'Modern Family' Star Ed O'Neill Receives Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Ed O'Neill, star of the award-winning hit sitcom "MODERN FAMILY," was honored today with his first-ever star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The event also celebrated the highly anticipated upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of "MODERN FAMILY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON" on September 20.

O'Neill enjoyed the day with family, friends and past and present on-screen pals including Christina Applegate, Katey Sagal, and "Modern Family" co-stars Sofia Vergara, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriguez, Ariel Winter, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet. Sagal and Vergara, O'Neill's television wives from "Married... with Children" and "Modern Family," spoke on his behalf at the ceremony.

Born to an Irish Catholic family in Youngstown, Ohio, O'Neill attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and Youngstown State University. Signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was cut in training camp and worked as a Social Studies teacher before becoming an actor. He has appeared in several movies including The Bone Collector, Little Giants, Dutch, the Wayne's World series, and various films for Pulitzer Prize-winning screenwriter David Mamet including The Spanish Prisoner, Spartan, and the indie film Redbelt.

In addition to his award-nominated role as Jay Pritchett on "Modern Family,"O'Neill is known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the FOX Network's long running sitcom, "Married... With Children." The role prompted two Golden Globe Award nominations. O'Neill's television credits also include the reincarnation of Sgt. Joe Friday on Dick Wolf's remake of "Dragnet," the recurring role of Baker (D-PA), a potential Vice Presidential candidate on the NBC drama "The West Wing," the role of Detective Michael Mooney on David Milch's CBS series, "Big Apple," and most recently that of a retired cop on HBO's "John from Cincinnati." O'Neill's talent also took him to Broadway starring in productions "Lakeboat" and "Keep your Pantheon."

"Modern Family" is an American television comedy created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. The story follows the families of Jay Pritchett (O'Neill), his daughter Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen), and his son Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who live in a suburban community of Los Angeles, California.

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