The Surprising Reason Penny Marshall Lost a Starring Role on ‘All in the Family’

In the minds of TV fans, Penny Marshall will forever be linked to her turn as Laverne DeFazio on eight seasons of Laverne & Shirley. But years before Laverne & Shirley‘s premiere, Marshall almost landed another iconic role: Gloria Stivic on All in the Family. In the end, Marshall lost out on the starring role on that series, which premiered on January 12, 1971. But series creator Norman Lear revealed that his casting decision wasn’t based on any issues with Marshall’s acting abilities; instead, he thought Sally Struthers seemed a bit more like Archie Bunker himself, Carroll O’Connor.