Norman Lear Allegedly Took Family Secret to Grave
Norman Lear reportedly modeled the character Archie Bunker after his own father.
Legendary television producer and laughmeister Norman Lear — who died at 101 on December 5 — reportedly turned the greatest heartache in his life into his biggest achievement, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Insiders revealed that Lear, who was the creator of such iconic sitcoms as Maude, Sanford and Son, and The Jeffersons, modeled his most memorable character, All in the Family's beloved bigot Archie Bunker, after his own father!
Lear, 101, died of natural causes on December 5.
According to the National Enquirer, sources claimed the late TV producer's own ne'er-do-well dad inspired the dynamic character.
"Norman's father, Herman, was a crook who was sent to prison for three years for selling fake bonds — creating hardship and humiliation for the family when Norman was only a kid," an insider dished to the outlet.
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Lear's father, Herman, was reportedly imprisoned for selling fake bonds.
The Maude producer's family was reportedly barely able to scrape by because of Herman's long list of misdeeds — and even after he was released from prison, Herman allegedly engaged in vicious fights at the dinner table with his wife, Jeannette. The constant turmoil in Lear's early years was said to have poisoned his vision of family life.
Despite this, Lear saw his father as more of a rascal than a villan — and used him as the model for the deeply flawed character Archie.
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Sources claimed Lear modeled 'All in the Family' dad Archie Bunker after his own father.
"Norman always saw a twinkle of goodness buried in his dad, and he was always entertained by him," a source said.
"He put all of those qualities in Archie — who was a misinformed bigot who was a good guy underneath and learned from his mistakes in every episode," the tipster continued. "So, in the end, being Herman's son paid off in ways that little Norman probably never dreamed of as a kid!"
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Lear's reps for comment.
Insiders said despite his father Herman's mistakes, Lear 'always saw a twinkle of goodness' in him.
Though Archie Bunker, who was played by Carroll O'Connor, was indeed a deeply flawed character, Lear was celebrated for how he was able to spark conversation on divisive political and societal issues of the time through the popular sitcom — and all under the veil of comedy.
O'Conner went on to win four Emmy awards for his portrayal of the character said to be inspired by Lear's father.
The award-winning writer and producer died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on December 5, according to a statement issued by his family's spokesperson, Lara Bergthold.
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