Ed O’Neill is an American actor who started his film and TV profession in 1980. Before he grew to become an actor, O’Neill loved a quick stint within the NFL as a free-agent defensive lineman signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969. However, because of the gifted defensive roster led by “Mean Joe” Greene, O’Neill was lower by the group in coaching camp.
Although he has amassed 70 credit up to now in his profession, O’Neill is most acknowledged for his excellent performances as Al Bundy on Married… with Children and Jay Pritchett on Modern Family, two iconic characters that he every portrayed for a decade apiece. Now set to tackle the position of Donald Sterling within the upcoming TV sequence The Sterling Affairs, now is an ideal time to offer reward to Ed O’Neill’s finest film and TV performances.
10 Wreck-it-Ralph Franchise
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
While his position as Hank in Finding Dory is value mentioning, O’Neill performs extra in opposition to kind as Mr. Stan Litwak in Wreck-It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Both films concern Ralph’s existential quandary as a video-game villain who needs to turn into a superb man. Stan is the type arcade supervisor whose position will increase within the beloved animated sequel.
While O’Neill usually performs intense, grumpy, and sardonic characters, Stan Litwak offers him a chance to go in opposition to the grain and ship and far sweeter and lovable efficiency. Whether serving to Penelope really feel higher or consistently making hilarious references to his Nana, O’Neill performs Stan with earnest benevolence followers aren’t used to seeing from him.
9 Blue Chips (1994)
Paramount Pictures
William Friedkin’s underrated sports activities drama Blue Chips follows faculty basketball coach Pete Bell (Nick Nolte), a proud winner who succumbs to the strain of a shedding report and agrees to partake in a point-shaving scandal. O’Neill shines as Ed, a sports activities reporter who suspects one thing is afoul with Pete’s program and repeatedly presses the coach with hard-hitting questions.
Despite being a small position, O’Neill delivers an unforgettable flip as an aggressive reporter prepared to face as much as the hot-tempered Bell and uncover an enormous conspiracy. It’s no straightforward activity to play reverse Nick Nolte, but O’Neill typically steals the thunder from the infamous robust man. O’Neill typically performs working-class blue-collar sorts, however right here he performs an intuitive white-collar skilled with no much less convincing outcomes.
8 Sun Dogs (2017)
Sun Dogs is an acclaimed indie dramedy from first-time director Jennifer Morrison. The story considerations Ned (Michael Angarano), a person born with mind injury who lives along with his mom Rose (Allison Janney) and step-father Bob (O’Neill) and desires to turn into a Marine. Bob is saddled with a again harm that forestalls him from working and tries to win a authorized battle in opposition to his employers.
Related: 20 Best Indie Movies from the Last 10 Years
In addition to going toe-to-toe with Oscar-winner Allison Janney, O’Neill shines in a Thanksgiving scene during which Ned arrives with Tally, a intercourse employee who Bob as soon as solicited. The stage of anger, embarrassment, and awkward humor Bob reveals within the scene proves why O’Neill is such a gifted actor. However, it is the sobering parental recommendation Bob offers to Ned in the long run that packs such an emotional wallop and provides Bob a well-earned character arc.
7 John from Cincinnati (2007)
Created by David Milch, John from Cincinnati is considered one of HBO’s most underrated TV reveals. The multi-narrative drama follows the dysfunctional Yost household in coastal California the place they encounter a mysterious drifter on the town who might have supernatural talents. Despite the misguided effort by Milch, O’Neill offers a knockout efficiency as a disturbed man named Bill Jacks.
Bill Jacks is a buddy of the Yost household and a retired police officer. With nothing however time on his palms, Bill spends most of his days speaking to the birds he retains in cages inside his home. Bill obsesses over Butch Yost leaving his son Sean to dwell along with his grandparents and tries to rectify the scenario.
O’Neill performs the position with an unforgettable sense of tragic comedy that underscores his versatile appearing, as viewers can sense a deep despair in Bill’s life that he painfully tries to subdue in all of the improper methods.
6 Dragnet (2003-2004)
ABC
After a number of films and TV variations, Dick Wolf rebooted the favored detective sequence Dragnet in 2003. Also referred to as L.A. Dragnet, the sequence starred O’Neill as Detective Joe Friday, an iconic fictional character created by Jack Webb within the Nineteen Forties. O’Neill gave an outstanding dramatic efficiency as Friday for 2 seasons and 22 episodes, all however making viewers fully overlook about his in style sitcom characters.
One of probably the most spectacular elements of O’Neill’s efficiency as Friday is the chemistry he has along with his detective accomplice, Frank Smith (Ethan Embry). O’Neill and Embry starred in Dutch 20 years earlier, and so they instantly choose up an easy on-screen rapport that carries the TV present. Even extra spectacular is the way in which during which O’Neill places his personal spin on Friday relatively than merely mimicking previous performers who performed the character so convincingly.
Moreover, after enjoying many cops and detectives in bit roles, Dragnet gave O’Neill over 20 hours of fabric to essentially sink his tooth into and develop the character.
5 Wayne’s World 1 & 2
Paramount Pictures
It’s no straightforward feat to look in a scene or two and steal the present away from comedic film superstars. Yet, O’Neill did simply that as Glen within the two acclaimed ’90s Wayne’s World comedies. Glen is the unhinged supervisor at Stan Makita’s Donuts who works on the store “24 hours a day” and infrequently makes darkish and disturbing statements about demise, together with how he as soon as killed an individual in a heated crime of ardour.
In his temporary appearances as Glen, O’Neill manages to convey the character’s gradual descent into insanity via his eyes, facial expressions, slumping physique, and general bodily comportment. Although the darkish comedy is performed for laughs, viewers can sense an actual stage of menace brewing beneath Glen’s psyche, with O’Neill upstaging Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. As such, O’Neill was invited again to play Glen once more in Wayne’s World 2.
4 Little Giants
Warner Bros.
Little Giants is a well-liked soccer household film that almost all youngsters of the ’90s are certain to recollect fondly. Set in small-town Ohio, the plot considerations Danny (Rick Moranis) and Kevin O’Shea (O’Neill), two brothers who could not be extra dissimilar. Kevin is the coach of probably the most gifted Pee-wee soccer group on the town, leaving Danny to recruit a ragtag band of misfits to compete in opposition to him for the championship title.
Related: These are the Best Football Movies of All-Time, Ranked
Beyond admirably holding his personal in opposition to Moranis the complete time, O’Neill brings a stage of terror and intimidation to Kevin that can not be denied. He’s an imposing pressure and a yard bully who must be taught a lesson in humility, and O’Neill’s efficiency is so robust that viewers really root in opposition to him because the movie unfolds. Of course, along with his personal historical past as a soccer participant, O’Neill additionally lends plain authenticity to Kevin’s coach converse.
3 Dutch (1991)
twentieth Century Fox’s Dutch
Made through the top of his Married… with Children run, Dutch marks considered one of O’Neill’s solely starring film roles. Written by John Hughes, Dutch is an excellent father-son-like street film that follows Doyle Standish (Ethan Embry), a imply, snobby wealthy child who’s pressured to drive residence from prep faculty with Dutch, his mom’s grounded blue-collar boyfriend.
Thanks to Hughes’ hilarious script that offers Dutch a well-rounded arc, O’Neill fully disappears into the title position and stays credible all through. O’Neill excels at enjoying down-to-earth working-class characters, and Dutch not solely permits O’Neill to strike enormous laughs by poking enjoyable on the rich life-style Standish inhabits however there’s additionally a touching emotional core to the character that pays off in the long run. The manner Dutch stoops to Doyle’s personal petty stage to show him a lesson in maturity is performed completely by O’Neill.
2 Married… with Children (1987-1997)
Fox
O’Neill might all the time be synonymous with Al Bundy, the unhappy curmudgeon who led the way in which on Married… with Children for 10 years and 260 episodes. Despite being a depressing working-class misanthrope who lives a deeply sad life as a shoe salesman and expresses nothing however hatred for his spouse Peg and youngsters Bud and Kelly, O’Neill managed to make Al much more relatable than a typical sitcom caricature due to his hilarious efficiency.
Playing Al Bundy for a decade within the hit household sitcom not solely launched O’Neill’s appearing profession and turned him into a well-liked family title, however the sheer quantity of episodic work he put in allowed him to broaden his appearing vary, sharpen his appearing instruments and turn into a a lot better actor by the point the present was unceremoniously canceled.
As such, O’Neill earned two Golden Globe nominations for his all-time iconic position as Al Bundy, a recognizable everyman who made viewers giggle at his existential ache.
1 Modern Family (2009-2020)
ABC
While O’Neill might all the time be referred to as Al Bundy, the efficiency he gave as Jay Pritchett on Modern Family required much more versatility. Jay is the patriarch of the Pritchett household and the rich proprietor of a closet firm. Over the course of 11 seasons and 250 episodes, O’Neill participated in a number of wealthy storylines as Jay that allowed him to showcase the total vary of his appearing abilities.
Whether buying and selling sarcastic barbs along with his spouse Gloria, coping with his son Mitchell’s sexual orientation with compassion, or consistently antagonizing his son-in-law Phil with a smile on his face, O’Neill was capable of embody Jay with extremely convincing outcomes. The manner O’Neill was capable of make followers overlook about Al Bundy is actually outstanding.
As such, it is no marvel why O’Neill scored three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his excellent flip as Jay Pritchett.
First seem at Best Ed O’Neill Performances, Ranked
