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

Lauren Novak January 9, 5:15 pm

ALL IN THE FAMILY, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers — Everett Collection

Everett Collection

What To Know

Rob Reiner was not the original choice for Mike “Meathead” Stivic in All in the Family, as the roles of Mike and Gloria were recast multiple times before the show aired on CBS.
Reiner was initially rejected for the part, but his performance in an episode of Andy Griffith’s Headmaster caught Norman Lear’s attention, leading to a second audition and ultimately landing him the role.
Reiner’s nuanced portrayal of Mike Stivic became integral to the show’s success, making it difficult to imagine anyone else in the role as All in the Family marks its 55th anniversary.

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.

Before All in the Family ever reached CBS, Lear had already shot two pilots for ABC, and while Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton appeared in them as Archie and Edith, neither featured Reiner as Mike, or Sally Struthers as Gloria Bunker. Gloria and Mike were recast multiple times as the show struggled to find the right balance for its generational clash. In the ’60s, Reiner had had some small guest spots on TV shows, but was known primarily as a writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He auditioned for the role of Mike during this early phase and was initially rejected.

Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers in 'All in the Family'

Everett Collection

The Small Role That Changed Rob Reiner’s Career

However, not long after his first All in the Family audition, Reiner was hired to write for Headmaster, a short-lived drama series starring Andy Griffith. He also appeared in an episode of the show, playing a young teacher. According to Reiner, Lear took note of his work and saw something that hadn’t quite been there before.

**What Rob Reiner Has Said About Landing his All in the Family Role**

Reiner shared, according to SlashFilm, “That episode [of Headmaster I starred in] was one of the reasons I got All in the Family […] I believe I had [originally] auditioned when it was a pilot at ABC. All in the Family had done two pilots at ABC and then, when it eventually got on, it got on at CBS. And Sally Struthers and I were the third set of Mike and Gloria. And I remember auditioning for an earlier version, they said I didn’t get it. But I think Norman Lear saw my work in [Headmaster] and I auditioned again. He felt I had matured as an actor, I think, and gave me the part on the CBS [version of All in the Family].”

ALL IN THE FAMILY, (clockwise from top): Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, 1971-1979

Everett Collection

Once the show aired, Reiner’s Mike Stivic became essential to All in the Family‘s identity. Mike wasn’t just Archie Bunker’s liberal opposite; he was written and played with enough contradictions to feel real. He could be thoughtful and passionate, but also smug, blind to his own biases, and, at times, more interested in being right than in being helpful. Reiner embraced those tensions, helping turn Meathead into a fully realized character. As All in the Family celebrates 55 years, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role, even knowing now that Reiner almost didn’t get the chance to play Meathead at all.