‘All in the Family’ ran for nine seasons on CBS from 1971 to 1979
NEED TO KNOW
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All in the Family aired its final episode on CBS in 1979
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Since the show wrapped, many of the sitcom’s stars — including Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton and Rob Reiner — have died
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Though their characters were often at odds with each other on screen, off it, the cast maintained close relationships with one another
It’s been over 40 years since All in the Family wrapped.
The hit, Emmy Award-winning CBS sitcom ran from 1971 to 1979 and starred Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton as Archie and Edith Bunker, a conservative couple living in Queens, New York, amid the era’s shifting social norms. They often clashed comically with their liberal daughter, Gloria Stivic (Sally Struthers) and her outspoken husband, Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner).
“Sally and I were part of a unique television family,” Reiner said, alongside Struthers, during a tribute to late All in the Family creator Norman Lear at the 2023 Emmys, per Entertainment Weekly. “Not just the Bunkers, but Norman Lear’s extended family. Over the decades, Norman brought us together and he created groundbreaking television shows that depicted real people who made us laugh, made us think, made us feel.”
Most of the series’ stars went on to have successful careers in Hollywood up until their deaths. O’Connor died at age 76 of a heart attack in 2001, per The New York Times, and Stapleton died 12 years later of natural causes at the age of 90. In December 2025, Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home, and their son, Nick, was later arrested in connection with their deaths.
Here’s everything to know about what happened to the cast of All of the Family and what their lives were like after the hit sitcom.
Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker
O’Connor starred in All in the Family as arguably history’s most lovable bigot, Archie Bunker, a role which earned him four Emmys. After the show ended in 1979, he reprised the iconic role for four more years in the spinoff series Archie Bunker’s Place.
The actor continued to act in other popular shows like Party of Five, Mad About You and In the Heat of the Night, which won him his fifth Emmy Award. His last role was in the 2000 rom-com Return to Me.
On June 21, 2001, O’Connor died of a heart attack in a California hospital, The New York Times reported. He was 76 and was survived by his wife, Nancy Fields, who died in 2014, per the Malibu Times.
Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker
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Jean Stapleton on the set of “All In The Family” ; Jean Stapleton attends the opening of “Ragtime” on June 15, 1997 in Century City, California
For nine seasons, audiences fell in love with Stapleton’s big-hearted (but slightly clueless) Edith Bunker. She took home three Emmys for the role before asking to be written out of the series in 1979 as it continued under different spinoffs and formats.
“What Edith represents is the housewife who is still in bondage to the male figure, very submissive and restricted to the home,” the actress told The New York Times in 1972. “She is very naïve, and she kind of thinks through a mist, and she lacks the education to expand her world.”
Off-screen, Stapleton had two children with her husband, actor Bill Putsch, who died in 1983, per The New York Times. She died on May 31, 2013, of natural causes at the age of 90.
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Sally Struthers as Gloria Stivic
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Sally Struthers as Gloria Bunker Stivic in “All in the Family” ; Sally Struthers during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Struthers shone on All in the Family as Archie and Edith’s daughter, Gloria Stivic. She told Fox News in November 2025 that she was sheltered as a child and experienced culture shock from the provocative language her on-screen father would use.
After continuing her role in Archie Bunker’s Place and her short-lived spinoff, Gloria, Struthers continued to act in series like Nine to Five, General Hospital and Gilmore Girls. She most recently appeared in the Netflix series A Man on the Inside.
In April 2025, Struthers opened up about what it was like to work alongside Reiner on the show, saying that he was “light years ahead of everyone with what to do.”
“He was in his mid-20s, he had already plotted out his career post-Meatthead,” she shared on the Celebrity Drop podcast. “And I was just showing up every day, never thinking about the future.”
Rob Reiner as Michael Stivic
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Rob Reiner ; Rob Reiner attends the 24th Annual Beverly Hills Film Festival on May 03, 2024 in Hollywood, California
Reiner rose to fame for playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic on All in the Family. After he left the series, which won him two Emmys, he pursued directing and made his directorial debut with the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap, which wasn’t a hit, but became a cultural phenomenon after it was released on VHS.
The director went on to have a successful Hollywood career and became known for iconic films like When Harry Met Sally…, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, The Sure Thing and A Few Good Men. Two of his films — This Is Spinal Tap and When Harry Met Sally… — have been added to the National Film Registry.
Reiner continued to act in films like The First Wives Club and The Wolf of Wall Street. He also made multiple appearances in series like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hannah Montana, 30 Rock and New Girl.
Off-screen, he welcomed three children with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. He also adopted his first wife’s daughter from her previous marriage before they divorced in 1981.
On Dec. 14, Reiner and his wife were found dead by apparent homicide in their Los Angeles home. The following day, their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested in connection with their deaths.
Danielle Brisebois Lash as Stephanie Mills
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Danielle Brisebois on the set of “All in the Family” in 1978 in Los Angeles, California ; Danielle Brisebois attends the 2025 BMI Pop Awards on May 13, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
On All in the Family, Danielle Brisebois Lash played the clever Stephanie Mills, the 9-year-old daughter of Edith’s cousin whom the Bunkers take in. Though she only appeared in the last season of the sitcom, she reprised her role through the transition to Archie Bunker’s Place, appearing in all four seasons.
The former child star continued to act throughout the ’80s, appearing in episodes of shows like The Love Boat, Knots Landing and Days of Our Lives. She later pivoted to music and has since worked as a singer-songwriter. In the ’90s, she became a part of the band New Radicals, per Variety.
Brisebois opened up about what it was like working with Reiner following his tragic death, telling PEOPLE in December 2025 that she has “no real words to express the gravity of this tragedy.”
“He was a true artist who was not afraid, and spoke truth to his heart in his life and his art,” she said. “Giving us all the chance to be inspired and enlightened, but doing it with humor and love.”
The All in the Family alum added that Reiner inspired her with “his advocacy for those who needed his voice” and that her heart “goes out to his family.”