LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Iconic TV producer, developer, writer and author Norman Lear, the man behind All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son, passed away Tuesday (December 5) at his home in Los Angeles. Lear’s publicist confirmed the news of his death to Variety and that a private service for immediate family will be held in the upcoming days. Lear passed away of natural causes – he was 101.
“Thank you for the moving outpouring of love and support in honor of our wonderful husband, father, and grandfather,” Lear’s family said in a statement. “Norman lived a life of creativity, tenacity, and empathy. He deeply loved our country and spent a lifetime helping to preserve its founding ideals of justice and equality for all. Knowing and loving him has been the greatest of gifts. We ask for your understanding as we mourn privately in celebration of this remarkable human being.”
Lear was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 27, 1922. Both his parents were Jews of Russian origin. He attended Boston’s Emerson College – only to drop out and enlist in the United States Air Force in 1942 – where he served as a radio operator and gunner on B-17 bombers in the European theater, flying 52 missions.
After returning home from the war, Lear began his career as a press agent, eventually picking up and moving to Los Angeles to further his career. And the rest, as they say – is history.
Lear’s shows tackled what was considered “taboo” in the 1970s – feminism, social inequality and racism. In doing so, his comedy dominated the ratings throughout the 70s. Starting with All in the Family, which won the Emmy for Outstanding New Series, Lear focused on the white working-class Bunker family and its small-minded, prejudiced, exacerbating patriarch Archie Bunker. However, before the iconic TV show hit the air, Lear was already an established comedy writer with a 1968 Oscar nomination for his screenplay “Divorce American Style.” All in the Family was an instant hit with viewers.
Sanford and Son, which focused on a Black family living in Los Angeles (“It’s the big one!”), and All in the Family ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country, with both spawning several spinoffs. All in the Family was also awarded four Emmy awards in 1971 – 1973 and a 1977 Peabody Award to Lear for “giving us comedy with a social conscience.” per Variety. Lear received his second Peabody in 2016 for his career achievements.
Other notable career highlights include One Day at a Time (1975-1984), featuring a single mother of two daughters, Diff’rent Strokes (1978-1986), which featured the trials and joys of two Black kids being adopted by a white and very wealthy businessman, The Jeffersons () featuring the struggles of a middle-class Black family, Good Times, which dealt with poverty, genuine social issues and discrimination, Maude, about a feminist and many others.
Other credits include the big-screen movies Stand By Me, The Thief Who Came To Dinner, Fried Green Tomatoes and cult classic The Princess Bride.
Known for his philosophical way of thinking and liberal views, Lear established the liberal political organization People for the American Way.
Even in his 90s, Lear kept working. Along with Jimmy Kimmel, 95-year-old Lear produced and hosted three Live in Front of a Studio Audience episodes, which won Primetime Emmy Awards in 2019 and 2020.
He is survived by his third wife, Lyn Davis, six children and four grandchildren.
