Sally Struthers Had Several Ideas For Her Character On All In The Family

by: Nina Ross
March 23, 2023

source: Getty Images

Sally Struthers is an American actress who is best known for her role as Gloria Stivic on the groundbreaking television series All in the Family. While Struthers’ character started off as a somewhat one-dimensional foil for her father Archie Bunker, she later became a beloved member of the show’s ensemble cast. Throughout her time on the show, Struthers had a few ideas for how her character could evolve, including one that ultimately came true.

One of the ideas that Struthers had for her character was for Gloria to become pregnant. While this may seem like a simple plot development, it was actually quite controversial at the time. All in the Family was known for tackling social issues and pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on television, and a storyline about an unwed pregnancy was certainly not something that had been seen before.

Another idea that Struthers had was for Gloria to have a career outside of the home. This was a relatively progressive idea for the time, as most television shows of the era portrayed women primarily as wives and mothers. However, this idea was not fully realized on All in the Family, as Gloria’s primary role on the show remained that of a wife and mother.

Struthers also had an idea for Gloria to have a closer relationship with her mother-in-law, Edith Bunker, played by Jean Stapleton. Struthers believed that there was potential for an interesting dynamic between the two characters, as they were both women who were close to Archie but who also had their own independent thoughts and beliefs.

While not all of Sally Struthers’ ideas for her character were fully realized on All in the Family, her contributions to the show were still significant. Her portrayal of Gloria Stivic remains a beloved part of television history, and her character’s development over the course of the show’s nine seasons was an important part of its success.