The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Archie Bunker’s Place

Even if you’ve never seen “All in the Family,” there’s a high probability that you’re at least somewhat familiar with the character of Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), his well-meaning albeit shrill wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), and his constant conflict as a conservative patriarch against a progressively evolving world. If that sounds like the set-up for every family sitcom ever made, it’s because, well, it is. “All in the Family” is one of the most influential TV shows in history, and that’s not even factoring in the web of spin-offs it inspired like “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” “Gloria, “704 Hauser,’ “Good Times,” and “Archie Bunker’s Place.”

The latter was a direct continuation of “All in the Family,” set primarily in the neighborhood tavern purchased by Archie in the eighth season of the flagship sitcom. “Archie Bunker’s Place” starts when he takes in a Jewish business partner named Murray Klein after co-owner Harry Snowden sells his share of the business. The beats are mostly the same as “All in the Family,” with Archie being affirmed or challenged by those around him, but instead of it being within the safety of his home, Archie is now in a public restaurant and dealing with people who don’t have a sense of familial obligation to put up with him.

Fans are likely aware of what the still living cast members of “All in the Family” have been up to after all of these years, but the cast of “Archie Bunker’s Place” is likely less known. Unfortunately, as an older TV show, a majority of the core cast has since passed on, but there are still plenty of faces still with us today that are worth celebrating.

Danielle Brisebois was one of the youngest cast members on “Archie Bunker’s Place”; she began playing the role of Stephanie Mills when she was only 10 years old. Her character was the Jewish daughter of Edith’s step-cousin, Floyd Mills. Archie and Edith take Stephanie in after her drunk, often unemployed father abandoned her in the final season of “All in the Family,” and she served as a counter to Archie’s conservative views. She was the Bobby Hill to his Hank Hill, for lack of a better comparison.

After the show ended, Brisebois continued to act sparingly with roles on “Knots Landing,” guest spots on shows like “The Love Boat,” “Mr. Belvedere,” and “Murder She Wrote,” and even a voiceover credit on “Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.” But more prominently, Brisebois is now known as a successful songwriter and vocalist, as well as a member of the band New Radicals. She penned the song “Perfect Day” for Clay Aiken, the #1 Billboard hit “Unwritten” for Natasha Bedingfield (and her “Easy A” hit “Pocket Full of Sunshine”), and wrote for Paula Abdul, Kelly Clarkson, Halestorm, David Archuleta, Leona Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Mandy Moore, Ne-Yo, and Donna Summer, just to name a few.

Although he was only present for five episodes, Dean Scofield’s role as Fred Rooney on “Archie Bunker’s Place” is worth highlighting. As the nephew of Veronica (Anne Meara), Fred was a waiter and an openly gay man who challenged Archie Bunker’s close-minded thoughts on queerness, and even quit his job at the restaurant because of Archie’s archaic beliefs. In one of his major episodes, one of Archie’s old lodge brothers calls Fred a “fruit,” and Archie gets it in his head that he can “convert” him by fixing him up with a pretty girl. As it’s later revealed, the lodge brother said this because he’s still in the closet and upset that Fred didn’t return his advances, completely shaking Archie’s worldview. Alas, his close-mindedness inspires Fred to quit his job, because he’s “different” and he doesn’t want to work for Archie, who “isn’t ready for different.”

Scofield went on to become a decorated voiceover performer, most famously by voicing Johnny Sasaki throughout the “Metal Gear Solid” franchise. He would appear as a TV actor on shows like “Highway to Heaven” and “General Hospital,” and was even the narrator for two episodes of “E! True Hollywood Story.” Fred was a very important character in the early years of queerness on TV, and fortunately, the actor who played him is still working today.

Barbara Lee “Billie” Bunker was Archie’s teenage niece, the daughter of his estranged brother, and she took a job at the restaurant as a waitress. She had a tumultuous relationship with Gary Rabinowitz (see below), and when Archie’s overprotectiveness becomes too much for her to bear, Billie tries to find a place of her own. Denise Miller was already an established TV actress before joining “Archie Bunker’s Place,” having played Jilly Papalardo on both “Barney Miller” and “Fish,” as well as appearing in a nine-episode arc on “Makin’ It” and scoring a role in the 1979 TV movie “Sooner or Later.”

She continued acting on TV after the end of “Archie Bunker’s Place,” becoming a staple on the celebrity game show circuit and nabbing numerous guest star appearances throughout the rest of her career. Her last role was in the queer indie film “April’s Shower” in 2003 with Frank Grillo, Maria Cina, Trish Doolan, and Zack Ward. These days, she seems to be enjoying her retirement.

Gary Rabinowitz was Archie Bunker’s Jewish lawyer and later business manager who, despite being 15 years her senior, had a relationship with Billie Bunker. Similarly to Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner) in “All in the Family” and Murray Klein (Martin Balsam) before him, Gary was the main liberal force that contrasted and pushed up against Archie’s staunchly conservative beliefs. Gordon has had a massive career in film, television, and voiceover work, with over 100 credits to his name.

Readers of /Film will probably be most thrilled to learn that he was the original voice of Donatello and Bebop on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Gordon was also a prolific musician, putting out six albums and 18 singles/EPs. Today, he mostly lends his voice as Donatello for specials and video games, and occasionally pops up in guest roles on shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” The man’s a living legend, and “Archie Bunker’s Place” is just one of the countless important performances he’s delivered over the decades.

Younger readers likely know Sally Struthers for her activism with the Christian Children’s Fund (now known as the ChildFund) or for the horrifically cruel parody of her on “South Park,” but for everyone else, Sally Struthers will always be Gloria Stivic. She portrayed the character on “All in the Family,” a few episodes of “Archie Bunker’s Place,” and was eventually given her own short-lived spin-off, “Gloria.” She nabbed plenty of television guest spots, but filled more of her time with voiceover performances in animation.

It makes sense because Struthers’ voice is so distinct and she made for a perfect addition to “The Flintstones” universe as Pebbles Flintstone on “Fred Flintstone and Friends” and appeared in popular cartoons like “Tiny Toon Adventures,” “Droopy, Master Detective,” and “The Wild Thornberrys.” She was also the voice of Charlene Sinclair on ABC’s “Dinosaurs.” Years later, Struthers joined “Gilmore Girls” as the fan-favorite Babette Dell, and she continues to act in both live-action and animation even today.