Sally Struthers

Last updated
Sally Struthers
Sally Struthers 1996.jpg
Struthers in 1996
Born
Sally Anne Struthers

(1947-07-28) July 28, 1947 (age 76)
Occupation(s)Actress, activist
Years active1970–present
Known for Gloria Stivic in All in the Family
Spouse
(m. 1977;div. 1983)
Children1

Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) [1] is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton) on All in the Family , for which she won two Emmy Awards, and Babette on Gilmore Girls . She was also the voice of Charlene Sinclair on the ABC sitcom Dinosaurs , Pebbles Flintstone on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show , and Rebecca Cunningham on the Disney animated series TaleSpin .

Contents

Early life

Struthers' senior class photo, 1965 Sally Struthers yearbook photo 1965.png
Struthers' senior class photo, 1965

Sally Anne Struthers was born July 28, 1947, in Portland, Oregon, [1] the second of two daughters [2] [3] born to Margaret Caroline (née Jernes) and Robert Alden Struthers, a surgeon. She has an older sister, Sue. [3] Her maternal grandparents were Norwegian immigrants. [2]

Her father abandoned the family when Struthers was approximately nine years old, [2] after which she was raised by her single mother in the Concordia neighborhood of northeast Portland. [4] Her mother, who supported herself and her two daughters working at Bonneville Power Administration, [4] suffered from significant depression during Struthers' childhood. [4]

Career

In Five Easy Pieces (1970) Struthers was cast opposite Jack Nicholson. She appeared as a restless wife of a veterinarian in The Getaway starring Steve McQueen (1972). Around that time Struthers debuted as Gloria Stivic on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family , producer Norman Lear had found the actress dancing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour .[ citation needed ]

According to a WPTT radio interview with Doug Hoerth in 2003,[ citation needed ] Struthers thought that Rob Reiner's then-fiancée and later wife, Penny Marshall, would get the role of Gloria, as Marshall more resembled Jean Stapleton, 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 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:

I had just gotten let go from The Tim Conway Comedy Hour because the suits in New York said that I made the show look cheap. And the producer said, "That's the whole point, we're trying to make it look like the Conway show doesn't have a budget, has no money, and so that's why there's only one Tim Conway dancer instead of a line of them like the June Taylor Dancers on The Jackie Gleason Show , and there's only one musician, and they can't even afford an instrument for him, so he's standing at a music stand, humming the opening theme song." That's funny! And the suits said, "No, it makes the show look cheap." So they let me, the Tim Conway dancer, go. And if they hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been free to read for All in the Family. [5]

In 1977 she portrayed a housewife who was physically abused by her husband (portrayed by Dennis Weaver) in the made-for-TV movie Intimate Strangers , one of the first network features to depict domestic violence.[ citation needed ]

Struthers (upper-left) in the 1976 cast promotional photo of All in the Family All in the Family cast 1976.JPG
Struthers (upper-left) in the 1976 cast promotional photo of All in the Family

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 as the doctor of an animal clinic with Gloria as his assistant.[ citation needed ] 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'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. [6]

She was a semi-regular panelist on the 1990 revival of Match Game and an occasional guest on Win, Lose or Draw (even filling in for Vicki Lawrence 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 Gilmore Girls as Babette Dell. She also provided voices for a number of animated series such as The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show (as a teenage Pebbles Flintstone), TaleSpin (as Rebecca Cunningham) and was one of the voice stars on ABC's Dinosaurs produced by Walt Disney and Henson Productions (as Charlene Sinclair).[ citation needed ]

Struthers starred in the stage production of Annie at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, [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, in Ogunquit, Maine. [8]

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

Activism

Struthers was [9] [10] a spokesperson for Christian Children's Fund (later renamed ChildFund), advocating on behalf of impoverished children in developing countries.

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. [11]

Personal life

Struthers married psychiatrist William C. Rader on December 18, 1977, in Los Angeles. [12] [13] After having one child, daughter Samantha, the couple divorced on January 19, 1983. [14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1970 The Phynx World's No. 1 Fan
1970 Five Easy Pieces Shirley "Betty"
1972 The Getaway Fran Clinton
1976 The Great Houdini Bess Houdini
1978 A Different Approach CameoShort film
1979...And Your Name Is JonahJenny Corelli
1997The OthersMrs. Zelov
2001Out of the BlackBetty
2001 A Month of Sundays Onida Roy
2003ReesevilleKatie Oakman
2003 Baadasssss! Roz
2005 Hoodwinked! Granny Abigail PuckettUnused voice; lines overdubbed by Glenn Close [15]
2010Monster HeroesKripta
2014Waiting in the Wings: the MusicalSperm Bank Receptionist
2015Hollywood Musical!Sally
2016Still Waiting in the WingsLucy
2017 The Relationtrip Liam's MomVoice [16]
2017You & MeTilly

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1970 The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Performer8 episodes
1970 The Tim Conway Comedy Hour 13 episodes
1971–1978 All in the Family Gloria Stivic 182 episodes
1971–1972 The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show Pebbles Flintstone Voice, 16 episodes
1971 Love, American Style BarbaraEpisode: "Love and the Triangle"
1971 Ironside Sandy FondaEpisode: "Love, Peace, Brotherhood and Murder"
1971 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Katie O'HaraEpisode: "The Blarney Stone"
1974Aloha Means GoodbyeSara MooreTelevision film
1975 Hey, I'm Alive Helen KlabenTelevision film
1977–1978 Fred Flintstone and Friends Pebbles FlintstoneVoice, 95 episodes
1977 Intimate Strangers Janice HalstonTelevision film
1978My Husband is MissingMrs. Katherine EatonTelevision film
1979 The 200th Episode Celebration of All in the Family HerselfTelevision special
1979–1982 Archie Bunker's Place Gloria Stivic5 episodes
1981A Gun in the HouseEmily CatesTelevision film
1982–1983 Gloria Gloria Stivic21 episodes
1983 The Charmkins Poison IvyVoice, 1 episode [16]
1985 The Glo Friends Save Christmas BlancheVoice, television special
1985 Alice in Wonderland Tiger LilyMiniseries
1986–1988 9 to 5 Marsha McMurray Shrimpton52 episodes
1989 Charles in Charge Nora Bennington, Nancy BeaumanEpisode: "Still at Large"
1989A Deadly SilenceAunt MarilynTelevision film
1990 TaleSpin: Plunder & Lightning Rebecca Cunningham Voice, television film
1990 Sister Kate Mrs. NewberryEpisode: "Sweet Sixteen"
1990 Murder, She Wrote Nancy La RueEpisode: "A Body to Die For"
1990–1991 TaleSpin Rebecca CunninghamVoice, 42 episodes
1991 All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special HerselfTelevision special
1991–1994 Dinosaurs Charlene SinclairVoice, 65 episodes
1991 Yo Yogi! Additional voices9 episodes
1991 Tom & Jerry Kids Jerry's MotherVoice, episode: "Jerry's Mother"
1992 In the Best Interest of the Children Patty PepperTelevision film
1992 The Tin Soldier NarratorTelevision special
1992 Fish Police ShellyVoice, episode: "Beauty's Only Fin Deep"
1992 Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa Bessy BluebellVoice, episode: "Another Fine Mesa"
1992 Tiny Toon Adventures Rhoda's Mom, Witch SandyVoice, 2 episodes [16]
1993–1994 Droopy, Master Detective Additional voices13 episodes
1994 Duckman Additional voicesEpisode: "Cellar Beware"
1995The New Adventures of Mother Goose Mother Goose Voice, television special
1998 Cow and Chicken Girl Enzyme #1Voice, episode: "Journey to the Center of Cow" [16]
1998 The Wild Thornberrys Galapagos Penguin, Iguanas Voice, episode: "Eliza-cology" [16]
1999 The Brothers Flub Additional voicesVoice
2000–2007 Gilmore Girls Babette Dell 52 episodes
2002 General Hospital Jennifer Smith6 episodes
2002 As Told by Ginger Mrs. HigsbyVoice, episode: "New Girl in Town"
2003 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Aunt LorraineEpisode: "Ping, Ping a Song"
2003 The Division Eve WarnerEpisode: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"
2003–2006 Still Standing Louise Miller10 episodes
2004 Odd Job Jack Additional voicesEpisode: "Almost Wormless"
2006What I Did for LoveAunt TrudyTelevision film
2008–2009 Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures Mrs. O'ConnorVoice, 26 episodes
2011 American Dad! ClaraVoice, episode: "A Ward Show"
2011 Celebrity Ghost Stories HerselfEpisode: "Beverly D'Angelo/Sally Struthers/Melissa George"
2016 Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Babette DellMiniseries
2016 Maron Shirley2 episodes
2018Christmas HarmonyShirleyTelevision film
2019–2021 Summer Camp Island Rose / variousVoice, 3 episodes

Audio dramas

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2021–2022 Around the Sun Mrs. TruittVoice, 2 episodes

Stage

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

Ovation Awards

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References

  1. 1 2 Leszczak, Bob (2014). The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen: A History with Cast and Crew Profiles and an Episode Guide. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 119. ISBN   978-1-476-61539-4.
  2. 1 2 3 Struthers, Sally (November 7, 2001). "Testimony to The Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Facility: Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century". Federal Depository Library Program . Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Tate, Toli (24 April 2017). "All in The Acting | Grant Magazine" . Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  4. 1 2 3 Tate, Toli (April 24, 2017). "All in the Acting". Grant Magazine. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  5. Fallick, Alan H. (July 24, 2012). "Sally Struthers on '9 to 5,' Life and Topless Scene with Jack Nicholson". Newsday.com. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  6. soundcloud.com
  7. Janich, Kathy (14 January 2012). "Annie at the Fox Theatre". Encore Atlanta. Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing Inc. pp. 10–12. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  8. Keyes, Bob (April 1, 2012). "Waiting in the wings: Summer". The Portland Press Herald . Portland, Maine . Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  9. "The price of a cup of coffee". March 2021.
  10. http://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/05/28/charitys-spending-faulted/5250c688-e3f5-4b01-a799-f485c69956a6/
  11. "Prestegious ICS School".
  12. "California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985". State of California. Sally A Struthers, Female, 1947, age 30, date: 18 Dec 1977, place: Los Angeles, spouse:William C Rader
  13. "Sally's Family Life". People magazine . February 16, 1981. Retrieved 2015-03-13. ... her husband, Dr. William Rader, 42 ... Rader's three children from a previous marriage ...
  14. "California, Divorce Index, 1966-1984". familysearch.org. State of California . Retrieved 2021-03-06. William C Rader, date: 18 Jan 1983, place: Los Angeles, spouse: Sally A(registration required)
  15. Joe Strike (August 31, 2007). ""With the Talents Of ..." Celebritization of the VO Biz". awn.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sally Struthers (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 14, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  17. "2009/2010 Ovation Award Winners". January 17, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2014.