Carroll O'Connor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carroll O'Connor
O'Connor as Archie Bunker in 1975
Born	John Carroll O'Connor (1924-08-02)August 2, 1924 New York City, 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	University College Dublin (BA) University of Montana (MA)
Occupation	Actor, producer, director
Years active	1951–2000
Spouse(s)	Nancy Fields ​ (m. 1951)​
Children	Hugh

Carroll O'Connor (born August 2, 1924 – died June 21, 2001) was a famous American actor, producer, and director. He had a long career in television that lasted more than 40 years.

He became very well-known for playing Archie Bunker. This character was the main star of the TV shows All in the Family (1971–1979) and Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983). He won four Emmy Awards for this role. Later, O'Connor starred as police chief William "Bill" Gillespie in the crime drama In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995). He also appeared in Mad About You in the late 1990s. Carroll O'Connor won a total of five Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards during his career.

Early Life and Education

Carroll O'Connor was born in Manhattan, New York City, on August 2, 1924. He was the oldest of three sons. His father, Edward Joseph O'Connor, was a lawyer, and his mother, Elise Patricia O'Connor, was a teacher.

Carroll spent most of his childhood in Elmhurst and Forest Hills, Queens. These are the same neighborhoods where his famous character, Archie Bunker, would later live on TV.

He finished high school at Newtown High School. In 1941, he started college at Wake Forest University. But he left when the United States joined World War II. During the war, he served in the United States Merchant Marine.

After the war, O'Connor went to the University of Montana. He worked as an editor for the student newspaper, Montana Kaimin. He left his editing job to protest when the school administration removed an issue of the paper. This issue had a cartoon that showed the Montana Board of Education as rats.

While at the University of Montana, he acted in student plays. He met Nancy Fields there, who later became his wife. She worked on makeup and lighting for a play. In 1951, Carroll and Nancy got married in Dublin, Ireland. He finished his college studies at University College Dublin in Ireland in 1952. He studied Irish history and English literature.

Becoming an Actor

Carroll O'Connor started acting in plays in Dublin and New York in the 1950s. He got his first big break in a Broadway play based on the book Ulysses.

He began acting on television in the early 1960s. He appeared in many popular TV shows. These included Bonanza, The Fugitive, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Mission: Impossible. He often played different kinds of characters in these shows.

O'Connor also acted in many movies during the 1960s and early 1970s. Some of his films were Cleopatra (1963), Kelly's Heroes (1970), and Doctors' Wives (1971). He often played military officers or police officers in these roles.

Famous Roles He Almost Played

Carroll O'Connor was considered for some other well-known TV roles. He was thought of for the Skipper in Gilligan's Island. He was also considered for Dr. Smith in Lost in Space.

Television Stardom

All in the Family

Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton in All in the Family, 1973

In 1968, producer Norman Lear asked O'Connor to star in a new TV show. The show was first called Justice For All. It was about a character named Archie Justice, who was a prejudiced person but still had some good qualities. The show later moved to CBS and was renamed All in the Family. The main character's last name was changed to Bunker. The show was based on a British TV series called Till Death Us Do Part.

O'Connor's own background helped Lear decide to set the show in Queens, New York. Lear wanted a famous actor for the main role. O'Connor accepted the part because he didn't think the show would be successful. He even asked for a return plane ticket to Italy, thinking he would go back when the show failed.

But All in the Family became a huge hit! It was the most-watched show on American television for five years in a row.

Even though O'Connor had liberal personal views, he understood the character of Archie Bunker very well. He played Archie with humor and also showed his vulnerable side. Archie Bunker was known for using words incorrectly, which is called a malapropism. But Carroll O'Connor was actually a very educated person.

The show also starred Jean Stapleton as Archie's wife, Edith Bunker. Rob Reiner played Archie's liberal son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic. Sally Struthers played Gloria, Archie and Edith's daughter.

All in the Family talked about many important and sometimes difficult topics. These included race, religion, class, and politics. It was different from other sitcoms because it dealt with serious social issues. Archie Bunker's popularity made O'Connor a very big star in the 1970s.

O'Connor was worried about being known only for this one role. But he also protected his character and the show. He had a contract disagreement with Norman Lear during the fifth season. Eventually, O'Connor got a raise and stayed with the show until it ended. He won four Emmy Awards for playing Archie Bunker.

Rob Reiner, who played Mike, said that O'Connor taught him a lot about acting. He said that O'Connor brought his "humanity" to the character. This showed that even though Archie had strong views, he was still a feeling person who loved his family.

Archie Bunker's Place

After nine seasons, All in the Family ended. But the story continued with a new show called Archie Bunker's Place. This show ran for four more years. Jean Stapleton, who played Edith, appeared in a few episodes. In the second season, her character, Edith, died. This left Archie to deal with the loss. The show was canceled in 1983. O'Connor was upset about the cancellation because he felt the show ended too suddenly.

In the Heat of the Night

O'Connor later starred as Police Chief Bill Gillespie in In the Heat of the Night. This show was based on a book and a movie. It started on NBC in 1988 and was very popular. O'Connor even cast his son, Hugh O'Connor, as Officer Lonnie Jamison in the show.

In 1989, O'Connor had heart surgery. He missed a few episodes of the show because of this. He later became one of the show's executive producers. The series moved to CBS in 1992 and ended in 1994. O'Connor continued to play Chief Gillespie in four TV movies after the series ended.

While working on the show, O'Connor also recorded a Christmas song. He joined other cast members and country music stars for a Christmas CD.

Career Honors and Awards

Carroll O'Connor received many awards and honors for his acting.

• Golden Globe Award: 1972, for All in the Family
• Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: 1972, 1977, 1978, and 1979, for All in the Family
• George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award: 1980, for the Archie Alone episode of Archie Bunker's Place
• Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: 1989, for In the Heat of the Night
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama: 1989, for In the Heat of the Night
• Television Academy Hall of Fame: He was added to the Hall of Fame in 1990 for his important work in television.
• NAACP Image Award: 1992 and 1993, for In the Heat of the Night as Best Dramatic Series.

He is the only male actor to win the main acting Emmy Award in both comedy and drama series.

In 1973, his college fraternity gave him its highest honor. In March 2000, Carroll O'Connor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

In 1962, while filming in Rome, Carroll O'Connor and his wife Nancy adopted a six-day-old baby boy. They named him Hugh O'Connor, after Carroll's brother who had passed away. Hugh later worked on the set of Archie Bunker's Place. Carroll O'Connor then created the role of Officer Lonnie Jamison on In the Heat of the Night for his son.

Carroll O'Connor was a devoted Catholic and regularly attended church services.

In 1989, he had heart bypass surgery and stopped smoking after 30 years.

In 1997, the O'Connors gave $1 million to their old college, the University of Montana. The university named a special center, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, in their honor. Carroll O'Connor also taught screenwriting at the university.

Death

Carroll O'Connor's grave

Carroll O'Connor passed away on June 21, 2001, at age 76. He died in Culver City, California, from a heart attack. This was caused by problems from diabetes.

His funeral was held at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Many of his co-stars from All in the Family, like Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers, were there. His good friend Larry Hagman and other cast members from In the Heat of the Night also attended. Actor Martin Sheen gave a speech at the funeral.

O'Connor was buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. His son Hugh's memorial was placed on his gravestone.

After his death, TV Land showed a continuous marathon of All in the Family to honor his career. They also showed interviews with O'Connor and others who worked with him. His wife, Nancy Fields O'Connor, passed away in 2014.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

as Other

Accolades

Emmy Awards

Golden Globes

Walk of Fame

See also

In Spanish: Carroll O'Connor para niños