Carroll O'Connor Biography

Fast Facts

• Appeared in a public service announcement following his son's death, speaking with Partnership for a Drug Free America, helping raise awareness and stop drug addiction
• Was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1990 for his contributions to the television industry
• After his son's drug-related suicide, he worked to make sure the Drug Dealers Civil Liability Act was passed in California, which permitted citizens to sue drug dealers for the drug-related deaths of their family members
• Enrolled briefly in the United States Merchant Marine Academy during World War II, and became a merchant seaman after leaving
• Quote: "People see Archie Bunker everywhere․ Particularly girls - poor girls, rich girls, all kinds of girls are always coming up to me and telling me that Archie is just like their dad․"
• Quote: "(On his character Frank Nolan) ''Nolan is not your familiar policeman on television․ ''He's a man with human faults, personal faults․ He's a good fellow, but he does get into other people's lives in an interfering way, perhaps more than he should - although with the best motives․''"
• After playing the politically incorrect and backwards-thinking Archie Bunker for 13 years, he made a large change by starring in "Heat of the Night" as a progressive, liberal police officer
• Although his character in "All in the Family" was extremely prejudiced, O'Connor came from a family that valued diversity and dismissed bigoted talk as lowbrow
• His caricature is displayed in Sardi's restaurant in the Theater District of New York City
• Set up an automotive restoration shop called "Carroll O'Connor Clasics" that displayed his collection of classic vehicles