Carroll O'Connor, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his role as Archie Bunker on the groundbreaking 1970s hit TV series All in the Family, died Thursday after suffering a heart attack. His wife of 50 years, Nancy, was by his side. Born in Long Island, New York, O'Connor served as a seaman in World War II and fell in love with acting during college. He appeared in films throughout the 1960s, including Lonely Are the Brave and Cleopatra, before winning the role of the irascible conservative Archie Bunker. He went on to star in another hit series, In the Heat of the Night, based on the 1967 Oscar-winning film. His adopted son Hugh, who appeared briefly on the series, committed suicide in 1995 after a struggle with cocaine addiction.
Passage: Carroll O'Connor, 76
Carroll O'Connor, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his role as Archie Bunker on the groundbreaking 1970s hit TV series All in the Family, died Thursday after suffering a heart attack. His wife of 50 years, Nancy, was by his side. Born in Long Island, New York, O'Connor served as a seaman in World War II and fell in love with acting during college. He appeared in films throughout the 1960s, including Lonely Are the Brave and Cleopatra, before winning the role of the irascible conservative Archie Bunker. He went on to star in another hit series, In the Heat of the Night, based on the 1967 Oscar-winning film. His adopted son Hugh, who appeared briefly on the series, committed suicide in 1995 after a struggle with cocaine addiction.
