“Leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m writing?”
Carroll O’Connor was a man of many talents, renowned for his ability to create quality entertainment throughout his lengthy career as an actor, director, producer, and writer.
While he gained fame for his portrayal of Archie Bunker in All in the Family, O’Connor once revealed that he would happily trade acting for writing if he had to. In an interview with King Features, he shared his passion for writing, stating, “I write all the time. I have an office on wheels that goes to the set, and a writing desk — also on wheels — on the set.”
He even noted that acting sometimes interfered with his writing time. While working on In the Heat of the Night, a series he both starred in and contributed to as a writer, he expressed his frustration: “When they call me to do a scene, I get annoyed — ‘Leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m writing?’ But they don’t care.”
Fortunately, O’Connor never had to choose between the two art forms, allowing audiences to enjoy his talents both as an actor and a writer. His experience on screen likely enriched his writing, enabling him to understand the perspectives of both actors and viewers.
O’Connor remarked, “What surprises me is that we still underestimate what the audience wants to watch. I’ve long believed that viewers appreciate quality programming. Yet there are people in this industry who are more like salesmen, with their own theories about what will make a time slot valuable to advertisers.”
He added, “Still, every now and then, a good show gets on the air and stays on the air. So there’s hope for us all.”
