Ed O’Neill Reveals Why He Almost Got Fired from ‘Married with Children’

Ed O’Neill Reveals Why He Almost Got Fired from ‘Married with Children’ | The Rich Eisen Show

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2 ай бұрын

Actor Ed O’Neill joins Rich Eisen in-studio where he reveals how he nearly didn’t make it past the pilot episode of ‘Married with Children.’
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Пікірлер: 358

@philricci2012 2 ай бұрын

Ed O’Neil absolutely nailed the Al Bundy character. He made that show.

@glen3509 Ай бұрын

The show got so M🤘CH Better when they hired Ted McGinley to play Jefferson😄🤘

@TheRockinDonkey Ай бұрын

@@glen3509 Jefferson gave Al someone to commiserate with. Brilliant move replacing Steve with Jefferson.

@wullahblack6452 Ай бұрын

@@glen3509 That was the neat thing. We watch the Bundy family slowly corrupt and change Steve and Mary. Steve was supposed to be the straight man to counter Al. Then Jefferson comes in and he's just as dirty and scummy as Al so it works on a different level while changing the formula a bit.

@JamesAllen-xk8bc Ай бұрын

Yes, he did!

@grant1739 Ай бұрын

@@glen3509i disagree the show was hilarious with Steve or Jefferson

@marvinshenk 2 ай бұрын

This guy was a beast on the football field back in the day. Once scored 4 touchdowns in one game for Polk High.

@stefanharris659 Ай бұрын

A true American success story

@thehellyousay Ай бұрын

he actually was a hell of a good football player for real. tried out for the steelers. i think he was a linebacker.

@lilmissknowitall5775 Ай бұрын

I didn't know this because, as we all know, he keeps it to himself and never brings it up

@JamesAllen-xk8bc Ай бұрын

Yes, he did!

@Reggie2000 Ай бұрын

He even scored on that tiny wimp"Spare Tire" Dixon.

@Carrera_Quan 2 ай бұрын

Would have been the biggest mistake in sitcom history not having Ed O'Neil as Al Bundy.

@seanknox7321 2 ай бұрын

And no one would have known this the mistake never happened.

@kalnyc1 2 ай бұрын

100

@avidadolares 2 ай бұрын

There literally thousands of stories of big names not getting parts or taking chances and then those roles becoming iconic. You cant foresee how it would have played out and theres plenty of other stories of big names passing and no names nailing the part. Its a dumb thing to say since you cant see the future or second guess it.

@Carrera_Quan 2 ай бұрын

@@avidadolares it's a dumb thing to say. Great insight

@DurkMcGerk 2 ай бұрын

You surely mean "not having Fonzie jump over a shark on a motorcycle"

@cys-fi6230 2 ай бұрын

Dutch is a criminally underrated movie.

@bartmix8994 2 ай бұрын

I enjoyed it.

@yost112ty 2 ай бұрын

It is!!! It’s a must watch every thanksgiving.

@MT-tu8dt Ай бұрын

Great film.

@PhantomOfThePsy-Opera Ай бұрын

Yes it sure is!... classic

@tonyacosta4574 Ай бұрын

I loved it

@dcaslick 2 ай бұрын

Married With Children was one of the pillars that FOX was built on. One of the most important sitcoms in TV history. Can’t imagine what would’ve happened if they’d canned it after the pilot because some executive bigwig didn’t like O’Neil as Al?

@charmerci 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, so DT would have never become President!

@Lucytheedog Ай бұрын

@@charmerciTDS on full display. Seek help

@Typical.Anomaly Ай бұрын

@@charmerci Nah, Nazis gonna Nazi. They would have found some other way to get him on the escalator.

@DanPittel Ай бұрын

In Living Color Simpsons Married w/Children

@dentalnovember 16 күн бұрын

Don’t forget COPS.

@philp1072 2 ай бұрын

Ed O'Neill's one of the truly great actors and good guys in Hollywood, if there were only more like him

@Zxzxzxzxzxzczc 2 ай бұрын

That’s because he’s from Youngstown,OH

@sandal_thong8631 Ай бұрын

I enjoyed seeing him in the comedy, _The Adventures of Ford Fairlane._

@photofinish8607 5 күн бұрын

Good guy? Lol - you don’t actually mean that. Right? He intentionally plays roles that create controversy.

@philp1072 5 күн бұрын

@@photofinish8607 you're right after I've seen some recent comments that was a preemptive judgement

@Ishai1 2 ай бұрын

For a little more context, Fox was the new small TV network and Married was their first series. Having the star of the show be some unknown actor when you're trying to get people to switch from one of the three established networks to your new one is a huge risk. When it's someone you've never seen do a comedy, it's really crazy casting. It makes sense the execs weren't happy with it and wanted someone they at least knew of. It turned out to be perfect casting of course, and was the hit that first brought people over to Fox

@badnoodlez Ай бұрын

crazy to think about. I grew up in the 90s and my favorite sitcom in syndication was married with children. fuckin classic

@texdoc89 Ай бұрын

@@badnoodlez same my nights were Married With Children, Home Improvement and then adult swim... good times

@yadda333 Ай бұрын

@@texdoc89 Adult Swim, huh? Neah, you didn't live it like we did.

@NeoRetroEntertainment Ай бұрын

I loved Married With Children as a kid growing up in the 90's. Honestly I couldn't imagine anyone else in the role of Al Bundy

@Severmore Ай бұрын

The 90s were great..... but..... kids have it just as good today, right? 😒

@bobbenbrown123 Ай бұрын

Absolutely NO ONE ELSE PERIOD

@MrShanester117 Ай бұрын

Well yeah that’s how it works. If it was someone else who did a good job and was Al Bundy for years. You wouldn’t be able to imagine anyone but that person being Al Bundy

@dannygonzalezskate 2 ай бұрын

I watched the pilot the night it came out. The intro song, the humor, the characters and the plot. It was a smash!

@jamescarter3196 2 ай бұрын

It was the show that 'made' Fox. Simpsons took them to the next level, but Married With Children was the first original show that was better than most sitcoms on the other three networks. My family sat down and watched the pilot together and we all loved it and watched it every week for years.

@sandal_thong8631 Ай бұрын

I was just talking about the Fox show _Herman's Head_ now that _Inside Out 2_ is about to debut. They even referred to it once on _The Simpsons_ since the voice of Lisa was one of the actors, I think.

@MT-tu8dt Ай бұрын

Nobody could play Al Bundy. Ed O’Neil was perfect for that role.

@asianconnection7701 6 күн бұрын

When u have Asian families who barely speak any English watching your show that means you are good, AL is good.

@pwnzunub 2 ай бұрын

I heard he had 4 touchdowns in one game

@gmonroy852 2 ай бұрын

Some say his knee was down by spare tire

@Daniel-fd3wp 2 ай бұрын

Polk High😂😂😂

@alex31245 2 ай бұрын

The scene where he fights that security guard in the school hallway is one of the funniest things ever.

@palaceofwisdom9448 2 ай бұрын

I heard he invented shoes that looked like feet, but it was rejected as too silly looking to ever sell.

@kenlompart9905 2 ай бұрын

Then he got married had kids you know the rest.

@DeltaEcho303 2 ай бұрын

Ed is right about Dutch. Very underrated and I remember they spoofed it on the show when the Bundys went to the video store and they were giving away copies for free.

@osaji922 2 ай бұрын

lol

@mk-ultramags1107 2 ай бұрын

John Hughes has his flaws like any filmmaker but he always had an eye for "Regular People" in his work. I always forget the actors name who plays Carl in 'The Breakfast Club' but he was another great choice in his films, even as the Greek Gangster in 'Weird Science.' They have charisma but deep down feel like guys you'd live next door to.

@DeltaEcho303 2 ай бұрын

@@mk-ultramags1107 John Kapelos. I remember him best as the South American general (who definitely wasn't a drug dealer) from Head Office.

@mk-ultramags1107 2 ай бұрын

@@DeltaEcho303 ahhh. Right. I remember that

@palaceofwisdom9448 2 ай бұрын

The family saw Dutch in the theater and we all loved it. Ed was tremendous going back and forth between funny and very serious as he steadily broke down the bratty Doyle.

@emptyhand777 Ай бұрын

I'm old and remember how different MWC was compared to every other sitcom up to that point. It truly broke the mold. I was a young teen at the time and watched every week.

@christopherjamesboudoir Ай бұрын

It influenced so much after it came out. Roseanne was a take off on it, with the family being blue collar and the interplay between the family. You could even say it influenced Seinfeld with its "nobody hugs" policy.

@erakfishfishfish Ай бұрын

@@christopherjamesboudoirMarried with Children was heavily influenced by All in the Family.

@christopherjamesboudoir Ай бұрын

@@erakfishfishfish Very true.

@MsJellyBellyLove Ай бұрын

I was the same age as Kelly Bundy and even wore some of those snug dresses to parties.

@mistercool3859 2 ай бұрын

The fact that Ed O'Neill was relatively unknown at the time was perfect. It was easier to just associate him with Al Bundy and only Al Bundy. Plus, Al Bundy kind of dipped into obscurity after his high school glory days, which matched Ed O'Neill's unknown status in Hollywood at the time.

@user-zf3xb3qx8w 2 ай бұрын

Blazing Saddles almost became a movie with a "known" black actor and it would have ruined the movie.

@h2ohydrox 2 ай бұрын

@@user-zf3xb3qx8w that "known" actor was Richard Pryor. He co-wrote the movie. I agree that Cleavon Little did an amazing job. I don't think Richard Pryor would have been worse, though.

@rcrawford42 Ай бұрын

Pryor would have been too obvious.

@muzkat101 Ай бұрын

It is truly hard to say that if Ed O'Neill was not cast for the show, it would have been a success. Ed brought the look of the 'every man' to the show at a time, in my opinion, when we needed it. So many shows of the time focused on looks over real-life characters, and Ed brought the right character to be the one NOT to be PC, and it fit this show perfectly... his look and his character was what I feel made the show. I was not a fan of Katy at first, but she evolved into the perfect character later, as did the kids. Kelly too was the smart one at first, it played out OK, but only when she began to become a total ditz and Bud begin to mature, the show took off really well. Overall, the entire show was a success, and I am so happy that I got to see it all; from beginning to end, and so on as it repeated in syndication. And as the show goes, I am so happy that the casting hit it on the head, perfectly. How many years has it been how? I still feel that this show will still be appreciated for another 3 decades, if not more... probably better than the Honey Mooners or I Love Lucy. That, of course, is just my opinion.

@daves2822 Ай бұрын

It wouldn't have worked without Mr. O'Neill

@CarsonDouglas 24 күн бұрын

When "Jefferson" got added to the show, it turned up !

@miguelmckenzie248 Ай бұрын

There is literally no one else who could've embodied Al Bundy better. I'm glad they doubled down on Ed O'Neill. What an absolute legend.

@freecheese4143 2 ай бұрын

He is so interesting. Seems like a lot of fun to hear stories from.

@garryb374 Ай бұрын

I am impressed that neither of them held a grudge and didn't take things personally. And because of what happened we got Al Bundy. So iconic I couldn't imagine anyone else doing that job. He was so perfect and it is clear even just seeing the first episode that the role was his. I think they did a great job with the entire cast, it was just amazing. Thank you Mr O'Neill for your services to American and world culture.

@stevej9058 2 ай бұрын

I see him and immediately envision the fountain and hear Sinatra.

@littletom1978 2 ай бұрын

Thats a great story, shows the faith they had in their choice, the respect to not put that extra pressure on him or the cast, and be willing to let it fail then change their vision.

@ericadams214 Ай бұрын

Dutch is legitimately one of my favorite Thanksgiving movies, right behind Planes, trains, and automobiles. I've watched it EVERY year during the holidays. Love some Ed O'Neill

@ShootyBazooky Ай бұрын

Ed was incredible as Al Bundy. Perfect casting.

@user-lf5bm5tm1q 2 ай бұрын

Ed O’Neil has the best perspective a man could have. He’s funny, sarcastic, to the point, and a no nonsense personality!!!

@ghanasoul 2 ай бұрын

That’s exactly the vibe i get from him too! You’re right.

@brando7266 2 ай бұрын

And anti- trump,

@mullycards8277 2 ай бұрын

Dutch is such a fantastic movie

@Hoss1919 2 ай бұрын

It’s an absolutely terrific movie. Unfortunately, as of this posting it can’t be purchased. 😢

@mullycards8277 2 ай бұрын

@@Hoss1919 there are dvds floating around. I owned a copy at one point. Very expensive but worth it

@mdshonkkc 2 ай бұрын

Great holiday movie! Should be played every Thanksgiving!

@mullycards8277 2 ай бұрын

"Nothin burps better than bacon" 😂 still say it to this day

@jesseswarbrick7895 2 ай бұрын

@@mullycards8277i have the blu ray...bought it when it first came out, now its going for ridiculous prices

@johnnyjoey 2 ай бұрын

I love listening to Ed O’Neil tell a story! He makes everything sound funny!

@StarkIller-df7gw Ай бұрын

Married with Children was a smash hit! Alao helped put Fox on the map as it was a new network at the time!

@2815marionwood 2 ай бұрын

We need Al Budy as a grandfather, with no filters.

@mysteriowc Ай бұрын

Thank goodness he wasn't fired. That show brought so many people joy!

@Robjay1795 2 ай бұрын

Today Al Bundy is needed more than ever!

@Realmikesambo 2 ай бұрын

Could listen to these back stories all day!

@lockitdownduck4033 Ай бұрын

He was the perfect Al.

@Boss3Nate 2 ай бұрын

Ed is a tv sitcom GOAT.... starting to really get old. They better make sure to do a Modern Family reunion show/movie/series before we no longer have him

@osaji922 2 ай бұрын

Stories like that are why I love sitcoms.

@RockBottomPod Ай бұрын

Thank God they didn’t fire him!! Couldn’t imagine someone being a better Al Bundy the Polk High superstar 4 td’s in one game

@chm97chm97 2 ай бұрын

O'Neill is a great interviewee being interviewed by the best.

@gilraybaker826 Ай бұрын

Remember, these executive geniuses told Roddenberry to can Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek. Didn't Diller use to work for NBC?

@72Dexter72Manley72 Ай бұрын

Man, that sitting on the sofa and putting his hand down the front of his pants is Legendary. I have my people do that every Thanksgiving and they have to send pics. 🤣😂😎😎

@Stephen-fe8bq Ай бұрын

My favorite sitcom! 😉😁

@vegeta420z6 13 күн бұрын

47 years ago, the man they called Al “Touchdown” Bundy, cemented his place in Chicago High School Football history with 4 Touchdown’s in a single game for Polk High.

@channelnow5845 2 ай бұрын

What a great show

@hankrhill324 Ай бұрын

This man deserves a statue 😆

@glen3509 Ай бұрын

Woah, Bundy....👍👍 "Fox viewing positions"😁

@OG1323 2 ай бұрын

GREATEST SITCOM EVER!! Ed O’neal Al Bundy is the GREATEST sitcom character EVER

@user-db6pt7vr3l 2 ай бұрын

Oh stop for crying out loud. Nobody believes that.

@raiderrog6412 Ай бұрын

They couldn't have picked a better actor for this role!

@Scott-pn3if 2 ай бұрын

Bundy is a legend loved the show!!

@Tydyjav1 Ай бұрын

So much disrespect for a dude that scored 4 touchdowns in a single game against his nemesis Bubba “Spare Tire” Dixon.

@taysmith9321 Ай бұрын

Good story i love how it all came together

@nolantruesdale3770 2 ай бұрын

Ed O’ Niel is the man!!

@uc95nu51 2 ай бұрын

I was NFL bound until them Sebring Lightning bolt boys took out my knees in the Heartland Championship game of the 7th grade Junior high school round of 64 in 1997. Them good ole days as the running back for them Hardee Junior High Wildcats.

@bartmix8994 2 ай бұрын

Ed O’Neill played Popeye Doyle in the third French Connection movie which came out in 1986 just before Married with Children got started. If you watched that movie, you would know that Ed O’Neill was going to make a great Al Bundy.

@chriskurtz8744 Ай бұрын

Reading the book Ed's talking about right now. It brings back a lot of memories. I grew up with this show.

@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns 2 ай бұрын

Props to the creators of the show.

@browsman2328 2 ай бұрын

Ed O’Neill looks so much like my Irish father here, and my father was a good story teller.

@richardsemuta1089 Ай бұрын

Great actor. Tells some good stories.

@Cre8tive81 8 күн бұрын

Ed, I know you won't see this but thank you for the years of entertainment. Not just with Married With Children.

@billcunningham8485 2 ай бұрын

Dutch - underrated and under appreciated movie. Mr O’Neil knocked that role out of the park. Changed my mind about him as an actor. Been a fan ever since.

@THEQUICKSILVER31 Ай бұрын

He is such a good storyteller; I can't help but just stop what I am doing and listen to everything he has to say.

@eddiejames7201 Ай бұрын

Ed O’Neil was the perfect Al Bundy

@Jrh-rp7np 2 ай бұрын

It’s weird a generation of kids will only know Ed O’Neill from Modern Family.. While a whole other generation knows him from Married With Children,, and Also,, Modern Family… But, when they see him their first thought it Al Bundy

@thegamingchef3304 Ай бұрын

When this came on my Pop always made up an excuse to get us out the living room 😂😂. We would be like ahhh you just want to watch that show!! Lol

@wildgrizz2221 2 ай бұрын

1st movie i seen ed in was Dogs of War in1981

@Jsmith2024 Ай бұрын

Very happy it turned out the way it did!

@comedycafe3262 Ай бұрын

Ed IS Al Bundy. No way that show would have lasted without him.

@ithinkaboutthings9052 27 күн бұрын

I wonder how many nights Ed has spent at Bohemian Grove. He has managed to surpass the 20 year thing for entertainment success.

@ericcaisse791 Ай бұрын

Was a kid watching Married with children 51now still watching the greatest show of my time

@Stream_King Ай бұрын

"We all make 'em." Classic Al.

@Mossmentality506 Ай бұрын

I thought that was Junior Soprano in the thumbnail haha but big respect to Ed O'Neil,a true master

@grant1739 Ай бұрын

Al Bundy is the greatest television character of all time

@Turco949 22 күн бұрын

Clearly, somebody with excellent foresight, knew about Ed to have him come in for the role which was one of the best casting decisions they must have made.

@Carrilleptbreak Ай бұрын

Al just chillin with the Sketchers on!

@tupole272 Ай бұрын

I can’t imagine any other actor, past or present, as Al Bundy

@likestoospooge Ай бұрын

A core memory I have is my Dad laughing for five solid minutes from a MWC episode. Dude didn’t laugh that often so it really stuck with me. I just wish I knew what part it was that made him laugh so hard. It was the first time I had heard of the show so it must’ve been an early episode.

@juiceman_3 2 ай бұрын

The man I learn dark humor from

@user-lm5mu2lw2v Ай бұрын

Al Bundy will forever be my favourite character ever created

@swanseamale47 Ай бұрын

Glad they made the series. Still makes me laugh now. Good for you Al Bundy.

@danlove12k Ай бұрын

He was the reason why married with children lasted 11 seasons

@ablazedguy 13 күн бұрын

The sound engineer called in sick 😂

@chilecayenne Ай бұрын

I recall they originally wanted Sam Kinison to be Al Bundy. NO ONE else, could have been Al Bundy, other than Ed.

@stripersmorgan4493 Ай бұрын

He is legend ❤

@cryptopunk888 9 сағат бұрын

Best show on TV 20 years ago!!

@keithsargent6963 Ай бұрын

Married with Children was a great show.

@AAAA-lt9hq 19 күн бұрын

We love you, Ed.

@theoriginalkrabbypatty Ай бұрын

Best show in the 80’s 🤣🤣

@wolfman8449 2 ай бұрын

This is pretty much all of us in any job. We just find out through the grapevine instead of books and interviews lol.

@mikeduff2070 24 күн бұрын

I couldnt imagine married with children without ed, He was a perfect al bundy

@pbroker Ай бұрын

I don't care what anyone says, I still feel that Ed O'Neil channeled Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker character into Al Bundy. I also liked David Garrison's character more than Jefferson, but both were great overall.

@luisgordillo1695 3 күн бұрын

No one else could of played Al Bundy . They tried with that spin off Unhappily ever after but failed. Ed was a beast ! 🤣🤣

@jeffspicoli2643 Ай бұрын

Who remembers Ed in The Adventures of Ford Farelane? Booty time ya ya ya! I love that one!

@donniemoder1466 27 күн бұрын

He was so good, and some of those scripts were so diabolical.

@James_St._James 2 ай бұрын

Good thing Ed told the network in high school he scored 4 touchdowns in one game or else he probably wouldn't have gotten the part in the first place.

@geoff3103 Ай бұрын

Does anyone know who Ed was up against in landing the role? Did anyone come into a close 2nd?

@speedracer2336 2 ай бұрын

He will always be Al Bundy!

@user-th5nb3ox1w Ай бұрын

As a Brit I found the series hilarious, even as a teenager.

@Dclxvi6x3 Ай бұрын

I don't know where I would be right now without Al Bundys guidance. Thank you very much Ed 🙏

@kalnyc1 2 ай бұрын

Love him

@mattzobian 2 ай бұрын

Pre-woke TV sit coms were the best!

@carrite 2 ай бұрын

Pre-culture wars conservatives were the best.

@CannonKnight Ай бұрын

I have the feeling those Married... producers knew what he meant. When your wife or girlfriend says "do whatever you want", that means DON'T do whatever you want.