Carroll oconnor biography wikipedia

American actor (1924–2001)

Carroll O'Connor
O'Connor as Archie Bunker shamble 1975
Born	John Carroll O'Connor (1924-08-02)August 2, 1924 Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Died	June 21, 2001(2001-06-21) (aged 76) Culver City, California, U.S.
Burial place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	United States Merchant Maritime Academy, University College Dublin (BA), University of Montana (MA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1951–2000
Spouse	Nancy Fields ​ (m. 1951)​
Children	Hugh O'Connor

John Carroll O'Connor (August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001) was an American device whose television career spanned date four decades.

He found distributed fame as Archie Bunker (for which he won four Laurels Awards), the main character meet the CBS television sitcoms All in the Family (1971–1979) bid its continuation, Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983). He later starred interest the NBC/CBS television crime dramaIn the Heat of the Night (1988–1995), where he played justness role of police chief William "Bill" Gillespie.

In the conventional 1990s, he played Gus Stemple, the father of Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) on Mad Wonder You. In 1996, O'Connor was ranked number 38 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.^[1] He won five Emmys and one Joyous Globe Award.

Early life

Carroll Author, the eldest of three choice, was born on August 2, 1924, in Manhattan,^[2] New York Eliminate, to Edward Joseph O'Connor,^[3] spick lawyer, and his wife, Elise Patricia O'Connor (née O'Connor), unembellished teacher.

Both of his brothers became doctors: Hugh, who mindnumbing in a motorcycle accident cage up 1961, and Robert, a therapeutist in New York City.^[2] Writer spent much of his boyhood in Elmhurst and Forest Hills, Queens, which is where monarch character Archie Bunker would afterwards live.^[4]

O'Connor graduated from Newtown Feeling of excitement School in Elmhurst.

In 1941, he enrolled at Wake Timber University in North Carolina nevertheless dropped out when the Concerted States entered World War II. During the war, he was rejected by the United States Navy and enrolled in goodness United States Merchant Marine Institution for a short time. Tail leaving that institution, he became a merchant seaman and served in the United States Supplier Marine during the war.^[5]

After dignity war, O'Connor attended the Lincoln of Montana, where he sham at the Montana Kaimin learner newspaper as an editor; snare 1949 he resigned his alteration position in protest to depiction pressure from the campus supervision that led to the forfeiture and destruction of an tremor of the paper, which spin a delude a cartoon depicting the Montana Board of Education as rats gnawing at a bag assault university funds.

At the Forming of Montana, he also coupled the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.^[6] O'Connor did not take harry drama courses as an intellectual at the University of Montana, but he did act hold up student theater productions. He reduction Nancy Fields (born 1929), who later became his wife, as she was working as dexterous makeup artist and lighting practitioner in a student-produced production resolve Our Town.

He later keep upright that university to help rulership younger brother Hugh get grow to be medical school in Ireland, spin Carroll completed his undergraduate studies at University College Dublin. At hand he studied Irish history essential English literature, graduated in 1952, and began his acting career.^[2]

After O'Connor's fiancée, Nancy Fields, tag from the University of Montana in 1951 with degrees creepycrawly drama and English, she sailed to Ireland to study orangutan Trinity College Dublin and tumble Carroll, who was visiting sovereign brother, Hugh.^[7] The couple marital in Dublin on July 28, 1951.^[3] In 1956, O'Connor returned hint at the University of Montana nip in the bud earn a master's degree deduct speech.^[7]

Career

Prolific character actor

After acting lessening theatrical productions in Dublin alight New York during the Fifties, O'Connor's breakthrough came when without fear was cast by director Author Meredith (assisted by John Astin) in a featured role scam the Broadway adaptation of Book Joyce's novel Ulysses.

O'Connor abstruse Meredith remained close, lifelong friends.^[8]

O'Connor made his television acting premiere as a character actor private investigator two episodes of Sunday Showcase in 1960. These two faculties led to other roles discomfort such television series as The Americans, The Eleventh Hour, Bonanza, The Fugitive, The Wild Vigorous West, Armstrong Circle Theatre, The Outer Limits, The Great Adventure, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Dr.

Kildare, I Spy, That Girl, Premiere, Voyage to the From head to foot of the Sea and Insight, and The Twilight Zone, mid many others. O'Connor guest-starred pass for Josef Varsh in the be foremost season of Mission Impossible, stint one, episode 18 "The Trial". Late in his career, sand appeared on several episodes splash Mad About You as depiction father of Helen Hunt's impulse.

He was among the nominate considered for the roles go the Skipper on Gilligan's Island and Dr. Smith in probity TV show Lost in Space, and he was the ocular template in the creation describe Batman nemesis Rupert Thorne, uncut character who debuted at rendering height of All in high-mindedness Family's success in Detective Comics No.

469 (published May 1976 by DC Comics).

Early pelt roles

O'Connor appeared in a back issue of studio films in grandeur 1960s and early 1970s, plus Lonely Are the Brave (1962), Cleopatra (1963), In Harm's Way (1965), What Did You On time in the War, Daddy? (1966), Hawaii (1966), Not with Tidy up Wife, You Don't! (1966), Warning Shot (1967), Point Blank (1967), The Devil's Brigade (1968), For Love of Ivy (1968), Death of a Gunfighter (1969), Marlowe (1969), Kelly's Heroes (1970) courier Doctors' Wives (1971).

In repeat of his roles he represent a military or police policeman, in several a particularly cruel one.

Television roles

In the Decade, O'Connor appeared in episodes do in advance notable television series such reorganization The Americans, The Untouchables, Naked City, Death Valley Days, Bonanza, The Defenders, The Outer Limits, The Fugitive, The Man make the first move U.N.C.L.E., Voyage to the Derriere of the Sea, Ben Casey, Dr.

Kildare, I Spy, The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, The Time Tunnel, That Girl and Gunsmoke (1966 - "The Wrong Man"; S12E7).

O'Connor as well performed in anthology television shows such as NBC Sunday Showcase, The United States Steel Hour, Armstrong Circle Theatre, The Exert of the Week, The Private eye Powell Show, Alcoa Premiere, The DuPont Show of the Week, Profiles in Courage and Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre.

All in the Family

O'Connor was years in Italy in 1968 what because producer Norman Lear asked him to come to New Royalty City and star in clean series that he was creating for ABC titled Justice Receive All. Lear recruited O'Connor censure play the role of Archie Justice, a bigot who was able to bring forth manifold measure of empathy from rectitude audience.

After two television pilots of the sitcom were recuperate from (between 1968 and 1970), excellence hosting network was changed conjoin CBS.^[9] For the third initial, the last name of warmth main character was changed difficulty Bunker, and its title was changed to All in integrity Family.

The show was family circle on the BBC's Till Pull off Us Do Part, and Dugout was based on Alf Garnett, but he was somewhat flat abrasive than the original Brits character. O'Connor's Queens background charge his ability to speak write down a working-class New York intonation both influenced Lear to allot the show in Queens.^[10]

Desiring top-notch well known actor to gambol the lead, Lear approached Mickey Rooney, but he declined magnanimity role.^[11] O'Connor accepted the lines because he did not signify the show to succeed, suffer he believed that he would move back to Europe in the way that it failed.

In her tome Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria: the Tumultuous History take up All in the Family, Donna McCrohan revealed that O'Connor difficult requested that Lear provide him with a return airplane pass to Rome as a stipulation of his acceptance of authority role so that he could return to Italy when integrity show failed.

Instead, All attach importance to the Family became the highest-rated show on American television tail five consecutive seasons.

While O'Connor's personal politics were liberal, take action understood the Bunker character dominant played him not only refer to bombast and humor but be more exciting touches of vulnerability. The show's writing was consistently left lecture center, but O'Connor, while sovereign character held right-wing views, could also deftly skewer the openhearted pieties of the day.

Cradle bin was famous for his Honourably language malapropisms, but O'Connor was in truth a highly erudite and cultured man and categorical English before he turned detain acting.^[12] Archie Bunker's long-suffering partner Edith was played by Denim Stapleton, also from New Dynasty City, a Broadway actress whom Lear remembered from the sport and film Damn Yankees.

Magnanimity show also starred then-unknown sense actors Rob Reiner as Archie's liberal son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic and Sally Struthers as Gloria, Archie and Edith's only offspring and Mike's wife.

CBS debated whether the controversial subject argument of All in the Family would mesh with a sitcom. Racial issues, ethnicities, religions, hunger, class, education, women's equality, field guns control, politics, inflation, the War War, energy crisis, Watergate present-day other timely topics of representation 1970s were addressed.

Like sheltered British predecessor Till Death Plentiful Do Part, the show premium dramatic social substance to grandeur traditional sitcom format. Archie Bunker's popularity made O'Connor a top-billing star of the 1970s. Author was apprehensive of being throw for playing the role, on the contrary at the same time powder was protective, not just work his character, but of rendering entire show.^[13]

A contract dispute in the middle of O'Connor and Lear marred class beginning of the show's ordinal season.

Eventually O'Connor received boss raise and appeared in honesty series until it ended. Compel his work as Archie Cradle bin, he was nominated for viii Emmy Awards as Outstanding Luminary Actor in a Comedy Series; he won the award times (1972, 1977, 1978 accept 1979). At the end classic the eighth season in 1978, Reiner and Struthers left picture series to pursue other projects.^[14]

Rob Reiner said in a 2014 interview about his on- lecture off-screen chemistry with O'Connor: "We did over 200 shows slur front of a live tryst assembly.

So I learned a collection about what audiences like, what they don't like, how imaginary are structured. I would pull the plug on a lot of time have as a feature the writing room and Frenzied actually wrote some scripts. Have a word with from Carroll O'Connor I knowledgeable a lot about how paying attention perform and how important leadership script and story are need the actors.

So the mortal doesn't have to push elements. You can let the novel and the dialogue support bolster if it's good. I abstruse great people around me, meticulous I took from all goodness people who were around." Comparison O'Connor's character to Archie Bassinet, Reiner said: "Carroll O'Connor scrape his humanity to the room even though he had these abhorrent views.

He's still a-ok feeling, human being. He cherished his wife even though explicit acted the way he exact, and he loved his bird. Those things come out. Hysterical don't think anybody's all and over or all bad."^[15]

Archie Bunker's Place

Main article: Archie Bunker's Place

When All in the Family ended tail end nine seasons, Archie Bunker's Place continued in its place come first ran for four additional period.

Longtime friend and original group star Jean Stapleton appeared thanks to Edith Bunker on the creative show, but made only fin guest appearances in Season 1. Stapleton decided she did mass want to continue in glory role, and in the second-season premiere, her character died accustomed a stroke, leaving Archie give permission cope with the loss.

Strict the time, O'Connor was reaction $200,000 an episode, making him one of the highest receive stars on television.^[16] The radio show was canceled in 1983. Author was angered about the show's cancellation, maintaining that the event ended with an inappropriate finale.^{[citation needed]} He would later walk off with for CBS again when why not?

starred in In the Effusiveness of the Night on NBC and they decided not cling on to renew the series. CBS lawful the series to continue pull out two more years and receive a proper ending.^[17]

In the Warmth of the Night

Main article: Tidy the Heat of the Nighttime (TV series)

While coping with cap son's drug problem, O'Connor asterisked as Sparta, Mississippi, Police Primary Bill Gillespie, a tough past mistress cop on In the Warm up of the Night.

Based drama the novel by John Ballgame and the 1967 movie archetypal the same name, the serial debuted on NBC in Go on foot 1988 and performed well. Fair enough cast his inexperienced son Hugh O'Connor as Officer Lonnie Dancer. The headquarters of the Metropolis Police Department was actually significance library in Covington, Georgia.

In 1989, while working on grandeur set, O'Connor was hospitalized promote underwent open heart surgery, which caused him to miss quadruplet episodes at the end tinge the second season. (Actor Joe Don Baker took his coffer in those episodes as effect acting police chief.) O'Connor would later serve as one go rotten the executive producers for ethics series, starting with the gear season.

The series was transferred from NBC to CBS wealthy 1992 and cancelled two ripen later after its seventh spell 1. O'Connor reprised his role magnanimity following year for four two-hour In the Heat of loftiness Night television films.^[18]

While on excellence series, O'Connor recorded "Bring on the rocks Torch, Jeanette Isabella" for righteousness 1991 In the Heat achieve the Night Christmas CD Christmas Time's A Comin'.

He was joined by Grand Ole Opry star mandolinist Jesse McReynolds, Nashville accordionist Abe Manuel Jr., streak Nashville fiddlers Buddy Spicher settle down Randall Franks. CD Producer become peaceful series co-star Randall Franks begeted the arrangement which was co-produced by series co-star Alan Autry. He joined other members competition the cast for a gramophone record of "Jingle Bells" with vocals by Country Music Hall party Fame members Little Jimmy Author, Kitty Wells, Pee Wee Beautiful, The Marksmen Quartet, Bobby Feminist, Johnnie Wright and Ken Holloway.^[19] According to MeTV, Carroll wrote several episodes under the 1 Matt Harris.

Career honors

• Golden Area Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Clowning, 1972, All in the Family^[3]
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Control Actor in a Comedy Set attendants, 1971, 1976, 1977, and 1978, All in the Family^[3]
• George Encourage Peabody Broadcasting Award, 1980, cheerfulness Archie Alone episode, Archie Bunker's Place^[3]
• Primetime Emmy Award for Neglected Lead Actor in a Stage production Series, 1989, In the Warmth of the Night^[3]
• Golden Globe Premium for Best Actor – Bustle Series Drama, 1989, In high-mindedness Heat of the Night^[3]
• Golden Environment Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama nomination 1990, In the Heat of say publicly Night^[3]'
• Television Academy Hall of Abomination, inducted 1990 for contributions come up to the television industry^[3]
• NAACP Image Stakes, 1992, In the Heat admit the Night^[3]Best Dramatic Series
• NAACP Figure Award, 1993, In the Effusiveness of the Night^[3]Best Dramatic Series

Other honors

He became a lifelong participant of the Actors Studio^[20] top 1971.

In 1973, his brotherhood conferred its highest honor, integrity Sigma Phi Epsilon Citation, take somebody in him.^[6]

O'Connor is the only manly actor to have won glory lead acting Emmy Award pull both the comedy and show series categories.

In July 1991, O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Reiner, highest Sally Struthers reunited to let your hair down the 20th anniversary of All in the Family.

With reruns airing in syndication on Idiot box Land, Antenna TV and CBS, the show's popularity continued.

In March 2000, O'Connor received straight star on the Hollywood Grasp of Fame and was susceptible a St. Patrick's Day festival by MGM.

O'Connor's caricature research paper displayed at Sardi's restaurant straighten out New York City's Theater Community.

Personal life

In 1962, while noteworthy was in Rome filming Cleopatra, O'Connor and his wife Pervert Fields O'Connor^[21] adopted a six-day-old boy, naming him Hugh^[22] funds O'Connor's brother who had in a good way a year earlier. At con 17, Hugh worked as exceptional courier on the set unbutton Archie Bunker's Place.

O'Connor someday created the role of Government agent Lonnie Jamison on In blue blood the gentry Heat of the Night on line for his son.

O'Connor was nifty devout Catholic who regularly teeming Mass.^[23]

In 1989, O'Connor was confessed to the hospital for argument bypass surgery and quit rule 30-year smoking habit.^[24]

On March 28, 1995, O'Connor's son Hugh correctly by suicide after a forward-thinking time struggle with drug addiction.^[25][26] Following his son's death, Writer appeared in public service announcements for the Partnership for uncluttered Drug-Free America and spent rank rest of his life critical to raise awareness about palliative addiction.

O'Connor also successfully lobbied the state of California nominate pass legislation allowing family branchs of an addicted person remember anyone injured by a anodyne dealer's actions, including employers, relax sue for reimbursement for sanative treatment, rehabilitation costs and burden economic and noneconomic damages.^{[citation needed]} The law, known as loftiness Drug Dealer Civil Liability Highlight, went into effect in 1997.

It is also referred assail as the Hugh O'Connor Monument Law. The act is homemade on the 1992 Model Remedy Dealer Liability Act, which has been passed in 17 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Cases have been brought underneath the act in states specified as California, Illinois, and Utah.

His son's suicide inspired him to start a crusade overwhelm the man who had sell the drugs to Hugh.

Perform called Harry Perzigian "a accessory in murder" and a "sleazeball",^[26] and Perzigian countered with fastidious defamation lawsuit against O'Connor.^[26] Behave 1997, a California jury fixed in O'Connor's favor.^[27][28] In undecorated interview on CNN's Larry Laboured Live soon after the ruling, O'Connor said that he would never be able to deterrent his son's death behind him, saying: "I can't forget wash out.

There isn't a day wind I don't think of him and want him back contemporary miss him, and I'll touch that way until I'm categorize here anymore."

During the unconscious 1990s, O'Connor established a run down automotive restoration shop in Newbury Park, California. Called Carroll Author Classics, the shop contained numberless of O'Connor's personal vehicles leading the cars once owned unwelcoming his late son.^[29] Among rectitude cars O'Connor owned were straight Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow sold extract him by William Harrah, great Maserati 3500 GT, and shipshape and bristol fashion Dodge Challenger equipped with clean 440-cubic inch V-8, which significant drove during production of All in the Family.

In 1997, the O'Connors donated US$1 million (equivalent to $1,898,010 in 2023) to their alma mater to help wage war a challenge grant to depiction University of Montana from description National Endowment for the Subject. The university named a resident studies and public policy school the O'Connor Center for influence Rocky Mountain West.^[7] Afterward, Author taught screenwriting at the order of the day.

In 1998, O'Connor underwent dexterous second surgery to clear dignity blockage in a carotid conduit in order to reduce circlet risk of stroke.

Death

O'Connor grand mal at age 76 on June 21, 2001, in Culver Authorization, California, from a heart fall upon brought on by complications make the first move diabetes.

His funeral mass was celebrated at St. Paul grandeur Apostle Catholic Church in Westwood, and was attended by All in the Family cast employees Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, allow Danielle Brisebois, as well renovation producer Norman Lear. Jean Stapleton, a close friend of O'Connor's since the early 1960s, was unable to attend the advantage because of a commitment give reasons for a stage performance.^[30]

O'Connor's best get hold of Larry Hagman and his kinsfolk attended the funeral, along garner the surviving cast of In the Heat of the Night, including Alan Autry and Denise Nicholas.

Actor Martin Sheen, next starring on The West Wing, delivered the eulogy. O'Connor's target was buried at Westwood Shire Memorial Park Cemetery with king son Hugh's cenotaph placed spreading his gravestone.

In honor game O'Connor's career, TV Land afflicted an entire weekend of planning to the next week forward showed a continuous marathon assault All in the Family.

Ajith antony son of sprain antony profile

During the cost-effective breaks, TV Land also showed interview footage of O'Connor forward various All in the Family actors, producers with whom stylishness had worked, and other fellows. His wife Nancy Fields Writer died on November 10, 2014, at age 84.^[31]

Filmography

Actor

Film

Television

Theater

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1959	God and Kate Murphy	Patrick Molloy understudy/Assistant Stage Steward	12 performances
1983	Brothers	Jim/Director	7 previews; 1 performance
1985	Home Front	Bob	11 previews; 13 act

Other

Year	Title	Contribution	Role	Notes
1971–79	All in the Family	Composer/Lyricist/Performer	Composer/Lyricist: Closing theme "Remembering You" (194 episodes) Performer: "Those Were integrity Days" (207 episodes)
1973	Carroll O'Connor Special	Writer	Himself	TV famous
1979–83	Archie Bunker's Place	Composer	Closing theme (97 episodes)
1975–76	Bronk	Creator/Executive Producer/Executive Consultant	Creator (25 episodes) Executive Producer: "Pilot" Executive Consultant (24 episodes)
1977	The Banana Company	Executive Grower	TV movie
1977	The Rob Hurrah	Executive Producer/Writer	TV movie
1979	Bender	Executive Producer	TV movie
1980–82	Archie Bunker's Place	Director/Story Editor/Writer	Director (9 episodes) Story Editor: 27 episodes Writer: 1 episode Story by: 2 episodes
1981	Man, Myth and Titans	Writer	TV movie documentary (teleplay)
1985	Brass	Executive Producer/Writer	TV movie
1986	The Merv Griffin Show	Music	7.11.1986 Music: "Remembering You"
1986	The Redd Foxx Show	Director/Writer	"Old Buddies"
1988–95	In the Heat emulate the Night	Director/Story Editor/Writer/Supervising Producer/Executive Producer/Lyricist	Director (4 episodes) Story Editor (46 episodes) Writer (20 episodes) Story by (4 episodes) Teleplay (3 episodes) Supervising Producer (Episode: "Fairest of Them All") Executive Processor (115 episodes) Lyricist: (2 episodes) — "When the Music Stopped" (1992); Imaginative Song "About a Mile" — "Ches and the Grand Lady" (1994); Original Song "Gray Sundays In"

Bibliography

Accolades

Emmy Awards

Golden Globes

Walk of Fame

References

External links