'All in the Family' Actress Jean Stapleton Dies at 90

The actress famous for her role as Edith
Bunker is remembered by friends and
colleagues including her on-screen son-in-law
Rob Reiner and fellow TV veteran Roseanne
Barr.
Jean
Stapleton
passed
away
surrounded
by her
family
Friday,
May 31 at
her home
in New
York City. The actress who starred on CBS'
1970s groundbreaking series "All in the
Family" died of natural cause, her family
confirms to The Associated Press.
Stapleton was 90. She is survived by two
children, TV producer Pamela and TV director
John, and several grandchildren. Her husband
William Putch, whom she married in the late
1950s, died in 1983.
"All in the Family" series creator Norman Lear
said in a statement Saturday upon hearing of
her passing, "No one gave more profound
'How to be a Human Being' lessons than Jean
Stapleton. Goodbye Edith, darling."
Her on-screen son-in-law Rob Reiner
remembered the late star as "a brilliant
comedienne with exquisite timing." He gushed,
"Working with her was one of the greatest
experiences of my life. My thoughts go out to
her family."
Fellow TV veteran Roseanne Barr tweeted her
condolences, "RIP Jean Stapleton," calling
Stapleton "a great actor whose range was
unbelievable, deep and majestic."
The daughter of an opera singer and
businessman, Stapleton began her acting
career in theater in the early 1940s while
working as a typist for the British War Ministry
Office. She made it to Broadway starring in
1953's production "In the Summer House". It
wasn't until 1970s when she played in "All in
the Family", her first TV series, that she gained
game and recognition.
Stapleton played Edith, the wife of hot-headed
Archie Bunker portrayed by Carroll O'Connor.
She scored eight Emmy nominations and won
three times during her eight-year tenure in "All
in the Family". The show itself won four
consecutive Emmy Awards for outstanding
comedy series and became the No. 1-rated
program for an unprecedented five years in a
row.
"What Edith represents is the housewife who is
still in bondage to the male figure, very
submissive and restricted to the home. She is
very naive, and she kind of thinks through a
mist, and she lacks the education to expand
her world. I would hope that most housewives
are not like that," she once said of her
character who regularly obeyed her husband's
demand to "stifle yourself."
Aside from getting Emmy nods from "All in the
Family", Stapleton also earned Emmy
nominations for playing Eleanor Roosevelt in
the 1982 film "Eleanor, First Lady of the
World" and for a guest appearance on "Grace
Under Fire". She eventually left the CBS show
and her character was written off as dying of a
stroke.