What Is Actor Ed O’Neill Up To Now?

Modern Family Ed O'Neill, 'The Bicycle Thief', (Season 1, aired Sept. 30, 2009), 2009-. — Eric McCandless/ABC/Everett Collection

What To Know

Ed O’Neill, best known for his roles in Married… with Children and Modern Family, continues to act selectively.
Before his acting career, O’Neill briefly pursued professional football.
Outside of acting, O’Neill is a dedicated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Ed O’Neill turns 80 on April 12, 2026, and if you grew up watching sitcoms, you probably know him from at least two huge shows. He starred as Al Bundy in Married… with Children through the late ’80s and ’90s, then came back years later as Jay Pritchett in Modern Family, which ran from 2009 to 2020 and introduced him to a whole new audience. In honor of his special birthday, let’s find out what he’s been up to in recent years.

Before becoming a TV star, O’Neil almost had a completely different career. In 1969, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent under head coach Chuck Noll, but he was cut during training camp while competing against rookies Joe Greene and L.C. Greenwood, who would go on to become key pieces of the team’s “Steel Curtain” defense in the ’70s.

After that setback, O’Neill returned home and briefly worked as a substitute social studies teacher at Ursuline High School, his alma mater, before fully committing to acting. This story ended up shaping one of his most famous roles, since Al Bundy’s constant references to his high school football glory days echoed his life in a personal way.

Married... With Children Ed O'Neill, 1987-1997

Fox Network/Everett Collection

While he is best known for Married… with Children and Modern Family, he also had roles in Little Giants, Wayne’s World, and The Bone Collector, and he also did voice work as Mr. Litwak in Wreck-It Ralph and Hank the octopus in Finding Dory.

After Modern Family ended in 2020, he shifted into more selective roles. One of his most notable recent appearances came in 2024, when he played Donald Sterling in the FX miniseries Clipped, a dramatization of the Los Angeles Clippers scandal.

He has also continued to take on smaller projects and recurring roles. He was recently a part of the cast of the series All’s Fair. Before that, his recent film work included The Last Shift in 2020, in which he played a veteran fast-food worker nearing retirement.

Away from the screen, O’Neill’s life has been pretty stable. He has been married to actress Catherine Rusoff since 1986, and they have two daughters together. He tends to keep that part of his life private.

Finding Your Roots Buried Secrets Ed O'Neill

PBS

One detail that often surprises people is that he has been training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for many years. He began training in 1991 under Rorion Gracie and stuck with it for years, eventually earning his black belt in 2007. He has said that earning that black belt ranks among the most important achievements in his life, which says a lot since he has earned several awards for his acting career, including four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In more recent years, he also appeared on the genealogy series Finding Your Roots in 2024, where he learned more about his Irish ancestry, tied to his upbringing in Youngstown, Ohio.