Ed O'Neill

Ed O'Neill
O'Neill at the 2015 PaleyFest for Modern Family
Born
Edward Leonard O'Neill

(1946-04-12) April 12, 1946 (age 78)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • football player
Years active1967–present
Spouse
Catherine Rusoff
(m. 1986)
Children2

American football career
Personal information
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Career information
High school:Ursuline
(Youngstown, Ohio)
College:Youngstown State
Position:Defensive lineman
Undrafted:1969
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Edward Leonard O'Neill[1] (born April 12, 1946) is an American actor, comedian and former football player. Over his career he has earned four Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.

He gained stardom for playing a working class father, Al Bundy, on the Fox sitcom Married... with Children (1987–1997) for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy twice. He had a career resurgence portraying the family patriarch Jay Pritchett on the award-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family (2009–2020), for which he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series and won four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.[2][3] He portrayed Governor Eric Baker in the drama series The West Wing (2004–2005) and Donald Sterling in the FX on Hulu limited series Clipped (2024).

On film, he made his debut in the William Friedkin crime thriller Cruising (1980). He has since appeared in the Wayne's World film series (1991–1992), Dutch (1991), Little Giants (1994), Prefontaine (1997), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), The Bone Collector (1999), Sun Dogs (2017), and The Last Shift (2020). He has done voice-work for animated films such as the Wreck-It Ralph franchise (2012–present) and Finding Dory (2016).

  1. ^ "Ed O'Neill | Television Academy Interviews". Television Academy. October 22, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Romero, Frances (September 16, 2011). "Ed O'Neill: From Al Bundy to Jay Pritchett". Time. Archived from the original on September 16, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  3. ^ "Ed O'Neill | TV Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved August 11, 2019.