- - Inside the Real-Life Relationships of the “All in the Family” Cast, 55 Years After It Premiered

Ilana FrostJanuary 13, 2026 at 3:45 AM

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Carroll O'Connor and Nancy O'Connor; Jean Stapleton and William Putch

The 1970s sitcom All in the Family forever changed television.

The show aired on CBS for nine seasons from 1971 to 1979 and followed the life of Archie Bunker and his family. All in the Family tackled topics that had rarely, if ever, been addressed on network TV, including racism, antisemitism, abortion and menopause.

“The civil rights issue went right through our series ... That was marvelous stuff,” Jean Stapleton, who played Edith Bunker, said in a June 2017 interview with the Archive of American Television. “There’s nothing like humor to burst what seems to be an enormous problem.” She noted that it was a “great part” of the show.

The original show came to an end when creator Norman Lear and Stapleton were both ready to move on, and it led to seven spinoff series, including The Jeffersons and Archie Bunker’s Place.

While All in the Family broke barriers and won awards, the stars navigated relationships and built families off-screen.

Here’s everything to know about the real-life partners of the All in the Family cast.

01 of 08

Carroll O'Connor and Nancy Fields O’Connor

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Nancy O'Connor and Carroll O'Connor on April 24, 1983 in Beverly Hills, California

Carroll O’Connor played blue-collar worker and family man Archie Bunker on All in the Family. In real life, he was married to Nancy Fields O’Connor for 50 years until his death on June 21, 2001, per TheWrap.

The couple met in 1951 when they were both students at the University of Montana at Missoula and appeared in the school's production of Life With Father. Carroll and Nancy got married in Ireland later that year. In 1962, they adopted a son, Hugh, who tragically died by suicide in 1995, according to The Malibu Times.

Carroll credited his wife with influencing key decisions in his career, including his All in the Family role. “I turned down the role of Archie Bunker twice until Nancy finally said, ‘Now listen here, Carroll, this is the role of a lifetime!’ ” he once recalled, per TheWrap.

While Carroll became a household name, Nancy built a career of her own as an artist, author, activist, philanthropist and documentary filmmaker.

According to TheWrap, she served on the board of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. In addition, Nancy developed a support group for melanoma cancer research and treatment and advocated for veterans’ rights, per The Malibu Times.

Nancy died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on Nov. 10, 2014.

02 of 08

Jean Stapleton and William Putch

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Jean Stapleton and William Putch on February 9, 1975 in Los Angeles, California

Jean Stapleton was best known for her portrayal of Edith Bunker, the naive yet kind-hearted wife of Archie. Off-screen, she spent 25 years married to concert promoter and theater director William Putch.

Stapleton met Putch in 1956 while performing in a production of Harvey in Washington, D.C., and they married the following year, per The New York Times. The couple later welcomed two children: Pamela and John.

Stapleton and Putch ran the Totem Pole Playhouse, a summer stock theater in Chambersburg, Pa. Stapleton performed there for 25 years, even amid her All in the Family fame.

On Nov. 23, 1983, Putch died of a heart attack at age 59 while directing his wife in a production of The Showoff. Stapleton insisted on performing that night, telling the cast that continuing the show was the best way to honor her husband.

She died at age 90 from natural causes on May 31, 2013, at her home in New York City.

03 of 08

Sally Struthers

Monica Schipper/WireImage

Sally Struthers on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California

While starring as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, Sally Struthers developed a close bond with her costar, Carroll O’Connor. It was O’Connor and his wife, Nancy, who introduced Struthers to her future husband, William C. Rader, Struthers told Closer Weekly in August 2021.

When William, a psychiatrist, first tried to ask her out, Struthers’ assistant told him she was seeing someone else. Unfazed, he replied, “Well, put me on her list. And if she doesn’t have a list, start one.”

Struthers was impressed and needed a date who owned a tuxedo for a black-tie dinner, so she decided to give him a call. “By the end of our first date, I was madly in love,” she recalled to PEOPLE in February 1981.

Shortly after, they married in 1977 after Struthers herself suggested the idea. The couple welcomed a daughter, Samantha, before divorcing in 1983.

Since then, the actress has been open about staying single, and focusing on her family, friends and career.

Earlier in life, Struthers also briefly dated Elvis Presley, whom she described as polite, kind and soft-hearted during a January 2025 appearance on the Let’s Talk About That! With Larry Saperstein and Jacob Bellotti podcast.

04 of 08

Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner

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Michele Reiner and Rob Reiner on February 14, 2025 in New York City

Rob Reiner, who played Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the sitcom, was married twice.

His first wife was actress and director Penny Marshall. The couple married in 1971, and Reiner welcomed her daughter, Tracy, via adoption. They divorced after 10 years of marriage, and Marshall told PEOPLE in 2012, “I loved him dearly.”

When Marshall died from diabetes complications on Dec. 17, 2018, Reiner paid tribute to her on X. “So sad about Penny,” he wrote. “I loved Penny. ... She was born with a funny bone and the instinct of how to use it. ... I will miss her.”

Reiner met his second wife, photographer Michele Reiner (née Singer), while directing the 1989 rom-com, When Harry Met Sally... They married that same year and had three kids together.

Rob and Michele were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14, 2025, and their son Nick Reiner was arrested shortly thereafter in connection with their killings. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special allegation that he used a knife. Nick will be arraigned in February 2026.

05 of 08

Danielle Brisebois and Nick Lashley

Danielle Brisebois/Instagram;Nick Lashley/Instagram

Danielle Brisebois; Nick Lashley

Danielle Brisebois joined All in the Family later in the series as Stephanie Mills, the little girl Archie and Edith take in.

The actress later transitioned to the music industry and married fellow musician Nick Lashley. They share two daughters, per her Instagram.

In June 2023, Brisebois shared a Father’s Day Instagram post, featuring a photo of her husband and daughters.

“Happy Fathers Day to a truly great Dad!!” she wrote to Lashley in her caption. “We love you.”

06 of 08

Sherman Hemsley

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Sherman Hemsley on June 19, 2007 in Los Angeles, California

Sherman Hemsley portrayed George Jefferson in All in the Family and went on to star in The Jeffersons spinoff series. He kept his dating life private and died at 74 on July 24, 2012.

07 of 08

Isabel Sanford and William Richmond

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Isabel Sanford

Isabel Sanford played Louise Jefferson in All in the Family and The Jeffersons.

According to her IMDb page, she married William “Sonny” Richmond in 1945, and they had three children.

The actress died at 86 on July 9, 2004.

08 of 08

Mike Evans

CBS via Getty

Mike Evans

Mike Evans, who portrayed Archie's neighbor, Lionel Jefferson, tragically died of throat cancer at age 57 on Dec. 14, 2006, according to CBS.

While little is known about Mike’s love life, he had a daughter named Carlena.

She previously spoke about her father and his sitcom, Good Times, in a February 2013 YouTube video.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”