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Ed O'Neill

 
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Ed O'Neill, Actor

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  • Born: 12 April 1946
  • Birthplace: Youngstown, Ohio
  • Best Known As: Al Bundy on TV's Married With Children

Stage and screen actor Ed O'Neill is best known for playing Al Bundy, the coarse and sluggardly husband in TV's Married with Children, which aired originally on the Fox Network from 1987 to 1997. A one-time football player for Youngstown State University, O'Neill had a shot to play professional football with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, but didn't make the cut. He returned to his native Youngstown and worked odd jobs and got involved in theater at the Youngstown Playhouse. He moved to New York in 1977 to pursue acting, appearing in regional theater, on Broadway and in occasional TV and film roles. His big break came when Fox Network was lining up its first-ever season of shows and O'Neill was cast as Bundy. The show was derided by critics as lowbrow comedy, but it ran for eleven seasons and is still being aired in syndication. O'Neill has appeared in several films in a wide range of roles, including Dutch (1991), The Bone Collector (1999) and the David Mamet films The Spanish Prisoner (1997), Spartan (2004) and Redbelt (2008). Attempts at another TV series fell short with Big Apple (2001), L.A. Dragnet (2003) and John from Cincinnati (2007), but O'Neill had a hit again in 2009 as one of the stars of the ABC series Modern Family.

Christina Applegate played Ed O'Neill's daughter in Married with Children... O'Neill has worked with Mamet on stage and on screen since the mid-1970s.

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Ed O'Neill

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Biography

Rising to fame as American family man Al Bundy on the lowbrow sitcom Married...With Children, actor Ed O' Neill was the physical embodiment of almost every stereotype leveled at lower-middle-class husbands and fathers. Although many sneered at the bathroom humor and questionable taste of the series (O'Neill himself admitted that he thought the show would be canceled after a mere six episodes), his perfection in the role was undeniably effective -- so much so that it was difficult for him to avoid typecasting despite the versatility he displayed in such features as Prefontaine and The Spanish Prisoner (both 1997). Following graduation from Ursuline High School, the Youngstown, OH, native worked a series of odd jobs before studying theater and history at Ohio University College and, eventually, Youngstown State University. A talented football player, O'Neill was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, though was cut from the team shortly thereafter. His early stage auditions weren't much more encouraging, and between minor theater roles, the acting hopeful returned to his former high school to teach social studies. He continued to dream of becoming an actor, however, so moved to New York in 1977 and studied at the famed Circle in the Square. An early break came when O'Neill, an understudy for the lead role in the Broadway play Knockout, was asked to take the stage when the original actor abandoned the production.

Although O'Neill had appeared in a brief (one-line), uncredited role in 1972's Deliverance, he had his first real part as a police detective in the Al Pacino thriller Cruising in 1980. As the decade progressed, O'Neill found steady work in made-for-TV features and occasional television guest appearances. In 1986, his performance in the title role in Popeye Doyle (a real-life character memorably portrayed by Gene Hackman in The French Connection) showed him to be a confident and effective lead. During a stage performance as Lenny in Of Mice and Men in Hartford, CT, an executive from FOX happened to be in the audience. After showing the script of Married...With Children to his wife, O'Neill knew that it was not an opportunity to let pass. He landed the role with ease, and his portrayal of the bumbling Al Bundy not only formed the backbone of the series, but created a caricature of American family life which would only be matched by the likes of Homer Simpson. O'Neill appeared in several feature films during the show's ten-year run, including Dutch (1991), Wayne's World (1992), Blue Chips, and Little Giants (both 1994). As the series drew to a close in 1997, the actor began to venture outside the confines of the Bundy family living room in such unexpectedly dramatic turns as The Spanish Prisoner and The Bone Collector. O'Neill later returned to the small screen in Big Apple (2001) and a 2003 remake of Dragnet, playing policemen in both series. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Ed O'Neill

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For other people named Ed O'Neill, see Ed O'Neill (disambiguation).
Ed O'Neill

Ed O'Neill in 2010
Born Edward Phillip O'Neill, Jr.
April 12, 1946 (1946-04-12) (age 65)
Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1972–present
Spouse Catherine Rusoff (1986-present)

Edward Phillip "Ed" O'Neill, Jr. (born April 12, 1946) is an American actor.[1] He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the Fox Network sitcom Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes.[1] He can currently be seen on the award-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family in the role of Jay Pritchett, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Contents

Early life

O'Neill was born into an Irish Catholic family in Youngstown, Ohio.[2][3] His mother, Ruth Ann (née Quinlan), was a homemaker and social worker, and his father, Edward Phillip O'Neill, Sr., was a steel mill worker and truck driver.[4] O'Neill attended Ursuline High School and won a football scholarship to Ohio University, where he majored in history.[5] O'Neill left Ohio after his sophomore year: he spent more time playing sports and partying than studying[5] and also feuded with his coach. He transferred to Youngstown State University, where he was a defensive lineman.[4] O'Neill was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, but was cut in training camp.[3][4] Later, on Married... with Children, O'Neill played a former high-school football star who had failed to make it big and constantly reminisced about his "glory days" at Polk High ("I once scored four touchdowns in a single game"). As part of this theme, former Pittsburgh Steelers great and hall of fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw also made two guest appearances on the show. O'Neill was also a social studies teacher at Ursuline High School, before becoming an actor.[4]

Career

O'Neill reenrolled at YSU after being cut by the Steelers and was one of the first students at the school's then new theatre program. He played Lenny in a stage production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1985, O'Neill appeared in a Red Lobster commercial eating fish and made a brief guest appearance in The Equalizer. In 1986, he was cast as the character of NYPD Police Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle for the planned television series Popeye Doyle. The Popeye Doyle character originally appeared in the motion picture The French Connection (played by Gene Hackman). The two-hour made-for-television movie/pilot was filmed and shown on network television. O'Neill received good reviews for his performance, and the pilot received good ratings, but the series was not picked up for production.

O'Neill is primarily known for playing the lead role of Al Bundy in Married... with Children, a long-running American sitcom about a dysfunctional family living in Chicago.[4] It was the first primetime television series to air on the Fox Network as a midseason replacement, debuting on April 5, 1987 and concluding June 9, 1997.

During and following the success of Married... with Children, O'Neill appeared in several movies, including The Bone Collector, Little Giants, and Dutch. He also had small parts in Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, and appeared as Relish the Troll King in The 10th Kingdom. O'Neill made a brief appearance on the comedy variety show In Living Color, playing the "Dirty Dozens" champion who defeats the challenger, played by Jamie Foxx. He also made a cameo on the sitcom 8 Simple Rules where he was the ex-boyfriend of Cate S. Hennessy (played by Katey Sagal, who portrayed O'Neill's TV wife Peg Bundy on Married with Children). He also appeared in the movie The Adventures of Ford Fairlane with Andrew Dice Clay and in Cruising with Al Pacino. During the mid 1990s, he had a long string of appearances in commercials for 1-800-COLLECT.

Law & Order franchise creator Dick Wolf cast O'Neill as Sgt. Joe Friday in his 2003 remake of Jack Webb's classic TV crime series Dragnet. The series was canceled by ABC in its second season. O'Neill went on to appear as Governor Eric Baker (D-PA), a recurring character on NBC's The West Wing. Baker, a strong candidate for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, assumed the office of the Vice President under Matt Santos at the end of the series.

O'Neill also played Bill on HBO's television series John From Cincinnati.

In 2008, O'Neill appeared in an advertisement for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama reprising his Al Bundy character.[6]

In January 2009, O'Neill reunited with David Faustino (Bud Bundy from Married with Children) for two episodes of Faustino's show Star-ving.[7] O'Neill also appeared with the entire cast of Married with Children again when they were honored at the 7th Annual TV Land Award show in 2009, presented by Dr. Phil.

Since 2009, O'Neill has played Jay Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. The role earned him an Emmy award nominations in 2011.

Personal life

O'Neill has been married since 1986 to actress Catherine Rusoff, who appeared in two episodes of Married... with Children. In 1989, the couple separated but reconciled in 1993. They have two daughters, Claire in 1996 and Sophia in 1999.

After being introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by his friend writer/director John Milius, O'Neill has trained in the martial art for 17 years under the mentoring of Rorion Gracie, whose father Helio Gracie and uncle Carlos Gracie created Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In December 2007, O'Neill received his black belt.[8]

He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 30th 2011.[9]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Other notes
1980 Cruising Det. Schreiber
The Dogs of War Terry
1989 Disorganized Crime George Denver
K-9 Sgt. Brannigan
1990 The Adventures of Ford Fairlane Lt. Amos
Sibling Rivalry Wilbur Meany
1991 Dutch Dutch Dooley Alternative title: Driving Me Crazy
1992 Wayne's World Glen, Mikita's Manager
1993 Wayne's World 2 Glen, Mikita's Manager
1994 Blue Chips Ed
Little Giants Kevin O'Shea
1997 Prefontaine Bill Dellinger
The Spanish Prisoner FBI Team Leader
1999 The Bone Collector Det. Paulie Sellitto
2000 Lucky Numbers Dick Simmons
2001 Nobody's Baby Norman Pinkney
2004 Spartan Burch
2005 Steel Valley Congressman Cardone Short film
2008 Redbelt Hollywood Producer
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1970 All My Children Unknown episodes
1980 The Day the Women Got Even Ed TV-Movie
1982 Farrell for the People Det. Jay Brennan TV-Movie
1983 When Your Lover Leaves Mack Sher TV-Movie
1984 Miami Vice Arthur Lawson/Artie Rollins Episode: Heart of Darkness
1985 Hunter Dan Colson Episode: The Garbage Man
Braker Danny Buckner TV-Pilot
The Equalizer Doctor Episode: The Children's Song
1986 A Winner Never Quits Whitey Wyshner TV-Movie
Popeye Doyle Popeye Doyle TV-Movie/TV-Pilot
Spenser: For Hire Buddy Almeida Episode: Widow's Walk
1987 Right to Die TV-Movie
1987–1997 Married... with Children Al Bundy Sitcom
1988 Midnight Caller Hank Episode: Twelve Gauge
Police Story: Gladiator School Sgt. Stanley Bivens TV-Movie
1990 A Very Retail Christmas Max Crandall TV-Movie
Saturday Night Live Himself Guest host: January 13, 1990
1991 The Whereabouts of Jenny Jimmy O'Meara TV-Movie
Top of the Heap Al Bundy Episode: Top of the Heap
1993 Nick's Game Ron Hawthorne TV-Movie
1995 W.E.I.R.D. World Dr. Monochian TV-Movie
2000 The 10th Kingdom Relish the Troll King Miniseries
2001 Big Apple Det. Michael Mooney 8 episodes
2003–2004 L.A. Dragnet Lt. Joe Friday 22 episodes
2004 In the Game Buzz First TV-Pilot
2004, 2005 The West Wing Gov. Eric Baker 4 episodes
2005 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter Matt Episode: Old Flame
In the Game Buzz Second TV-Pilot
2006 Inseparable Alan TV-Pilot
Twenty Good Years Brock Manley Episode: Between Brock and a Hard Place
The Unit William Partch Episode: Silver Star
2007 John from Cincinnati Bill Jacks 10 episodes
2009–present Modern Family Jay Pritchett
2011 Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Grandpa Episode: Truth or Daredevil

Awards and nominations

Year Award Show Category Title Of Work Result
1992 Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical Married...with Children Nominated
1993 Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical Married...with Children Nominated
2009 TV Land Award Innovator Award Married...with Children Won
2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Modern Family Nominated
2010 Emmy Awards Best Actor in a Comedy Series Modern Family Won
2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Modern Family Nominated
2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Modern Family Won
2011 Monte Carlo TV Festival Golden Nymph for Outstanding Actor - Comedy Series Modern Family Nominated
2011 Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Modern Family Nominated
2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Modern Family Won

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Ed O'Neill Biography". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642145. Retrieved 2007-11-09. 
  2. ^ Pallante, Sally; Scotty Hanahan, Jim Dunn, Paul Miller, Martin Pallante, Terry Dunn (2004). Irish in Youngstown and the Greater Mahoning Valley. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 105. 
  3. ^ a b "Ed O'Neill: Biography". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ed-oneill/bio/148365. Retrieved January 21, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c d e "Ed O'Neill Biography". Biography.com. A&E Networks. http://www.biography.com/articles/Ed-O%27Neill-575134?print. Retrieved January 21, 2011. 
  5. ^ a b Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2011
  6. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99HzP6BQm5Y&feature=player_embedded
  7. ^ "Star-ving’s David Faustino’s five favorite comedians of all time + Ed O’Neill reunion". Punchline Magazine. http://punchlinemagazine.com/blog/star-vings-david-faustinos-five-favorite-comedians-of-all-time-ed-oneill-reunion. Retrieved 2009-02-20. [dead link]
  8. ^ "Al Bundy Gets Black Belt". Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3yjN1KrqfM. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  9. ^ Variety. http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/06/oprah-neil-patrick-harris-tina-fey-to-get-hollywood-walk-of-fame-stars.html. 

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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Who2 Profiles. Copyright © 1998-2012 by Who2, LLC. All rights reserved. See the Ed O'Neill biography from Who2.  Read more
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Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Ed O'Neill.  Read more

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