But the contracts are for other projects, and “All In the Family” has been proceeding on a season‐by‐season basis. She got her first major role in 1949 in a touring company of "Harvey." Jean Stapleton, who parlayed a cantankerous husband, a spacey demeanor, a nail-scraping Queens accent and a good heart into the beloved … “It's time for me to move on.”. What is the point? Jean Stapleton was an accomplished star onstage, starring in the off-Broadway musical 'Bon Appetit,' in which she sings a recipe from Julia Child's cookbooks. For her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/jean-stapleton ... We'll leave … She also made occasional appearances on the All in the Family follow-up series Archie … A year after Gloria and Mike Stivic elected to leave Archie Bunker's blue‐collar nest, Archie's wife, Edith, has decided to follow their example. ARCHIE BUNKER WAS ORIGINALLY ARCHIE JUSTICE. “So that was my decision. Lear thought that the BBC show’s set-up—a … Edith was mentioned but not seen for the rest of the season. Jean Stapleton offered up an explanation in her interview at the Archive of American Television. Jean Stapleton played Edith Bunker in the revolutionary sitcom All in the Family which aired from 1971 until 1979. Clockwise from lower right: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton holding Corey M. Miller, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers. Stapleton did not, however, play Edith as put-upon and long-suffering. O'Connor and Stapleton remained good friends off-camera until his death in 2001. ALL IN THE FAMILY, Jean Stapleton, 1971-1979 Season 3 “I had to leave or risk being buried as far as casting is concerned in this kind of part,” she said. Brisebois and Melvin remained with the new show and Stapleton appeared in a handful of episodes until Edith dies (off-camera) from a stroke. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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