All In the Family is back. The beloved sitcom will be given the live treatment on December 18, complete with a star-studded cast and a production assist from creator Norman Lear.
But will the live remake feature any of the original cast members? Which of them have passed away, and which are still alive? Read on for a rundown of the original All In the Family cast.
Which Original Cast Members Are Still Alive?
Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers are the main cast members who are still alive and remain active entertainers. There are also supporting players like Danielle Brisebois and James Cromwell, who found greater success after the show was canceled, and who continued to act.
Struthers, 72, works as an actress in film and television. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Edith and Archie Bunker, on All In the Family, and she took home two Emmy Awards during the show’s initial run. Struthers has since appeared on shows like 9 to 5 (1986-88), General Hospital (2002) and Still Standing (2003-06). Her most notable role post-All In the Family was as Babette Dell on the popular sitcom Gilmore Girls (2000-07).
Reiner, also 72, works as a filmmaker and actor. He played Michael “Meathead” Stivic on all nine seasons of All In the Family (1971-79), during which time he won a pair of Emmy Awards. He’s continued to act in films like Sleepless In Seattle (1993) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), but his greatest success has been behind the camera.
Reiner directed the cinematic classics Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987) and Misery (1990). For the 1992 courtroom drama A Few Good Men, Reiner was nominated for the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. His other directorial credits include The American President (1995), The Bucket List (2007) and LBJ (2016).
Brisebois, 50, is retired from acting but has had a successful career as a recording artist. She played the precocious Stephanie Mills on All In the Family and its spin-off, Archie Bunker’s Place, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination. She turned to a music career in the 1990s, and has gone on to co-write the singles “Unwritten” and “Pocketful of Sunshine” for Natasha Bedingfield.
Cromwell, 79, played Archie Bunker’s friend and co-worker “Stretch” Cunningham from 1973 to 1976, and the eulogy that Archie gave at his funeral remains one of the show’s most emotional naked moments. Cromwell has continued to act steadily on both film and television. He’s been nominated for four Primetime Emmys and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Babe (1995). He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in American Horror Story: Asylum (2012).
Which Original Cast Members Have Died?
Several original cast members have died since the show was canceled. Carroll O’Connor, who molded Archie Bunker into one of the most iconic characters of all time, died on June 21, 2001. He was 76. Jean Stapleton, who played his wife Edith, died on May 31, 2013. She was 90 .
Sherman Hensley originated the role of George Jefferson on All In the Family, and his popularity led to the spin-off series The Jeffersons. Hensley died on July 24, 2012 at age 60.
Bea Arthur was another performer who’s career benefited from her All In the Family affiliation. She played Edith’s opinionated cousin Maude, and she eventually got a spin-off series of her own. Arthur died on April 25, 2009. She was 86.
