After Jean Stapleton became famous for playing Edith Bunker, she was offered another big role. In 1983, she was offered the role of Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote. Jessica is a murder mystery novelist that ends up uncovering a lot of real-life crimes.
Ultimately, Jean turned down the role and Angela Lansbury took it instead. It seems hard to picture anyone but Angela in the role. She portrayed Jessica for 12 seasons. Jean once admitted, “That’s correct. Angela will attest to that as well. Every time I saw Angela during those years, she’d say, ‘Thank you, Jean.’”
So, what were her reasons? She said, “I had just come off of eight and a half years on a series. It didn’t seem to be the kind of role that I could really get my teeth into. It didn’t have enough color for me. I found that those in charge were rather rigid about changes, which I had discussed. [I] thought, ‘Well, it’d be a hard row.’ It wouldn’t be the free theater that we had enjoyed in [All in the Family]. I thought, ‘This isn’t for me now, this time. [I] don’t want to commit to this.’”
RELATED: ‘All in the Family’: Remembering the Death of Edith Bunker with Jean Stapleton
Jean added, “It’s quite right and perfectly cast. Angela was standing in the wings wanting some TV exposure, which she didn’t have. So that gave it to her. She was wonderful. Just right for it.”
Go back in time with a clip from Murder, She Wrote:
They were vital parts of an equation that created some of the most memorable moments…
Heather Locklear gained recognition for her role in the '80s popular prime-time soap opera Dynasty…
Daisy Jones & the Six star Riley Keough looked unrecognizable as she rocked a new…
Rumer Willis has hardly held back when it comes to flaunting her mom body since…
Trisha Yearwood recently performed in Las Vegas, and she made sure to give her social…
While at a New York coffee shop, actor Alec Baldwin was approached by a woman…