“ALL IN THE FAMILY” JEAN STAPLETON DIES

NationalEnquirer.com

Edith has joined Archie Bunker in the great beyond. Fabled thesp JEAN STAPLETON gone at 90.

Jean Stapleton, known to millions of viewers as  Edith Bunker on the classic CBS sitcom All in the Family, died in New York City at age 90 of natural causes at her home.

Jeanne Murray was born Jan. 19, 1923, in New York City and graduated from Wadleigh High school.

 

She broke her acting chops in off-Broadway productions and her first Broadway appearance was as a wisecracking waitres in  In the Summer House (1953).

Despite a lifetime acting, Stapleton didn’t attain stardom until she was nearly 50 years old, when All in the Family became a breakaway smash hit in 1968.

Stapleton won three Emmys out of four nominations for her role as the lovable "dingbat" wife of blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor).

 She also appeared such hit TV shows as Route 66, Dr. Kildare, Studio One and Philco Playhouse.

 

Among her many film appearances were Bells Are Ringing,  Something Wild, Up the Down Staircase, Cold Turkey and Klute.  

It was writer/producer Norman Lear who cast her from near-obscurity into TV legend.

Lear had remembered Jean from her memorable role in Damn Yankees! (1958) and cast her opposite O’Connor.

She also nabbed Emmy noms for two other perfs: Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1982 CBS telefilm Eleanor, First Lady of the World and as Aunt Vivian on Grace Under Fire.

"Those were the days…"  R.I.P. Jean