Ed O'Neill & Wife Gave Their Love Another Chance after Long Break — They're Still Together after 29 Years

Ed O'Neill played Al Bundy on "Married... With Children" for 11 years. On the show, he met his wife, Catherine Rusoff, but the two separated after a few years. After four years apart, they decided to try again. This time, it worked.

Edward O'Neill made a name for himself as the ill-tempered Al Bundy on "Married... With Children." He played the perfect unhappy husband and father. Al was displeased by almost everything, and he loved to share stories of his glory days as a football player. Al was a shoe salesman married to Peggy Bundy.

Al had three kids, but Al's extensive list of dislikes gave the show its character. His most famous line from the show is, "A fat woman walks into a shoe store..." In the scene, the character's disdain for his client becomes apparent as he insults her in increasingly creative ways. But so does his bitter disposition.

Ed played the character of Al Bundy for 11 years on FOX network's "Married... With Children." With so many years devoted to playing a character, he expected to be kept in the loop regarding the show's future. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case when the show was eventually canceled.

Instead, Ed was on vacation in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, when he heard the news. He was just coming out of his room at a local bed and breakfast when he bumped into two fans of his. They told him what an honor it was to meet him and offered their condolences about the show, leaving him confused.

The studio only contacted him about six weeks later to give him the news. Ed had already come to terms with things by then, but he had one question. He asked the person on the phone, "11 years we kept you in the black. No gifts from the cast?"

Ed was disappointed, but in the end, the role of Al opened up many other opportunities for him. He established himself as an actor who could play a father figure, which would lead to other better things in the future. He also met a few people on the show set who became important in his life.

Ed Got Married

Funnily enough, Ed shared a few traits with his character. Like Al, the actor used to be a football player. He was on a scholarship at Ohio University. After his football career ended, he decided to study acting. He went back to school and supported himself with menial jobs that paid little.

Although Ed loves being a father, having Sophia and Claire was not originally part of his plan.

Eventually, the actor found a break after working as a social studies teacher in a high school and waiting tables at O'Neal's Balloon restaurant. The role that made him famous came up, and he started acting as the middle-aged Al on "Married... With Children."

But he got much more from his breakout role than a cushy paycheck and a good reputation. While working on the show, a new character, Betsy, was introduced. Although she wouldn't be around for too long, the actress who played Betsy, Catherine Rusoff, would be about for a while.

The two married in 1986 and were together until 1989, when they decided to go their separate ways. Little is known about why they divorced, but before they parted ways, they had a vacation home in Hawaii. Both were making enough money at the time, and they were even working together happily.

The two got together when they were still relatively new to acting, but by the time the studio wanted to shoot season 8 of "Married... With Kids," Ed had the chance to negotiate for more money, since both the show and Ed were getting popular.

Before signing for season 8, the actor demanded a pay rise. After some debate, the studio agreed and was forced to throw in a new Porsche as well. But by this time, Ed was already divorced and didn't have anyone to share his success with.

A Chance to Try Again

After Ed and Catherine decided to separate, they spent some time alone. However, in 1993, the two got together again. They married again in the same year, and this time it seemed to work better than the first attempt. The two stayed together and had their 29th wedding anniversary in 2022.

After their reunion, Ed and his wife had two children together, Sophia and Claire O'Neill. Although Ed loves being a father, having Sophia and Claire was not originally part of his plan. He said he would probably never have had children if it weren't for his wife, but he's glad he did. He shared:

"Left to my own devices, [they] probably wouldn't have happened. It wasn't my idea to have children. It was my wife's. At the beginning, I sort of reluctantly went along with it. Then when we had the first one, I was like 'Oh, my God, I'm in love.' They are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Ed's daughter, Claire, decided to go into the family business. She studied at the Boston Conservatory in Massachusetts. Today the Oneills call Los Angeles their home, where they have built an eco-friendly home for themselves and promote the cause of going green. Catherine and Ed mentioned:

"We have solar panels, we compost, we recycle, we have instant hot water, we have electric cars, drought-resistant plants. I'm getting a worm farm."

After gaining fame as the lazy, smart-mouthed Al, Ed acted in a few other projects. His latest hit was the award-winning sitcom, "Modern Family." Ed portrays the role of Jay Pritchett, a character similar to Al in many ways. Ed proved his skill at playing father characters with "Modern Family" after receiving two Screen Actor's Guild Awards.

These days, Ed spends his time with his daughters and his wife. He also narrates for the podcast "The Undercovers." Although he's getting older, the actor has a black belt in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. He keeps fit by training under Rorion Gracie.