Sterling Reputation
Ed O’Neill lives for the moment — always has. It explains his easy-going nature.
But these days, the veteran actor may find it more facile without the hectic filming schedule of a TV series that, for him, included two long-running and exceptionally successful shows — Married with Children and Modern Family.
For 11 seasons starting in 1987, millions of Americans were glued to their TVs each week, tuning in to the fictional dysfunctional Bundy family on Married with Children. On the show, O’Neill played the crotchety shoe salesman, Al Bundy, who despite his misanthropic behavior became one of the best TV dads of all time.
It’s a title O’Neill would earn once again as family patriarch Jay Pritchett on ABC’s Modern Family, which also filmed for 11 years.
Both shows were undoubtedly the most successful of his career, and O’Neill acknowledges the two sitcoms are among his professional highlights. However, he also points out that he doesn’t want to do series work anymore.
“It’s too many hours,” he explains.
Shortly after filming for the final episode of Modern Family wrapped in February 2020 (and just before the pandemic hit), O’Neill touched down in Hawai‘i, where he has a home on the Big Island.
“We come here at least four times a year,” he shares, noting he spends most of the year in L.A., where he has multiple properties including a Cliff May-designed ranch house in Brentwood and a 1920s Spanish-style abode in Santa Monica. “Sometimes my family (wife, Catherine, and daughters, Sophia and Claire) will come, and I don’t.
“I just love being surrounded by this beautiful nature that’s everywhere — the ocean, trade winds, mountains, and I do love the people here. I think they’re just amazing. And I like the restaurants. I like to go up to Waimea and go to Merriman’s and have lunch.”
Most of all, Hawai‘i is his home away from the limelight. It’s where you’ll find him living life “more like a lizard on a rock,” reading a lot (a favorite hobby of his) and taking dips in the ocean.
“Unless you go in the ocean and look back at the land, you’re missing something,” he shares.
Back in Hollywood, O’Neill has been busy with press recently for his latest role in FX’s mini-series Clipped (premiering June 4).
Airing every week for six weeks on Hulu, the series is based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast The Sterling Affairs. O’Neill stars as Donald Sterling, the disgraced billionaire ex-owner of the L.A. Clippers who was banned from the NBA for life after a recording surfaced of him making racist remarks.
For O’Neill — whose film credits also include a number of voice-over roles, most notably Hank in Finding Dory and Mr. Lit- wak in Wreck-It Ralph — taking on a part really depends on the script.
“These two shows I did for David Milch (Big Apple and John from Cincinnati) probably gave me the best two parts I had in front of a camera, up until this one I just did, Clipped. That’s another really good part,” says O’Neill.
“There are certain genres I kinda like to get into, but you never know until you see it. There are certain things I don’t want to do. Basically, it’s all about the script. And now ... you get older all right, it’s got to be something I really want to do now because it’s too hard to get into the driveway.”
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, O’Neill attended Ohio University and Youngstown State University, where he was a star linebacker on the gridiron. He even signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pitts- burgh Steelers in 1969 but was ultimately cut after a couple of weeks, missing legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw by just one season. But the two would team up years later as Bradshaw made guest appearances on both Married with Children and Modern Family. And O’Neill much prefers the on-screen connection over a blitz. In fact, he doesn’t really have any interest in football anymore.
“If I never see another screen pass, I’m fine,” he says.
He has, however, picked up another contact sport over the years: Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He’s been training with the famed Gracie family for about three decades, and even earned a black belt.
“It took me 16 years to get the black belt, so that was a big thrill for me,” he enthuses. “They don’t give those away, the Gracies especially.”
O’Neill admits he hasn’t been training since the pandemic, but would like to get back on the mat someday, hopefully soon.
In the meantime, he’s making the most of each day as it comes, carpe diem. Whether that’s cooking, enjoying his favorite red wine, or growing his knife collection (currently at about 150, consisting mostly of folding knives, some straight blades, a couple of Loveless knives and a few chef knives).
“Everybody wants to find a meaning of life,” says O’Neill. “Of course, there’s obvious things like love, being a good person, helping others — those are all things that can contribute to a good life.
“But the actual life itself is only now. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not here, so if it’s only in the moment, what meaning could there be? You’re just going through until it’s over, so why stress about something? You can’t worry about it.”