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Although Bunker was famous for his [[malapropism]]s of the [[English language]], O'Connor was highly educated and cultured and was an English teacher before he turned to acting.
Although Bunker was famous for his [[malapropism]]s of the [[English language]], O'Connor was highly educated and cultured and was an English teacher before he turned to acting.


O'Connor married his wife Nancy in [[Dublin, Ireland]] (and she later converted to Roman Catholicism for him) in 1951, and their only child, adopted son [[Hugh O'Connor]], committed [[suicide]] in 1995 after a long battle with [[drug addiction]]. Hugh left a widow and small child behind. O'Connor appeared in [[public service announcements]] for Partnership for a Drug Free America and spent the rest of his life working to raise awareness about drug addiction. The Hugh O'Connor Memorial Law
O'Connor married his wife Nancy in [[Dublin, Ireland]] (and she later converted to Roman Catholicism for him) in 1951, and their only child, adopted son [[Hugh O'Connor]], committed [[suicide]] in 1995 after a long battle with [[drug addiction]]. Hugh left a widow and small child behind. O'Connor appeared in [[public service announcements]] for Partnership for a Drug Free America and spent the rest of his life working to raise awareness about drug addiction. After Hugh's death, O'Connor successfully lobbied to get the State of California to pass legislation that allows family members of an addicted person or anyone injured by a drug dealer's actions, including employers, to sue for reimbursement for medical treatment and rehabilitation costs. The law, known as the Drug Dealer Civil Liability Act in California, went into effect in 1997.
After Hugh's death, his father successfully lobbied to get the State of California to pass legislation that allows family members of an addicted person or anyone injured by a drug dealer's actions, including employers, to sue for reimbursement for medical treatment and rehabilitation costs. The law, known as the Drug Dealer Civil Liability Act in California, went into effect in 1997.


Eleven other states followed with similar legislation, which has been referred to as The Hugh O'Connor Memorial Law.
Eleven other states followed with similar legislation, which has been referred to as The Hugh O'Connor Memorial Law.


In April 1997 the Florida Senate unanimously passed The Hugh O'Connor Memorial Act, which allows people injured by drug dealers to sue for damages.
In April 1997 the Florida Senate unanimously passed The Hugh O'Connor Memorial Act, which allows people injured by drug dealers to sue for damages.



In the late 1990s, O'Connor taught screenwriting at the [[University of Montana]], where he attended college in his earlier years. In March 2000, he received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] and was given a [[St. Patrick's Day]] tribute by [[MGM]].
In the late 1990s, O'Connor taught screenwriting at the [[University of Montana]], where he attended college in his earlier years. In March 2000, he received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] and was given a [[St. Patrick's Day]] tribute by [[MGM]].

Revision as of 21:35, 27 September 2007

Carroll O'Connor
Born
John Carroll O'Connor
SpouseNancy O'Connor

John Carroll O'Connor (August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001) was an Irish American actor, most famous for his portrayal of the character Archie Bunker in the television sitcoms All in the Family (1971-1979) and Archie Bunker's Place (1979-1983). O'Connor later starred in the television series In the Heat of the Night as Police Chief Bill Gillespie from 1988 to 1994.

Biography

O'Connor, of Irish descent, was born in The Bronx, New York and spent much of his youth in Forest Hills, Queens, the same borough in which his character Archie Bunker would later live. He served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II, was educated in Montana and Ireland, and began his acting career shortly afterward. O'Connor's many film roles include Lonely Are The Brave (1962), Cleopatra (1963), In Harm's Way (1965), Hawaii (1966), The Devil's Brigade (1968) and Kelly's Heroes (1970). O'Connor also appeared on episodes of many popular television series such as Gunsmoke, I Spy, The Fugitive and The Wild Wild West. He was also among the actors considered for the role of Dr. Smith in the TV show Lost In Space, as well as being the visual template in the creation of Batman foe Rupert Thorne, a character who debuted at the height of All in the Family's success in Detective Comics #469 (published May 1976 by DC Comics).

O'Connor was living in Italy in 1970 when producer Norman Lear asked him to star as Archie Bunker in a new sitcom called All in the Family. O'Connor did not expect the show to be a success and believed he would be able to move back to Europe. Instead, the show became the highest-rated television program on American television for five years until 1976.

O'Connor's own politics were liberal, but he understood the Bunker character and played him not only with bombast and humor but with touches of vulnerability. The writing on the show was consistently left of center, but O'Connor often deftly skewered the liberal pieties of the day. The result is widely considered to be an absorbing, entertaining television show. All in the Family was based on the BBC show Til Death Us Do Part, with Bunker based on Alf Garnett, but somewhat less abrasive.

Although Bunker was famous for his malapropisms of the English language, O'Connor was highly educated and cultured and was an English teacher before he turned to acting.

O'Connor married his wife Nancy in Dublin, Ireland (and she later converted to Roman Catholicism for him) in 1951, and their only child, adopted son Hugh O'Connor, committed suicide in 1995 after a long battle with drug addiction. Hugh left a widow and small child behind. O'Connor appeared in public service announcements for Partnership for a Drug Free America and spent the rest of his life working to raise awareness about drug addiction. After Hugh's death, O'Connor successfully lobbied to get the State of California to pass legislation that allows family members of an addicted person or anyone injured by a drug dealer's actions, including employers, to sue for reimbursement for medical treatment and rehabilitation costs. The law, known as the Drug Dealer Civil Liability Act in California, went into effect in 1997.

Eleven other states followed with similar legislation, which has been referred to as The Hugh O'Connor Memorial Law.

In April 1997 the Florida Senate unanimously passed The Hugh O'Connor Memorial Act, which allows people injured by drug dealers to sue for damages.

In the late 1990s, O'Connor taught screenwriting at the University of Montana, where he attended college in his earlier years. In March 2000, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was given a St. Patrick's Day tribute by MGM.

O'Connor died on June 21, 2001, at the age of 76 from a heart attack brought on by complications from diabetes. In honor of his death, TV Land moved an entire weekend of programming to the next week and showed a continuous marathon of All in the Family. During the commercial breaks they also showed some interview footage of O'Connor and various All in the Family actors, producers with whom he had worked, and other associates.

Credits

Starring roles

Films/Made for TV movies

  • Return to Me (2000) as Marty O'Reilly
  • Gideon (TV) (1999) as Leo Barnes
  • 36 Hours to Die (TV) (1999) Jack 'Balls' O'Malley
  • The Father Clements Story (1987) (TV) .... Cardinal Cody
  • Convicted (1986) (TV) .... Lewis May
  • The GLO Friends Save Christmas (1986) .... Santa
  • Brass aka Police Brass (TV) (1985) as Frank Nolan
  • A Different Approach (1978)
  • The Last Hurrah (TV) (1977) as Frank Skeffington
  • Law and Disorder (1974) as Willie
  • Of Thee I Sing (TV) (1972) President Wintergreen
  • Doctors' Wives (1971) Dr. Joe Gray
  • Kelly's Heroes (1970) as Maj. Gen. Colt
  • Marlowe (1969) as Lt. Christy French
  • Death of a Gunfighter (1969) as Lester Locke
  • Ride a Northbound Horse (TV)(1969)
  • Fear No Evil (TV) (1969) as Myles Donovan
  • For Love of Ivy (1968) as Frank Austin
  • The Devil's Brigade (1968) as Maj. Gen. Hunter
  • Waterhole #3 (1967) as Sheriff John H. Copperud
  • Point Blank (1967) as Brewster
  • Warning Shot (1967) as Paul Jerez
  • Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966) as Gen. Maynard C. Parker
  • Hawaii (1966) as Charles Bromley
  • What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) as Gen. Bolt
  • In Harm's Way (1965) (uncredited) .... *Cmdr./Capt. Burke (USS Swayback)
  • Nightmare in Chicago aka Once Upon a Savage Night (TV) (1964)
  • The Silver Burro (TV) (1963)
  • Cleopatra (1963) as Casca
  • Lad: A Dog (1962) as Hamilcar Q. Glure
  • Belle Sommers (TV) (1962)
  • Lonely Are the Brave (1962) Hinton the Truck Driver
  • By Love Possessed (1961) .... Bernie Breck
  • Parrish (1961) .... Firechief
  • A Fever in the Blood (1961) .... Matt Keenan
  • The Sacco-Vanzetti Story (TV mini-series) (1960) as Frederick Katzman

Writer

  • In the Heat of the Night (1988-1995) Numerous episodes (credited as Matt Harris)
  • Brass aka Police Brass (TV) (1985) (credited as Matt Harris)
  • Archie Bunker's Place" (1979) TV series (writer)
  • The Last Hurrah (TV) (1977)
  • Bronk (TV) (1975) Series creator

Producer

  • In the Heat of the Night (TV) (1988-1995) (executive producer)
  • The Last Hurrah (TV) (1977) (executive producer)
  • Bronk (TV) (1975) Series (executive producer)

Director

  • In the Heat of the Night (TV) (1988) Series
  • Archie Bunker's Place (TV) (1979) Series

Crew

  • In the Heat of the Night (TV) (1988) Series (executive story editor credited as Matt Harris)

Composer

  • Archie Bunker's Place" (TV) (1979) Series "Remembering You" (together with Roger Kellaway)
  • All in the Family" (TV) (1971) Series "Remembering You" (together with Roger Kellaway)

Series music

  • All in the Family" (TV) (1971) singing title song

Guest starring

Misc

  • A&E Biography: Carroll O'Connor - All in a Lifetime (2001) Himself
  • All in the Family: The E! True Hollywood Story (2000) Himself
  • Intimate Portrait: Minnie Driver (2000) Narrator
  • All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special (1991) Himself
  • The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1978) Himself Winner
  • CBS: On the Air (1978) mini-series part VII co-host
  • An All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor (1977) Himself

Archive footage featuring Carroll O'Connor

  • The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002) Memorial tribute
  • Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television (2002)
  • The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2001) Memorial tribute
  • Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000) (V)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carroll_O%27Connor&oldid=160781933"