Sally Struthers Will Answer to Any 1 of These Three Iconic Character Names
Sally Struthers has had a pretty storied career. In fact, her acting career has spanned decades, encompassing appearances in multiple beloved TV shows along the way. Because Sally Struthers has been in the game for so long, different generations recognize her as different characters. She recently revealed she’ll “answer to anything,” but at this point, she’s most often associated with these three characters.
Sally Struthers says she is most often associated with Babette Dell and Gloria Stivic
If you saw Sally Struthers on the street, what character would you associate her with? People recently caught up with Struthers to discuss her illustrious career, and she offered up the answer. Struthers discussed her most iconic roles and how people recognize her today. The famed star admitted that she is most commonly recognized as either Gloria Stivic, from her time on All in the Family, or as Rory and Lorelai Gilmore’s eccentric neighbor in Gilmore Girls, depending on how old the fan is.
Struthers is still often recognized as Gloria because of the iconic nature of the role. It was the job that made her a household name. The character, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker, represented a new generation of American women and a new dynamic in American marriages. She was outspoken, compassionate, spunky, and politically progressive, which was an uncommon portrayal to see at that time. Her marriage was more balanced than that of her parents’, too.

Decades later, when she took on the role of Babette Dell, Struthers was older, and the character was a lot quirkier. Still, she brought the same spunk and spirit to the part. Babette is often credited, along with several other townspeople, with bringing the town of Stars Hollow to life and filling the series with a richness that would have been impossible to achieve any other way.
She’s being recognized now for her latest role, too
While Gloria and Babette are surely Sally Struthers’ most iconic characters to date, she recently told People that she’s also being recognized for her work on A Man on the Inside now. She revealed that, as of late, people have been calling her Virginia, which underscores just how important the recent role is to new fans.
A Man on the Inside is a comedy series that premiered in 2024 on Netflix. In the series, Ted Danson plays a retired engineering professor named Charles Nieuwendyk. In an interesting twist, Nieuwnedyk agrees to go undercover at a San Francisco retirement community called Pacific View in order to help a private investigator uncover the mystery of a missing ruby necklace. Struthers plays Virginia Foldau, a resident at the Pacific View retirement community who finds Charles intriguing. Struther portrays is quirky, flirtatious, and a whole lot of fun.