Edward Leonard O'Neill (born April 12, 1946) is an American actor and
comedian. His roles include Al Bundy on the Fox Network sitcom
Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden
Globes, and Jay Pritchett on the award-winning ABC sitcom Modern
Family, a role for which he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy
Awards and won four Screen Actors Guild Awards (all four for being
part of the best Ensemble in a Comedy Series). He has also appeared in
the Wayne's World film series, Little Giants, Prefontaine, The Bone
Collector and Sun Dogs, and has done voice-work for the Wreck It Ralph
franchise and Finding Dory.O'Neill was born into an Irish-American
Catholic family in Youngstown, Ohio. His mother, Ruth Ann (née
Quinlan), was a homemaker and social worker, and his father, Edward
Phillip O'Neill, was a steel mill worker and truck driver. O'Neill
attended Ursuline High School before transferring to Worthington High
School and winning a state championship, earning the name Ed O'Winner
and winning a football scholarship to Ohio University, where he
majored in history, also joining the Mu chapter of the Delta Tau Delta
fraternity. O'Neill left Ohio after his sophomore year; he spent more
time playing sports and partying than studying, and also feuded with
his coach.He transferred to Youngstown State University, where he was
a defensive lineman. While an undergraduate, O'Neill pledged Delta
Sigma Phi and was initiated into the Delta Sigma chapter there. Rumors
abound that he was an avid partier. O'Neill was signed as an undrafted
free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 but was cut in training
camp. 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 Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback
Terry Bradshaw also made two guest appearances on the show. Bradshaw
also made an appearance in O'Neill's Modern Family. O'Neill worked as
a substitute social studies teacher at Ursuline High School before
becoming an actor.
comedian. His roles include Al Bundy on the Fox Network sitcom
Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden
Globes, and Jay Pritchett on the award-winning ABC sitcom Modern
Family, a role for which he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy
Awards and won four Screen Actors Guild Awards (all four for being
part of the best Ensemble in a Comedy Series). He has also appeared in
the Wayne's World film series, Little Giants, Prefontaine, The Bone
Collector and Sun Dogs, and has done voice-work for the Wreck It Ralph
franchise and Finding Dory.O'Neill was born into an Irish-American
Catholic family in Youngstown, Ohio. His mother, Ruth Ann (née
Quinlan), was a homemaker and social worker, and his father, Edward
Phillip O'Neill, was a steel mill worker and truck driver. O'Neill
attended Ursuline High School before transferring to Worthington High
School and winning a state championship, earning the name Ed O'Winner
and winning a football scholarship to Ohio University, where he
majored in history, also joining the Mu chapter of the Delta Tau Delta
fraternity. O'Neill left Ohio after his sophomore year; he spent more
time playing sports and partying than studying, and also feuded with
his coach.He transferred to Youngstown State University, where he was
a defensive lineman. While an undergraduate, O'Neill pledged Delta
Sigma Phi and was initiated into the Delta Sigma chapter there. Rumors
abound that he was an avid partier. O'Neill was signed as an undrafted
free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 but was cut in training
camp. 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 Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback
Terry Bradshaw also made two guest appearances on the show. Bradshaw
also made an appearance in O'Neill's Modern Family. O'Neill worked as
a substitute social studies teacher at Ursuline High School before
becoming an actor.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.