“I hate to leave her even for a moment.”
Fame can undoubtedly change a person, for the better or for worse. For Sally Struthers, who was thrust into the spotlight when All in the Family was broadcast to nearly every household in America, fame was a double-edged sword. In an interview with The Columbian, Struthers discussed the monetary success that came with being an actor.
“Right now, I am doing what I’ve always dreamed of doing,” Struthers said. “I’m flying everywhere I’ve always wanted to go. I might as well have a little fun with my money — it had just been sitting in the bank. I’ve been working hard enough and what’s money for if not to enjoy ?”
However, in the same interview, she mentioned invasive fan interactions who seemed to delight in invading her personal space. “They pull at you, pull you over to meet so-and-so, and drag your shopping cart through the grocery store,” she said.
“I love to talk to people but I don’t like to be caught at. Because you’re a visitor in their house every week people think they own you. They don’t stop to think that you’re not a cereal box .”
Still, Struthers seemed concerned most of all with her stardom’s effect on her young daughter. “I hate to leave her even for a moment,” she told The Plain Dealer. “I don’t want her to feel that every time I go out the door I’m going away for a long time. That’s a particular problem for those of us in this business, and even more of a problem for our children. Some children of entertainers are never able to cope with it and end up troubled.”
