The couple met for the first time on the sets of the American sitcom 'Married... With Children.'
Ed O'Neill shot to fame while starring in the American sitcom, Married... With Children, which first aired on April 5, 1987. The 76-year-old actor played the ill-tempered Al Bundy who was a perfectly unhappy middle-aged man with a knack for sharing stories of his youth as a football player. Ed gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of the role which he played for 11 years on the show. Not only did he get amazing opportunities in the industry after this breakout role, but he also met a special someone on the sets of the sitcom.
O'Neill met his wife Catherine Rusoff while filming the show in which Rusoff also made brief appearances. According to Celebrity Mirror, the pair got married in 1986 and were together for three years until 1989 when they decided to part ways. The cause of their separation remains unknown to this date.
On this day 35 years ago, the greatest tv show ever debuted with the worlds greatest athlete and our most enduring hero. No other man in history has ever score 4 touchdowns in one day like Al “TouchDown” Bundy.
— HorrorMovieBBQ aka Mr Thanksgiving (@HorrorMovieBBQ) April 5, 2022
Happy 35th anniversary to the amazing Married With Children!!! pic.twitter.com/TX1oCg8a3d
However, Rusoff and O'Neill reconciled after four years and got back together in 1993. This time around they became parents to daughters Sophia and Claire O'Neill. Speaking to New York Post in 2009, the actor admitted that he would probably never have had children if it weren't for his wife.
"It wasn't my idea to have children. It was my wife's. In 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,” O'Neill told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Rusoff seems to be content in her marital life and prefers to mostly stay out of the limelight. However, the couple can be seen making public appearances from time to time in awareness campaigns, and charity events. Most recently the couple attended the gala night of Global Green.
Though the veteran actor gained fame as the smart-mouthed Al Bundy, he is better know among younger audiences as Jay Pritchett from the award-winning sitcom Modern Family. He also received four Screen Actor's Guild Awards for his role and was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards.
In recent times, O'Neill spends most of his time with his daughters and wife and also narrates for The Undercovers podcast. The actor maintains a healthy lifestyle by training under Rorion Gracie in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as per Brazilian Jiu Jitsu News. Rusoff and O'Neill celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary in 2022.
References:
https://ecelebritymirror.com/entertainment/catherine-rusoff-ed-oneill-wife/
https://nypost.com/2009/09/21/dear-old-dad/
https://jiujitsu-news.com/ed-oneill-brazilian-jiu-jitsu/
Cover Photo Source: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
