“Leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m writing?”
A man of many talents, Carroll O’Connor had the often sought-after talent of being able to make quality entertainment wherever he went. In his lengthy career, O’Connor had spent time as an actor, a director, a producer, and a writer.
While his acting ability in characters like Archie Bunker in All in the Family made O’Connor famous, he once revealed that he’d give up the profession in a heartbeat, if he had to.
In an interview with King Features, O’Connor confessed that, if pressed, he would choose the profession of writing over that of acting. He explained, “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.”
O’Connor even said that sometimes, acting got in the way of his writing time, like when he worked on In the Heat of the Night, a series he both starred in and wrote for.
O’Connor said, “When they call me to do a scene, I get angry — ‘Leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m writing?’ But they don’t care.”
Fortunately, O’Connor was never forced to choose between the two art forms, and we can appreciate him as an actor and a writer. O’Connor’s previous experience on screen may have assisted him when creating meaningful and investing content offscreen, as he was able to take on the perspective of both actor and viewer.
O’Connor commented, “What does surprise me is that we still underestimate what the audience wants to watch. It’s a contention that I’ve had for years that viewers do appreciate quality programming. But there are people in this medium who are really space salesmen, and who have their own theories about what will make a time slot valuable to advertisers.”
He continued, “Still, every now and then, a good show gets on the air and stays on the air. So there’s hope for us all, yet.”
