“All In The Family” was one of the best TV shows ever made, teaching important lessons that still matter today.

It made many actors famous, including Sally Struthers.

Nowadays, Sally Struthers, who was known for her beautiful blonde hair, looks quite different.

However, she is still working in the entertainment industry.

Many people remember Sally Struthers as Gloria Stivic from the 1970s sitcom “All In The Family.” The show, about a working-class white family in Queens, New York, was incredibly popular, receiving 73 award nominations and winning 42.

People born after the show aired might not understand just how groundbreaking it was. Unlike other sitcoms of the time, “All In The Family” tackled social issues and taboos, making them funny, heartbreaking, or both.

Watching old episodes on YouTube can bring back feelings of nostalgia, making you laugh and forget about current problems. Interestingly, many of the issues from back then are still relevant today, but the show presented them in a humorous way.

The main characters in “All In The Family” were Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O’Connor), Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton), Gloria Bunker-Stivic (Sally Struthers), Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner), and Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois). They all had great chemistry together.

I think Sally Struthers was a very talented and versatile actress who didn’t get enough credit. She even sang in some episodes, and you could see her grow as an actress throughout the series.

In 1973, Sally told the Longview Daily News, “At first I behaved like an idiot on the set. I thought that was the way to get people to like me. I’ve been educated on the set. I’ve learned to be myself. And now, they respect me.”

When “All In The Family” started in January 1971, Sally Struthers was a 22-year-old unknown actress with little TV experience. Producer Norman Lear, who Sally described as a “father to us all,” discovered her when she was dancing on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”

Even though she was new, Sally did a fantastic job, just like the rest of the cast. Six months after the show premiered, she became a big star as “All In The Family” became the No.1 show on TV.

At the peak of her fame, Sally could hardly go outside or eat dinner without being surrounded by fans. It was quite a challenge for a young, innocent 22-year-old.

During the early seasons of “All In The Family,” Sally Struthers enjoyed playing Gloria Stivic. However, she often didn’t get the chance to fully develop her character or showcase her acting talents. During a break from the show, she told the producers she wanted to try more dramatic roles.

“When we go on hiatus, I want to do something different,” she said. “There are so many ways to represent a woman. I would like to play a murderess, an unwed mother, a nun, and an old Jewish mother. At the end of my career, I’d like people to say I’m as funny as Judy Holliday and as revered as Ruth Gordon.”

Typecasting can limit an actor’s career. Often, actors become famous for a particular role, but struggle to find success afterward. Unfortunately, this happened to Sally.

She won two Emmy awards for her role as Gloria and starred in a few other shows after leaving “All In The Family.” However, she didn’t receive many offers, and work started to dry up for her.

In the 1990s, she was a semi-regular panelist on the game show “Match Game.” Some people might also recognize Sally as Babette Dell from “Gilmore Girls.”

Since the early 2000s, she has been a regular performer at the Ogunquit Playhouse, a regional theater in Ogunquit, Maine, which produces several shows each season. In 2022, she starred as Frau Blucher in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Sally has also been dedicated to advocating for impoverished children in developing countries. She has been a spokesperson for the Christian Children’s Fund for many years and appeared in their well-known TV commercials.

Many people might not know this, but Sally is a mother of one. Although she initially didn’t want children, she changed her mind after meeting famous psychiatrist William C. Rader. The couple married in 1977, and two years later, they welcomed a daughter, Samantha.