Norman Lear has taken an important step.
The iconic TV writer and producer turned 100 on Wednesday. A day before the big day, he took to social media getting ready for the special occasion with a video message recorded by her daughter, Kate via her cellphone.
“I mean my God, the miracle of being alive with everything at our disposal and me being 100 tomorrow,” he laughed. “Yeah you hear me, tomorrow I’ll be 100. It’s as believable to me as today I’m 99.”
Lear was the mastermind behind the popular 1970s sitcoms “All in the Family”, “Maude”, “Sanford and Son”, “The Jeffersons”, “Good Times” and “One Day at a Time”.
“I’ve been doing breakfast slots and I guess my breakfast slot right now is when every person who sees me now – some see me a few months after I said . Some will probably see this years after I said this,” he riddled. “But, whenever you all see it, that’ll be the time you see it. I say it.
The five-time Emmy winner went on to explain some of his life lessons.
“What that means to me is: living in the moment. The moment between past and present or present and past,” he continued. “The hammock in the middle between after and after. The moment. Cherish it. Use it. Live love.”
Thoughts on Lear’s birthday continued with an opinion piece for The New York Times about his fictional character Archie Bunker in relation to former President Donald Trump.
“If Archie had been around 50 years later, he probably would have been watching Fox News. He probably would have been a Trump voter,” Lear wrote. “But I think the sight of the American flag being used to attack the Capitol police would have made him sick.”
“I hope Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger’s determination, and commitment to exposing the truth, would have earned her respect,” he continued.
The Hollywood legend is no stranger to bringing heavy subject matter to light. He used “All in the Family” to discuss racism, feminism, homosexuality and more.
Lear rings in his birthday with big honors to his name.
In 1984, Lear was one of the first television producers to be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
In 2017, Lear was one of the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors.
This fall, ABC will continue the centennial celebrations with the special “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter.” It will air on September 22.
