Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played

Gloria Stivic Gloria Stivic is a fictional character played by Sally Struthers on the American situation comedy ''All in the Family'' (which aired on the CBS television network from 1971 until 1979) and the spin-off series ''Gloria'' (CBS, 1982–83). The only ...

, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by

Carroll O'Connor John Carroll O'Connor (August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001) was an American actor, producer, and director whose television career spanned over four decades. He became a lifelong member of the Actors Studio in 1971. O'Connor found widespread fame a ...

and

Jean Stapleton Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray; January 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013) was an American character actress of stage, television and film. Stapleton was best known for playing Edith Bunker, the perpetually optimistic and devoted wife of Arc ...

) on ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'', for which she won two Emmy awards, and Babette on ''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American Comedy drama, comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and beca ...

''. She was also the voice of Charlene Sinclair on the ABC sitcom '' Dinosaurs'' and Rebecca Cunningham on the Disney animated series ''

TaleSpin ''TaleSpin'' is an American animated television series first aired in 1990 as a preview on Disney Channel and later that year as part of '' The Disney Afternoon''. It features characters adapted from Disney's 1967 animated feature ''The Jungle Bo ...

''.

Early life

Sally Anne Struthers was born July 28, 1947, in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, the second of two daughters born to Margaret Caroline (née Jernes) and Robert Alden Struthers, a surgeon. She has an older sister, Sue. Her maternal grandparents were Norwegian immigrants. Her father abandoned the family when Struthers was approximately nine years old, after which she was raised by her single mother in the Concordia neighborhood of

northeast Portland Northeast Portland is one of the six major divisions of Portland, Oregon. Northeast Portland contains a diverse collection of neighborhoods. For example, while Irvington and the Alameda Ridge feature some of the oldest and most expensive homes i ...

. Her mother, who supported herself and her two daughters working at

Bonneville Power Administration The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is an American federal agency operating in the Pacific Northwest. BPA was created by an act of Congress in 1937 to market electric power from the Bonneville Dam located on the Columbia River and to cons ...

, suffered from significant depression during Struthers' childhood.

Career

In ''

Five Easy Pieces ''Five Easy Pieces'' is a 1970 American drama film directed by Bob Rafelson, written by Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce) and Rafelson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, and Ralph Waite. The film tells the s ...

'' (1970) Struthers was cast opposite

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

. She appeared as a restless wife of a veterinarian in '' The Getaway'' (1972). Around that time Struthers debuted as Gloria Stivic on the 1970s sitcom ''

''. Producer Norman Lear had found the actress dancing on '' The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour''. According to a WPTT radio interview with Doug Hoerth in 2003, Struthers thought that Reiner's then-fiancée and later wife, Penny Marshall, would get the role of Gloria, as Marshall more resembled

, who played Edith Bunker. Actress Candice Azzara had played the role of Gloria in a pilot episode, but was soon dropped. After a shaky start, the series became a hit beginning with its summer reruns, giving tens of millions of viewers the chance to see "Gloria" defending her

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

viewpoints about negative stereotypes and inequality. Struthers won two Emmy Awards (in 1972 and 1979) for her work on the show. In 2012, Struthers recalled the serendipity that helped her land the role: In 1977 she portrayed a housewife who was physically abused by her husband (portrayed by

Dennis Weaver William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weave ...

) in the made-for-TV movie '' Intimate Strangers'', one of the first network features to depict domestic violence. All in the Family cast 1976

On the short-lived '' Archie Bunker's Place'' spin-off '' Gloria'' (1982–1983), Struthers reprised Gloria as a new divorcée (she became an "exchange student", when husband Mike exchanged her for one of his students). The series co-starred

Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...

as the doctor of an animal clinic with Gloria as his assistant. From 1985 to 1986 Struthers starred as Florence Ungar in the female version of '' The Odd Couple''. Struthers later stated in an interview on ''

Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous r ...

's Amazing Colossal Podcast'', that it was an unpleasant experience until Rita Moreno, who was mean-spirited towards Struthers, left the play and was replaced by

Brenda Vaccaro Brenda is a feminine given name in the English language. Origin The overall accepted origin for the female name Brenda is the Old Nordic male name ''Brandr'' meaning both ''torch'' and ''sword'': evidently the male name Brandr took root in area ...

. She was a semi-regular panelist on the 1990 revival of ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...

'' and an occasional guest on ''

Win, Lose or Draw ''Win, Lose or Draw'' is an American television game show that aired from 1987 to 1990 in syndication and on NBC. It was taped at CBS Television City (one of the few non- CBS game shows to tape there), often in Studios 31, 33, and 43 at various ...

'' (even filling in for

Vicki Lawrence Vicki Ann Lawrence ( Axelrad; born March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper). Lawrence originated multitudes of charact ...

as host for a week). She also had a recurring role as Bill Miller's manipulative mother, Louise, on '' Still Standing'' and regularly appeared on ''

'' as Babette Dell. She also provided voices for a number of

animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...

such as ''

The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show ''The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that originally aired for one season on CBS Saturday morning from September 11, 1971, to January 1, 1972. With an ensemble voice ...

'' (as a teenage Pebbles Flintstone), ''

'' (as Rebecca Cunningham) and was one of the voice stars on ABC's '' Dinosaurs'' produced by Walt Disney and Henson Productions (as Charlene Sinclair). Struthers starred in the stage production of '' Annie'' at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, and in the national tour of the production in the late 1990s. She has been a regular since the early 2000s at the

Ogunquit Playhouse Ogunquit Playhouse is a regional theater at 10 Main Street (United States Route 1) in Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the last remaining summer theaters from the Summer Stock which still produces musical theatre. The Playhouse is lis ...

, in

Ogunquit, Maine Ogunquit ( ) is a resort town in York County, Maine. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,577. Ogunquit is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Ogunquit, which means "be ...

. In 2014, Struthers toured in the 50th-anniversary production of '' Hello, Dolly!'', playing Dolly Levi.

Activism

Struthers has been a spokesperson for Christian Children's Fund (later renamed ChildFund), advocating on behalf of impoverished children in

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

Business interests

Struthers has been a spokesperson for International Correspondence School (ICS) in television ads, pitching the famous line "Do you want to make more money? Sure, we all do!" ICS was a school with a diverse curriculum that, at the time, had fields of study going from brick laying to personal computers.

Personal life

Struthers married psychiatrist William C. Rader on December 18, 1977, in Los Angeles. After having one child, daughter Samantha, the couple divorced on January 19, 1983.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

* '' Wally's Cafe'' (1981) ... Janet (Broadway: Brooks Atkinson Theatre) *'' The Odd Couple'' (1985–1986) ... Florence Ungar (Broadway: Broadhurst Theatre) *'' Grease'' (1994–1998) ... Miss Lynch (Broadway: Eugene O'Neill Theatre) * '' Annie'' (1998–1999) ... Miss Hannigan, 20th Anniversary National Tour * '' Nunsense'' (2008) ... Mother Superior, 25th Anniversary Tour * '' Hello, Dolly!'' (2013–2014) ... Dolly Levi, 50th Anniversary Tour * ''

Young Frankenstein ''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor ...

'' (2022) ... Frau Blucher (McCoy/Rigby Ent. / La Mirada Theatre, CA)

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

* 1971 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (tied with Valerie Harper) * 1979 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Ovation Awards

* 2010: Won the award for Featured Actress in a Musical for the role of the "Fairy Godmother" in the Cabrillo Music Theatre production of ''Cinderella''

In popular culture

*Struthers was satirized in '' South Park'', mainly the episodes " Starvin' Marvin" (1997) and " Starvin' Marvin in Space" (1999), in which she resembles

Jabba the Hutt Jabba Desilijic Tiure, more commonly known as Jabba the Hutt, is a fictional character and minor antagonist in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Created by George Lucas, Jabba is voiced by Larry Ward with several puppeteers inside a one-ton puppet po ...

and eats the Christian Children's Fund's food herself.

References

External links

* *
Sally Struthers
at Voice Chasers {{DEFAULTSORT:Struthers, Sally 1947 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American activists American Christians Actresses from Portland, Oregon American film actresses American people of Norwegian descent American television actresses American voice actresses Grant High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners