Where Is He Now: Ed ONeill (Actor) - Al Bundy - Married with Children.
Updated: 7/1/09
Name: Ed ONeill
Born: April 12, 1946, Youngstown, Ohio
Claim To Fame: He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the FOX Network's sitcom, Married...with Children.
Family Life: O'Neill has been married since 1986 to actress
Catherine Rusoff. In 1989, the couple separated but reconciled in 1993. They have two daughters.
Info: O'Neill got his start playing Lenny in a stage
production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He made his film debut in John Boorman's Deliverance as a deputy and appeared in several more movies, including The Bone Collector, Little Giants, and Dutch.
His big break came when he was cast as Al Bundy in Married...with Children, the American sitcom about a dysfunctional family living in Chicago. O'Neill has also appeared in Wayne's World and its sequel, Wayne's World 2, as well as the sitcoms 8 Simple Rules and In Living Color. He had a recurring role as Gov. Eric Baker on NBC's The West Wing.
Trivia: Was nearly cast as "Sam Malone" in the TV show
"Cheers" (1982); the role went to Ted Danson instead.
Taught Social Studies in Youngstown before acting.
Was considered for the role of patriarch "Steven Keaton" in "Family Ties" (1982); the role went to Michael Gross instead.
Graduated from Ursuline High School.
Often plays cops on TV shows or movies.
Invented the popular sandwich called the "Boone" at the famous Se-port Deli in Setauket, New York.
Plays handball.
Was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 as an outside linebacker, but was released before the start of the 1969 regular season.
Where Is He Now: Fans of O'Neill can spot him in advertise-
ments for AOL's online video service, as well as commercials for 1-800-COLLECT. He recently appeared as Bill on HBO's television series John From Cincinnati.
Earlier this year, O'Neill reunited with David Faustino (Bud Bundy) for an episode of Faustino's show Star-ving. He 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.
O'Neill has also trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 15 years under the mentoring of Rorion Gracie. In 2007, he received his Black Belt in the martial art.
During the recent presidential election, O'Neill publicly supported Barack Obama, introducing him at a rally in his home state of Ohio and speaking on behalf of his presidency. He also appeared in a commercial titled "Al the Shoesalesman Gets a Tax Cut", which showcases Obama's tax plan.
