The Surprising Way Rob Reiner Landed His Role on ‘All in the Family’

Lauren Novak
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ALL IN THE FAMILY, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers
Everett Collection
Everett Collection
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When All in the Family debuted on January 12, 1971, television changed almost overnight. Norman Lear‘s boundary-pushing sitcom didn’t just introduce America to a new kind of TV family in Archie and Edith Bunker; it also gave viewers one of TV’s most memorable characters, Mike “Meathead” Stivic. But as the show marks its 55th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that the late Rob Reiner wasn’t the first actor Lear imagined in the role.

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All in the Family

Norman Lear

Rob Reiner

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