Sitcoms became the much-needed segue for television TRPs through the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Shows like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Home Improvement, and Married... with Children became rocking hits with the American audience. An increasing number of TV networks were particularly inspired by Married... with Children and made investments in similar shows. The Bundy family was one of the most loved groups in media entertainment history.
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And that makes us wonder - where did they go? Are they the proud owners of luxury villas and impeccable credit scores, did they pursue high education, or did they turn to financing their own business when the spotlight dimmed? So we thought to do a throwback to the cast of the show and find out where each one of their personal portfolios is headed. Here's what we found:
Ed O’Neill (Al Bundy) - 263 episodes, 1987-1997
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Say what you will on this, but we believe Ed O’Neil was the one star around which the whole show-verse revolved. Most fans still lovingly remember Al Bundy’s charming personality and winsome smile. Over the course of his career, he picked up quite a few small roles in movies (much to the benefit of his bank account), but it was really Married… with Children that made O’Neil the loved star that he is.
Ian Ziering (The Kid) - 1 Episode, 1990
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Ian Ziering played the role of his life in Beverly Hills 90210. Even before that, he appeared in a guest role for Married… with Children. His part in 90210 lasted for almost 10 years. After that, Ian worked in a bunch of other TV shows. He also played voice roles in games like Bike Mice from Mars and Freelancer. 2013 on, he’s been starring as Fin Shepard in the film series, Sharknado. With a career on the rise, we believe Ziering will never need to hear of a bank loan anytime soon!
Here are some actresses who made ghost appearances on the show!
Vanna White (Coco) – 2 Episodes, 1993-1995
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Vanna White is one of the very magnetic actresses who starred in Married… with Children. She played the role of Coco, a ghost character from Bundy’s past. But White’s first major claim to fame was with the role of a letter turner in the 1982 show Wheel of Fortune. Since then, White has not been much into acting and has appeared only in interviews. We must applaud her for being so comfortable in her own skin even today. She could well be thinking of a business plan of her own.
But Wait! Before We Go On; What About Little Bud Bundy? Click NEXT to See!
David Faustino (Bud Bundy) - 262 Episodes, 1987-1997
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David Faustino started appearing on TV when he was just 9. His role as Bud Bundy has been appreciated by many. Unlike many other child stars of his time, Faustino stayed away from the drug addiction trap. However, he did face an arrest in 2007 for possession of marijuana. Thankfully, he was out on bail soon. These days, he is a DJ at a radio station.
He is 58 and still serves people with the same enthusiasm as a teenager! Up Next!
Ted McGinley (Jefferson D’Arcy) – 170 Episodes, 1989-1997
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Ted McGinley was known for playing the role of the dumb Jefferson D’Arcy on the show. Ted was pleasantly blessed with good looks and fine acting talent, which together kept him in the industry for long. He did many more shows but true fame came to him with Hope & Faith. Now 59, McGinley is just as enthusiastic as we first saw him. Bonus points for the legacy that he has built himself!
Know about the tragic becoming of our most loved character from the show – NEXT.
Michael (Buck) – 190 Episodes, 1987-1995
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In the early ‘90s, some men still dined with dragons. The others held unanimously the opinion that Buck was the cutest Bundy on air. The three-color Briard called Michael was the cute dog on the show. He retired in 1995 and the next dog cast on the show was a Spaniel. Mike was hardly done with the retirement planning when the poor soul passed away in May 1996. Could they not save him with a timely dog rescue expert and a vet?
And what became of Marcy’s first husband? Click NEXT to find out!
David Garrison (Steve Rhoades) – 84 Episodes, 1987-1995
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Starting off as a thespian, David Garrison found a taste of screen fame as Steven Bartholomew Rhodes in Married… with Children. After his part in the popular show ended, Garrison went ahead to play key roles in shows like Law & Order, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Good Wife, and NYPD Blue. A few years down the line, David went back to his true calling – the theater, where he kept adding to his net worth.
Denise Richards (Girl #2) – 1 Episode, 1991
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Denise Richards wasn’t known as the scintillating sensation back when she starred as Girl #2 in Married… with Children. The role was not so memorable in itself. But it did the trick for Richards and she caught people's eyes. Very soon, she would land more important roles in shows like Spin City and Friends before graduating into big ticket Hollywood roles. Now 45, Denise keeps makings appearances in shows and movies and still looks like a model.
Still stuck in her curls! Fire NEXT to glance through the famous actress.
Keri Russell (April Adams) – 1 Episode, 1995
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Industry veteran Keri Russell was just warming up to a long and stable career when she picked up her role in Married… with Children. She played April Adams, the girl who was Bud’s date. She was also the muse of another boy called Nikolai. The boys ended up fighting and April rejected both suitors. In 2014, Keri played an important (legacy defining actually!) role in Dawn of the Planet of Apes.
Harold Sylvester (Griff) – 44 Episodes, 1994-1997
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Sylvester played the role of Griff in Married… with Children. Griff was Al Bundy’s friend and colleague at the shoe store. Other TV roles played by Sylvester include Today’s F.B.I., Mary, Shaky Ground, and Walking Tall. Sylvester's last starring role was in a series called The Army Show. Sylvester also made several appearances in the series City of Angels. Although he might not have an extravagant bank account like some of his co-stars, Sylvester sure lives a happy life!
Jane Lynch (Greta) – 1 Episode, 1994
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Jane Lynch played the role of Greta – the person who assaults Bud in the V. Day Massacre episode. Later, she picked up more important roles in shows like The L Word, Boston Legal, and Two and a Half Men. Lynch has been vocal as a gay person (often lending her voice to the need for education programs on gender sensitivity) and has supported PETA on many occasions. She has been hosting the game show titled Hollywood Game Night since 2013.
Milla Jovovich (Yvette) – 1 Episode, 1989
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Milla Jovovich’s current portfolio may be filled with action movies, but back in the day, she had some real sweet roles made for TV. She starred on Married… with Children at 13 in 1989. After some more shows, she pursued a career in music in 1992. Jovovich came back stronger in 1997 when she played the role of Leeloo in The Fifth Element, a French sci-fi movie.
E.E. Bell (Bob Rooney) – 23 Episodes, 1993-1997
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E.E. Bell is most fondly remembered for the role of Bob Rooney in Married… with Children. He also had a long stint on the Nickelodeon series, The Amanda Show. Other important roles played by Rooney include the mystery guest in HIMYM and the two truck man on Drake & Josh. He enjoyed the gift of a stable career, both through and after Married… with Children!
Shane Sweet (Seven) – 12 Episodes, 1992-1993
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Shane Sweet played a brief stint in Fox network’s Married… with Children before he found himself out of the show without much explanation. He moved on and played a character in The Journey of Allen Strange. Sweet also played roles in Season 2 and 4 of the Nickelodeon game show, Figure It Out. He joined the music group Atlanta in the early 2000s. We cannot comment on whether he took guitar lessons or not.
David Boreanaz (Frank) – 1 Episode, 1993
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David Boreanz appeared as Frank in a 1993 episode of Married… with Children. A few years later, he was cast as the vampire Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He also starred in a spin-off of the same show in 1999. Now 47 years old, he is happily married and continues to play a brooding and dark character in the show Bones. With eyes like those, you do not need makeup classes to cast him in grim roles!
Matt LeBlanc (Vinnie Verducci) – 3 Episodes, 1991
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Matt LeBlanc starred as Vinnie Verducci in some episodes of Married… with Children and both fans and viewers could guess the phenomenon that was to follow. Some years down, he was cast as the Friends’ character Joey Tribbiani. He played the role for 10 years and reprized the role in the spin-off, Joey. LeBlanc’s acting legacy is filled with four Emmy nominations as well as a Golden Globe award.
Katey Sagal (Peggy Bundy) 263 Episodes, 1987-1997
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Katey Sagal did the famous character of Peggy Bundy throughout the show. But in the later years, her appearance changed dramatically. She landed a long-lasting job as a voice talent on Futurama. Sagal also picked up the role of Gemma Teller Morrow on Sons of Anarchy. In many ways, it was the show where she redefined her own status and built a lasting legacy for herself.
Here’s another bombshell who later went on to slay in Baywatch! Hit NEXT!
Pamela Anderson (Cashew) – 2 Episodes, 1990-1991
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Pamela Anderson left a solid impression even in the beginning of her career. She made an appearance on the show’s fifth season in 1990 when she was 23. In the next season, she went back to the show to play the role of a peppy character named Cashew. As her career and credit statement skyrocketed, Pam got roles in Baywatch and Home Improvement. She is a vocal PETA activist now.
From a guest actress to a musical success – you won’t believe who’s up NEXT!
Fergie (Ann) – 1 episode, 1994
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Fergie gathered worldwide fame as the lead and singular female singer of the band Black Eyed Peas. She also went on to break the charts with her solo career with hits like London Bridge, Glamorous, and Big Girls Don’t Cry. But loyal fans of Married… with Children will also remember Fergie as Ann, the character she played on the show in 1994.
Up NEXT is a beautiful guest star from another one of our favorite shows – Saved By the Bell!!
Tiffani Thiessen (Heather McCoy) – 1 Episode, 1990
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Tiffany Thiessen took to beauty pageants when she was young and very much in the middle of her education. She became Model of the Year of Cover Girl magazine. In Married… with Children, Tiffany played a guest role. It was the What Goes Around Comes Around episode that she starred in. In 2009, she played the lead role on White Collar. She also stars in her own show called Dinner at Tiffani’s.
Want To Know All The Secrets Of The Show? - Click Next And Find Out!
Married With Children Pilot Episode
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This is a gem of a photo of the cast of Married… with Children. It was shot before the season aired and little did these people know about the kind of fame and money that was to come their way. Everyone in the picture became part of one of the most well-known sitcoms ever to be aired on television. We hope they recreate this picture at some point!
Click NEXT To See How Al Bundy And His Family Looks Like Now After 2 Decades!
Becoming Al
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Ed O’Neil was a recognized actor even before he became Al Bundy in Married… with Children for the first time in 1987. His career dates back to 1970 when he was cast as one of the extras on All My Children. The hit TV sitcoms that cast him in the beginning of his career allowed him to build a highly successful legacy. At the moment, O’Neil is the member of Modern Family, another wildly famous American show.
Becoming Peggy
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Katey Sagal was far from the warmth of international fame when she bagged the role of Peggy Bundy on Married… with Children. She became totally one with the role and gave us one of the most memorable performances of her entire career. Our favorite TV housewife acted in more than 260 episodes through the ten years of the show. Her smile continues to be the exterminator of gloom!
Real Life Acting Inspiration
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When David Faustino was playing the character of the self-styled rapper Bud Bundy, the Married… with Children character left a huge impact on him. After the show, Faustino well and truly went ahead to become a rapper (without a music degree) and performed with the stage name D’Lil. A hip hop album was released by him in 1992!
NOT the Cosbys
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The Bundys and the Cosbys were aired at roughly the same era of sitcoms and yet the two were pretty antithetical to each other. While the Cosbys turned out to be a well-loved family, the Bundys were forever branded with a pinch of raunchiness. Notwithstanding that, Bill Cosby had to face legal issues in real life.
The Wrongly-Branded Family Car
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Al Bundy made it almost a habit to pledge his love for Dodge and dismiss all Plymouth vehicles. Ironically, his personal car was actually a 1972 Duster Plymouth. That made it one of the rare mistakes that the writers might have overlooked. Car fanatics of the day did spot the difference. On the whole, it only added to the fun and car insurance companies gained anyway!
Original Al Bundy?
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Like it almost happens with sitcoms, the lead character of the show wasn’t first scheduled for Ed O’Neil. Before Ed was chosen for the role, the showmakers were in talks with Michael Richards for an audition. Good for Richards, he was cast as Kramer on Seinfeld, which was perhaps the best thing to happen to his career. And O’Neil was loved like crazy on the show. It wouldn't be wrong to say that both of them minted gold in their own mines!
Family With Misfortunes
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One of the fundamental reasons almost everyone could relate to the characters of the show, especially the lead Bundy, was because of the utter haplessness of the family over their own fortunes. Just like on the show, we never really get the life that we want. For all of the reckless back and forth, Al could not even manage separate cemetery plots for the wife and himself.
Christina Applegate’s Success
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Christina Applegate’s success started with her role as Kelly on Married… with Children. She went on to become one of the heaviest portfolios in the TV and film industry. At one point, she was so high on demand-lists that she was constantly juggling between the show and the 1999 movie, Nowhere. The film had her color her hair red. On the show, she would don a wig. Did you catch that?
Unexpected Success
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Our opinions might differ now, but back then, Married… with Children was viewed as an offensive and edgy show that almost no network wanted to pick up. Most predicted that the show will not last for more than a season. But thanks to Mr. Al Bundy and company, the show ran for ten years and completed 260 episodes till 1997. Considering so many controversies and boycotts, that is a phenomenal run!
Ed O’Neill Would Call Fans As Al Bundy
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When Married… with Children was being filmed, Ed O’Neil would often entertain fan requests for birthday wishes and call them as the funky Al Bundy. While fans around the world received calls (collect of course), there were thousands that got left out. The craze for O’Neil was worth framing. No one was surprised when he went on to become an actor of colossal stature!
Big ‘Uns
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Who does not remember the favorite magazine of Al Bundy, Big ‘Uns? The magazine made many appearances on the show and Al would always lose his temper the moment he could not locate the magazine. We can only imagine what would have happened if the show happened to the internet generation. Who knows how Al would have handled iCloud!
Fictional County in Wisconsin
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Peggy Bundy’s hometown was called Wanker County. The small remote place became a consistent joke on the show, mostly for inbreeding. Al Bundy once remarked that there is no love like loving your cousin in Wanker County. We are sure no one even brought up the concept of an online dating site in that county!
Almost Peggy Bundy
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Looking at it now, it is difficult to imagine anyone else playing the role of Peggy Bundy on the show. But if the reports are true, the role was first slated for Roseanne Barr. The dust settled and we found out that Roseanne got a role in a self-titled show the following year. That show went on for ten years, and Roseanne made a huge name for herself though she secretly struggled with mental illness that took years of therapy and drugs to overcome.
No Emmy Here
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Married… with Children was surely among the best television shows in the entire history of American television. It went on for 11 years and completed 260 episodes. It starred several actors and actresses who went on to become Hollywood sensations later. However, all the show could manage was nominations in the dozens. It never won an award.
Casting David Faustino
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Casting young actors is always considered a little more difficult than picking regular acting talent. The producers wanted to cast David Faustino for the role of Bud Bundy. Luckily enough, David grew up with the show and took part in 259 episodes. Mostly because of this show, Faustino went on to bag the role of Mako in Legend of Korra. He now has a personal bank account that could put our yearly income statement to shame!
Al’s Past
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Al Bundy became (in)famous for his disagreeable personality. Self-centered and cranky, his personality was a hit TV recipe mimicked by many. However, we need to remember that he had a difficult past and an alcoholic mother. This made Al develop a pessimistic attitude. We must take out a moment to congratulate O'Neil for his perfect character portrayal.
Katey Sagal - Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
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Katey Sagal became one of the television’s most successful characters whose television work received acclaim far and wide. After Married… with Children, Sagal did many other top-tier shows including Sons of Anarchy. In 2014, she was honored with a personal star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – it was placed right next to the star of Ed O’Neil. And we couldn't be more proud of her!
Watching out for Marcy Darcy? Click NEXT to find out!
Amanda Bearse (Marcy D’Arcy) – 263 Episodes, 1987-1997
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Amanda Bearse played the Bundy neighbor and a few more roles in shows before shifting her career preference to directing. She participated in the making of industry hits like MADtv, Dharma & Greg, and The Big Gay Sketch Show. There was a lot of chatter when Bearse did not invite co-actor Ed O’Neil on her wedding. Many speculated O’Neil’s “funny” sense of humor to be the cause of it, though we doubt his legacy will be affected by such rumors.
Christina Applegate (Kelly Bundy) – 261 Episodes, 1987-1997
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Kelly Bundy was Peggy’s beautiful daughter on the show and her role was portrayed by none other than Hollywood star Christina Applegate. After Married… with Children, Applegate went on to play roles in various other shows and also became an executive producer. For a short while, she was pushed back by breast cancer in 2008, but she surged right ahead with the help of timely medical treatment. Since then, Applegate has become a cancer activist.