photo:
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Biography
O'Connor, of Irish descent, was born in The Bronx, New York and he lived during much of his youth in Forest Hills in the New York City borough of Queens, the same borough in which his character Archie Bunker would later live. He served in the Merchant Marine during World War II, was educated in Montana and Ireland, and began his acting career shortly afterwards. O'Connor's many film roles include Lonely Are The Brave (1962), Cleopatra (1963), In Harm's Way (1965), Hawaii (1966), The Devil's Brigade (1968) and Kelly's Heroes (1970). O'Connor also appeared on episodes of many popular television series such as Gunsmoke, I Spy, The Fugitive and The Wild Wild West.
O'Connor was living in Italy in 1970 when producer Norman Lear asked him to star as Archie Bunker in a new sitcom called All in the Family. O'Connor did not expect the show to be a success and believed that he would be able to move back to Europe. Instead, the show became the highest-rated television program on American television for five years, until 1976.
O'Connor's own politics were liberal, but he understood Archie Bunker and played him not only with bombast and humor but with touches of vulnerability. The writing on the show was consistently left of center but O'Connor often deftly skewered the liberal pieties of the day. The result is widely considered to be an absorbing, entertaining television show. All in the Family was based on the BBC show Til Death Us Do Part, with Archie Bunker based on Alf Garnett, but somewhat less abrasive.
Although Archie Bunker was famous for murdering the English language by malapropism, O'Connor was highly educated and cultured. In fact, he was an English teacher before turning to acting.
He married his wife Nancy in Dublin, Ireland (and she later converted to Roman Catholicism for him) in 1951, and their only child, adopted son Hugh O'Connor, committed suicide in 1995 after a long battle with drug addiction. He left a widow and small child behind. O'Connor appeared in public service announcements for Partnership for a Drug Free America, and spent the rest of his life working to raise awareness about drug addiction. He was instrumental in the passage of California’s Drug Dealers Civil Liability Act.
In the late 1990s, Carroll O'Connor taught screenwriting at The University of Montana, where he attended college in his earlier years. He died on June 21, 2001, at the age of 76 from a heart attack brought on by complications from diabetes.
Credits
Archie Bunker on the cover of TV Guide (August 8-14, 1981)
Starring Roles
All In the Family (1971-1979) as Archie Bunker
Archie Bunker's Place (1979-1983) as Archie Bunker
In the Heat of the Night (1988-1995)as Chief/Sheriff Bill Gillespie
Mad About You(1996-1999)Gus Stemple #3
Films/Made for T.V. Movies
Return to Me (2000) as Marty O'Reilly
Gideon )TV) (1999) as Leo Barnes
36 Hours to Die ) (TV) (1999)Jack 'Balls' O'Malley
The Father Clements Story (1987) (TV) ...
. Cardinal Cody
Convicted (1986) (TV) ...
. Lewis May
The GLO Friends Save Christmas (1986) ...
. Santa
Brass aka Police Brass (TV)(1985) as Frank Nolan
A Different Approach (1978)
The Last Hurrah (TV)(1977) as Frank Skeffington
Law and Disorder (1974) as Willie
Of Thee I Sing (TV)(1972) President Wintergreen
Doctors' Wives (1971) Dr. Joe Gray
Kelly's Heroes (1970) as Maj. Gen. Colt
Marlowe (1969) as Lt. Christy French
Death of a Gunfighter (1969) as Lester Locke
Ride a Northbound Horse (TV)(1969)
Fear No Evil (TV)(1969) as Myles Donovan
For Love of Ivy (1968) as Frank Austin
The Devil's Brigade (1968) as Maj. Gen. Hunter
Waterhole #3 (1967) as Sheriff John H. Copperud
Point Blank (1967) as Brewster
Warning Shot (1967) as Paul Jerez
Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966) as Gen. Maynard C. Parker
Hawaii (1966) as Charles Bromley
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) as Gen. Bolt
In Harm's Way (1965) (uncredited) ...
. *Cmdr./Capt. Burke (USS Swayback)
Nightmare in Chicago aka Once Upon a Savage Night(TV)(1964)
The Silver Burro (TV)(1963)
Cleopatra (1963)as Casca
Lad: A Dog (1962) as Hamilcar Q. Glure
Belle Sommers (TV)(1962)
Lonely Are the Brave (1962) Hinton the Truck Driver
By Love Possessed (1961) ...
. Bernie Breck
Parrish (1961) ...
. Firechief
A Fever in the Blood (1961) ...
. Matt Keenan
The Sacco-Vanzetti Story (tv mini-series)(1960) as Frederick Katzman
Writer
In the Heat of the Night (1988-1995)Numerous Episodes(credited as Matt Harris)
Brass aka Police Brass ((TV)1985) (credited as Matt Harris)
Archie Bunker's Place" (1979) TV Series (writer)
The Last Hurrah (TV)(1977)
Bronk (TV)(1975)Series creator
Producer
In the Heat of the Night(TV)(1988-1995) (executive producer)
The Last Hurrah (TV)(1977)(executive producer)
Bronk )TV)(1975) Series (executive producer)
Director
In the Heat of the Night (TV)(1988) Series
Archie Bunker's Place(TV)(1979)Series
Crew
In the Heat of the Night(TV)(1988) Series (executive story editor credited as Matt Harris)
Composer
Archie Bunker's Place" (TV)(1979)Series "Remembering You"
All in the Family" ((TV)(1971)Series "Remembering You")
Series Music
All in the Family" (TV)(1971) singing title song
Guest Starring
Biography "Carroll O'Connor" 22 June 2001 as Himself
The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Himself 4 March 1998
Party of Five "Christmas" 18 December 1996
as "Jake Gordon"
Party of Five" playing "Spring Breaks: Part 2" 27 March 1996 as Jake Gordon
Party of Five" as Jake Gordon "Happily Ever After" 20 March 1996
Party of Five" as Jake Gordon "Before and After" 21 February 1996
Party of Five" as Jake Gordon "Comings and Goings" 7 February 1996
Party of Five" playing "Jake Gordon" "Benefactors" 31 January 1996
The Redd Foxx Show" "Old Buddies" 1 March 1986
Gloria" playing "Archie Bunker" in episode: "Gloria, the First Day (Un-aired Pilot)" 1982
Bill Moyers' Journal" playing "Himself" 16 May 1981
Saturday Night Live" playing "Himself" (uncredited) 25 September 1976
The Dick Cavett Show" playing "Himself" "London - New York" 8 September 1976
The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" "Celebrity Roast: Carroll O'Connor" 7 December 1973
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" playing "Himself" 19 March 1973
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" playing "Himself" 5 October 1972
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" playing "Himself" 19 June 1972
This Is Your Life" playing "Himself" "Don Rickles" 12 January 1972
The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" playing "Himself" 10 January 1972
The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" playing "Himself" 27 December 1971
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" playing "Guest Preformer" 13 December 1971
Insight" "The Day God Died" 1970
Premiere" playing "James Van Ducci" "Walk in the Sky" 15 July 1968
Dundee and the Culhane" playing "Mr. James" "The Duelist Brief" 1 November 1967
Gunsmoke" playing "Major Glenn Vanscoy" "Major Glory" 30 October 1967
Mission: Impossible" playing "Josef Varsh" "The Trial" 28 January 1967
The Wild Wild West" playing "Fabian Lavendor" "The Night of the Ready-Made Corpse" 25 November 1966
Gunsmoke" playing "Hootie Kyle" in episode: "The Wrong Man" 29 October 1966
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" playing "Captain Ted Eyck" "Massacre at Fort Phil Kearney" 26 October 1966
The Time Tunnel" playing "General Southall/Colonel Southall" "The Last Patrol" 7 October 1966
I Spy" playing "Dr. Karolyi" "It's *All Done with Mirrors" 13 April 1966
Slattery's People" playing "Lieutenant Wayne Altman" "A Sitting Duck Named *Slattery" 17 September 1965
Dr. Kildare" playing "David Burnside" "The Time Buyers" 8 April 1965
Profiles in Courage" playing "Grover Cleveland" "Grover Cleveland" 4 April 1965
Ben Casey" playing "Dr. Wendel Clarke" "Three Li'l Lambs" 29 March 1965
Slattery's People" playing "Victor Newleaf" "Question: What Did You Do All Day, Mr. Slattery?" 15 January 1965
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" playing "Old John" "Long Live the King" 21 December 1964
The Man from U.N.C.L.E." playing "Walter Brach" "The Green Opal Affair" 27 October 1964
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" playing "Lawson""The Turncoat" 23 October 1964
Kraft Suspense Theatre" "Once Upon a Savage Knight" 2 April 1964
The Fugitive" playing "Sheriff Bray" "Flight from the Final Demon" 10 March 1964
The Great Adventure" playing "Johann Sutter" "The Pathfinder" 6 March 1964
The Outer Limits" playing "Deimos" "Controlled Experiment" 13 January 1964
The Great Adventure" playing "O'Rourke" "The Man Who Stole New York City" 13 December 1963
The DuPont Show of the Week" playing "N.S. Kellogg" "The Silver Burro" 3 November 1963
The Defenders" playing "Dr. Hugh Morgan" "Conspiracy of Silence" 26 October 1963
East Side/West Side" playing "George Audette" in episode: "Age of Consent" 30 September 1963
Bonanza" playing "Tom Slayden" "The Boss" 19 May 1963
The Eleventh Hour" playing "Dr. Dave Conway" "Pressure Breakdown" 15 May 1963
Alcoa Premiere" playing "Charles Campion" "The Dark Labyrinth" 21 March 1963
Stoney Burke" playing "Harry Clark" "Webb of Fear" 18 February 1963
The Dick Powell Show" playing "Dr. Lyman Savage" "Luxury Liner" 12 February 1963
Death Valley Days" playing "Senator Dave Broderick" "A Gun Is Not a Gentleman" 8 February 1963
Naked City" playing "Tony Corran" "Spectre of the Rose Street Gang" 19 December 1962
The Defenders" playing "Joshua Ryder" "The Hidden Jungle" 1 December 1962
Ben Casey" playing "Father Joseph McGavin" "Behold! They Walk an Ancient Road" 5 November 1962
The Untouchables" playing "Arnie Kurtz aka Albert Krim" "Bird in the Hand" 30 October 1962
Dr. Kildare" playing "Roy Drummond" "The Burning Sky" 4 October 1962
Naked City" "Goodbye Mama, Hello Auntie Maud" 20 June 1962
The Dick Powell Show" playing "Leonard Barsevick" "Pericles on 31st Street" 12 April 1962
The Untouchables" playing "Barney Lubin""Power Play" 19 October 1961
The Americans" playing "Captain Garbor" "The Coward" 8 May 1961
Armstrong Circle Theatre" "Engineer of Death: The Eichmann Story" 12 April 1961
Play of the Week" "He Who Gets Slapped" 30 January 1961
Armstrong Circle Theatre" "Medicine Man" 18 January 1961
Shirley Temple's Storybook" playing "Appleyard" "The Black Arrow" 27 November 1960
Adventures in Paradise" playing "Henry Gresham" "Hangman's Island" 21 November 1960
Armstrong Circle Theatre" "Engineer of Death: The Eichmann Story" 12 October 1960
The United States Steel Hour "Shadow of a Pale Horse" 27 July 1960
Sunday Showcase"The Sacco-Vanzetti Story: Part 1
Sunday Showcase "The Sacco-Vanzetti Story: Part2
Misc
A&E Biography: Carroll O'Connor - All in a Lifetime (2001) Himself
All in the Family: The E! True Hollywood Story (2000) Himself
Intimate Portrait: Minnie Driver (2000) Narrator
All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special (1991) Himself
The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1978) Himself Winner
CBS: On the Air (1978) mini-series part VII co-host
An All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor (1977) Himself
Archive Footage Featuring Carroll O'Connor
The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002)Memorial Tribute
Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television (2002)
The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2001) Memorial Tribute
Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000) (V)
