Modern Family is well known for being one of the best sitcoms of all time, and it introduced us to perhaps the best TV family to ever grace our screens. Though the dynamics between the Pritchets, Delgados, and Dunphys were never perfect, they always came together to support one another. After 11 seasons playing a family unit, it’s no surprise the cast is all still very close with each other. Sofia Vergara, who played Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, says she misses one cast member in particular, and it’s partially because of his group chat habits.

Modern Family ran from 2009-2020 on ABC, and in many ways, it was a very unique filming environment. So very rarely do all the stars of a TV show get along, but Julie Bowen, who played mom Claire Dunphy, has previously said she could have happily stayed on the Modern Family set forever. Vergara shared similar sentiments when the show ended, and personally reunited the cast at her house in 2023.

Still, it’s not the same as seeing someone everyday, and the America’s Got Talent judge recently told People the reason why she misses her onscreen husband Ed O’Neill (Jay Pritchett) more than most:

Ed O’Neill must have been the perfect mentor for the Hot Pursuit actress, after helming another familial sitcom Married…With Children from 1987-1997. I have to say, Vergara must have made his job easy though. I remember her being a natural talent and favorite character on Modern Family from even the early episodes of Season 1, which are available to stream with a Hulu subscription.

It’s natural to miss someone after spending nearly every day with them for 11 years. In many ways, it was like a real marriage with kids, and I love that the Modern Family cast have kept up those roles with each other since the show’s departure. Though some like Ty Burrell have moved away from Hollywood, making it difficult to attend cast reunions, they really do try to show up for the big moments in each others’ lives.

Nearly all of them were in attendance for Sarah Hyland’s wedding to reality star Wells Adams, with her onscreen uncle Jesse Tyler Ferguson even officiating the nuptials. Burrell and Eric Stonestreet (Cam) recently went to support Ferguson in his off-Broadway show TRU as well.

Some cast members even live together, with Ariel Winter (Alex Dunphy) recently becoming roommates with her TV brother Nolan Gould, after ending her long-term relationship with former Disney actor Luke Benward.

However, for those not sharing a bathroom like they’re back in the Dunphy house, Vergara says they keep in touch via a family group chat. When asked whether or not the chat is still active, the Griselda actress confirmed everyone texts pretty frequently, except the one person she misses the most:

User error! I’m cracking up because this is so Jay Pritchett of O’Neill. A lot of the time, Jay was out of the loop when it came to modern tech or lingo, a side effect of being an older dad to young kids. So it makes sense that would still be the case when it comes to the Modern Family group chat, and I’m left wondering how much acting O’Neill had to do when it came to playing his character. At least the 80-year-old actor still responds…eventually.

Regardless, it makes my heart so happy to know the Modern Family cast all still talk on a regular basis, and I can’t wait for the next time they all get together.

Ed O’Neill is a TV icon if there ever was one. With his roles on Married... with Children and Modern Family, he's not only helped mold some relatable sitcom families, but he's also been part of some of the best sitcoms of all time. O'Neill also has a reputation for being fun and easy to work with. Still, the amiable actor is no stranger to behind-the-scenes shenanigans. In fact, one of his former co-stars just shared a funny anecdote about him leaving the job earlier than he should have

Julie Bowen, who played Ed O'Neill's daughter on all 11 seasons of Modern Family, recounted the funny tale while on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. During the chat, Rosenbaum asked Bownen what it was like working with O'Neill, who she called "fucking delightful". Eventually, Bowen discussed how her ex-castmate prematurely clocked out for the day due to a misunderstanding. According to Bowen:

That kind of slip-up oozes laid-back dad energy, and it’s honestly pretty hilarious. In his defense, O'Neill has been working in the entertainment industry for some time now, particularly in the comedy sphere. So he would know what works and what doesn't work from that perspective. Despite that, it goes without saying that an actor still has to do the work accordingly.

Don't get anything twisted, though, as Julie Bowen sang the praises of her on-screen dad. In her eyes, he's a "font of information and wisdom." Ed O'Neill was apparently also a mentor to younger Modern Family cast members, including Rico Rodriguez, who played his character's stepson. Despite that, Bowen also said that his guidance played into something she learned about O'Neill, and it could explain why he ducked out of that rehearsal so quickly:

Just when I thought I couldn't love O'Neill more, Bowen shares these delightful comments. I don’t know what I love more -- that everyone eventually realized his angle or the fact that he was so good at giving advice. Either way, I love knowing the cast had fun relationships akin to their on-screen counterparts. And, even viewers we can find plenty of familial offerings on the 2025 TV guide right now, Jay Pritchett and his family are still missed though, thankfully, all 11 seasons of Modern Family are available to watch with a Hulu subscription.

Even now, I remain curious as to whether a Modern Family revival might actually happen. The prospect of such a project is exciting, as it'd be great to see the entire cast back together again. If it does move forward, though, I just hope Ed O'Neill doesn't have another snafu like his early exit.

Although Modern Family ended almost four years ago, it is still one of the funniest shows on Hulu. The comedy wasn’t just funny on camera, but they also seemed to have had a lot of laughs off camera as well, whether they were trying to film or just hanging out. Sofia Vergara, who has been busy with her Netflix series on the 2024 TV schedule, Griselda, dropped the F-bomb while opening up about her favorite episode of the ABC sitcom and how hilariously tough it was to film.

Since Modern Family was a sitcom that starred an ensemble cast, there were bound to be times when it was hard to get everyone on the same page, especially since they grew close over the years. While promoting Griselda on Watch What Happens Live, Vergara was asked by host Andy Cohen what her favorite Modern Family episode is. While it’s hard for her to remember specific episodes since there are 11 seasons, she did bring up one that she and her co-stars remember often from the show’s early days:

The Modern Family Halloween episodes were always hilarious. On top of seeing the characters in their costumes or, like Hailey, trying on different costumes, the storylines were pretty out there. Season 2’s “Halloween” saw Claire trying to transform the Dunphy house into a haunted house for the trick-or-treaters, Cameron facing a childhood trauma related to the scary holiday, and Manny and Jay teasing Gloria about her accent. Due to the nature of the episode, between the storylines and the Halloween costumes, it seems like it was not easy to film, especially since Vergara blames her on-screen husband Ed O’Neill for breaking character:

Even though Sofia Vergara didn’t admit how long it took to film the episode, it wouldn’t be surprising if it took longer than usual. The fact that it was only the second season and already they were having the time of their lives shows how close they were. It’s fun that the cast has that episode to look back on together and likely many more, even though they did film over 200 episodes.

While “Halloween” was tough to film, the end result was so worth it. The episode was nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, and won for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. It also became one of the highest-rated episodes of the second season, and it is arguably one of the best Halloween episodes in the entire series. It may have been difficult for the cast to keep it together, but even years after the episode premiered, it’s still being talked about, proving that audiences found it just as funny as the ensemble.  

Modern Family may have lost its way by the end with some questionable storylines, such as Haley’s pregnancy, but there are so many high points, and fans can watch all 11 seasons with a Hulu subscription. There are also other shows like Modern Family to stream that have equally hilarious episodes and the stories behind them.

Ed O’Neill is one of the most recognizable and respected actors on the small screen, to say nothing of his theatrical successes, though the characters he portrays aren’t always cut from the same cloth. His Al Bundy, for instance, is the beloved patriarch fronting one of TV’s most offensive shows, but Married with Children fans apparently have a pretty specific way of wording their appreciation for the football-minded shoe salesman.

While speaking with his former Modern Family co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the latter’s podcast Dinner’s On Me, O’Neill reflected on various career highs, with Married with Children understandably taking up a chunk of the convo. The actor pointed out that despite the series surviving eleven seasons (available with a Hulu subscription) while maintaining its fanbase in the 25 years since it ended, fans are still unwilling to see themselves in Al Bundy. Here’s how he put it:

To be fair, almost any self-comparison to Al Bundy would require immediate contextualization and deflection. The character is known for engaging in patently abhorrent behavior, usually at the expense of feminism and good parenting, and people usually aren’t so quick to refer to themselves as crappy husbands and fathers, regardless of how fitting such descriptions may be. 

And when meeting a major celebrity like Ed O’Neill, it probably isn’t an ideal time to confess how much one enjoys sticking their hand partway down their pants while watching TV, or how much they share in Al’s fascination with looking at other women’s naked bodies instead of their own wives. Not exactly the best first impression to make in such a situation.

For all that it was a ratings hit, Married with Children was the opposite of a critical darling, and that viewpoint was also present during awards season. Ed O'Neill certainly wasn't ignorant of that, and here's his rather pragmatic way of describing what feelings were about the show in those early years. 

In listening to the podcast, it seems very much like Ed O'Neill is smiling through those words, as if to imply "wasn't respected by my peers" was the understatement of a lifetime. But maybe that's just me. 

It’s unclear if we’ll ever get to see another series within the world of Married with Children, although plans for an animated spinoff are seemingly still alive even after co-star Christina Applegate’s struggles with MS that have forced her into semi-retirement. So keep those fingers crossed for more updates on that front in 2024.

Ed O’Neill, who spent as many seasons playing Al Bundy as he did portraying Modern Family’s Jay Pritchard alongside Jesse Tyler Ferguson and the Emmy-winning comedy’s ensemble cast. His next TV gig is FX’s The Sterling Affairs, for which he’ll play the notorious former L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling opposite Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers. 

Head to our 2024 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way with characters nowhere near as lovingly reprehensible as the Bundy family. 

For a show whose theme song starts off with the word “love,” Married with Children didn’t exactly give its characters the most traditional emotional cores, and yet the Bundy family’s bond remained as strong as the one shared by the hit sitcom’s main cast. The same can’t be said for former co-stars Ed O’Neill and Amanda Bearse, however, as tension between the two reached a breaking point when the show was still airing, seemingly without any resolution in the years since. Now, the Al Bundy portrayer has reflected on what he thinks went wrong.

Ed O’Neill, who will next pop up on the small screen playing former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, reunited with his former Modern Family son Jesse Tyler Ferguson for the latter’s podcast Dinner on Me, and you can bet Married with Children came up as a topic of conversation. After Ferguson addressed the cast’s palpable chemistry and started to ask another question, O’Neill politely interrupted to spend a minute addressing his previously reported falling out with Bearse. 

This point, O’Neill explained, was likely the forking point where his actions could have potentially gone in a direction where their friendship survived to live another day, but he instead went the other way. The Wayne’s World vet continued:

The existence of sayings such as with age comes wisdom” and “hindsight is 20/20” isn’t coincidental, and it sounds like Ed O’Neill is contrite for being too inside his own head at the time as Married with Children’s lead, rather than appealing to his co-star’s wishes. Even if he was practically sound in thinking TV Guide and/or Ron Leavitt would brusquely refuse to put all six on the cover, showing solidarity would have been the better move. 

When Jesse Tyler Ferguson asked if he would take that higher road with Bros' Amanda Bearse if he could go back and do it again, O’Neill said: 

For what it's worth, Married with Children made the cover of TV Guide for its July/August 1989 issue, which came ahead of the show's Season 4 premiere, and not quite six years in. It and every other season can be streamed with a Hulu subscription.

Lasting for eleven seasons, Married with Children remains one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time, despite also holding the reputation for being one of TV’s most offensive shows, sharing such lauded space with the current comedy king, the arguably more self-awarely offensive It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Both shows work best when the ensemble cast are all working together, with the uptight-ish Darcys being A+ foils for the amoral Bundys. And both shows also are known for getting snubbed at the Emmys. Clearly it's crossover time!

While this doesn't exactly seem like a buried hatchet, here's hoping happier and forgiving heads will prevail in the future, as fans await updates for the previously announced animated Married with Children revival.

Ed O’Neill recently signed on for his first big show after spending ten seasons on ABC for Modern Family, but his new FX role doesn’t mean that he can’t revisit his TV past. A Married…with Children revival is apparently in the works, with O’Neill and other former stars expected to reprise their roles as the Bundys. There’s a major twist that would mean O’Neill and his co-stars wouldn’t need to actually be on a set: the project will reportedly be animated.

An animated revival of Married… with Children is apparently being shopped around to streaming services and networks, with Deadline reporting that it is already gaining strong interest with original stars Ed O’Neill (Al Bundy), Katey Sagal (Peg Bundy), Christina Applegate (Kelly Bundy), and David Faustino (Bud Bundy) on board. The animated imagining of Married… with Children comes from Alex Carter, a Family Guy executive producer who would serve as showrunner. The project has been in the works for over a year, during which the core four stars of the original reportedly signed on. 

No details are available at this point about where it is expected to end up if it gets the series order, but given that the original series (which ran for eleven seasons from 1987 - 1997) aired on Fox and is owned by Sony Pictures Television, that network seems the most likely broadcast option, with Hulu as a logical streamer. All eleven seasons of the original are available streaming with a Hulu subscription, after all!

Animation would be an unconventional way to bring the classic sitcom back to TV, but also presumably allows for original stars Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate, and David Faustino to play their characters again without dropping any more time consuming live-action projects that they might have in the works. Fox is also already the prime destination for animated comedy on network television, with The Simpsons as the flagship at 33 seasons and counting. Family Guy has also become an animation juggernaut of the network. If it happens, Fox could be the ideal destination. 

Of course, news of a developing revival comes almost 25 years to the date after the original Married… with Children aired its series finale back in June of 1997, so it’s not quite at the top of pop culture circa 2022. That said, shows like Friends and The Office experienced resurgences thanks to streaming services; even though the former Ed O’Neill sitcom ended farther back than either of those series, its availability streaming could be a boon if a revival happens. 

It undoubtedly wouldn’t hurt that stars of Married… with Children went on to have successful careers after the sitcom wrapped in 1997. Ed O’Neill of course went on to Modern Family, while Katey Sagal was a prominent part of Sons of Anarchy and has become key to ABC’s The Conners. Sagal also has extensive voice acting experience, as the voice of Leela for Futurama. 

Christina Applegate’s latest big TV role was Netflix’s Dead to Me, which ended earlier this year after three seasons, but not before featuring Sagal as a guest star. David Faustino has been less prolific in live-action TV over the years, but has done plenty of voice work with Dreamworks Dragons, The Legend of Korra, and Dragons: Race to the Edge. He also reunited with O’Neill for an appearance on Modern Family back in 2013. 

For now, Married… with Children fans can at least count on seeing Ed O’Neill back on TV with the FX limited series The Sterling Affair, although that also doesn’t have a premiere date. You can revisit the sitcom streaming on Hulu, and check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule for some viewing options during the wait for more news about the animated revival.

Modern Family ended on ABC in 2020, and since then, the stars are scattering throughout Hollywood and moving on to new projects. Ed O’Neill just landed his next big one, but don’t expect him to get up to the same type of antics that Jay Pritchett did. In fact, it’ll involve some way more serious topics as O’Neill steps into the role of an ousted NBA owner in The Sterling Affairs. 

Ed O’Neill joins The Sterling Affairs in the role of Donald Sterling, the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Deadline reports that the FX limited series will profile the controversy that surrounded the owner during the Clippers' quest for the championship under Doc Rivers. O’Neill joins Laurence Fishburne, who will play Rivers, and Jacki Weaver, who will play Sterling’s wife, Shelly. The story, as sports fans might know, is rooted in leaked conversations between Sterling and his mistress, V. Stiviano, that featured Sterling making racist statements. 

The Sterling Affairs comes from the 30 for 30 podcast that is reported and hosted by Ramona Shelburne. Though it’s unknown how far the series will go, the controversy ultimately earned Donald Sterling a lifetime ban from the NBA, and the team was sold to Steve Ballmer. Based on Ed O'Neill's casting and early descriptions, this limited series sounds like an intriguing window into what went down even for viewers who aren't already familiar with the Clippers controversy. For sports fans, it certainly seems like another can’t-miss series. 

For some Modern Family fans (who can revisit the long-running comedy with a Hulu subscription), it might be jarring to see Ed O’Neill in such a dramatic role. Of course, O'Neill has a long list of credits over the years of his career. While this project isn’t the Married... with Children revival that some might’ve wanted, it certainly has potential to be another hit under his belt. FX has a pretty consistent track record with drama, and with increased interest in NBA shows as of late with HBO’s Winning Time, this might be one that attracts a wide audience. 

The Sterling Affairs is the latest role for Ed O’Neill, who was attached to the streaming series Night Sky, formerly known as Lightyears, with Sissy Spacek a year ago. O’Neill left that project, and it replaced him with J.K. Simmons, so it’s good to see him attached to a new series that will, hopefully, find its way to television and streaming before too long. 

The Sterling Affairs is still in the early stages over at FX, but anyone can watch Ed O’Neill in Modern Family right now streaming. It might be best to binge the series ahead of this upcoming, project because it sounds like we’ll be seeing another side of O’Neill’s acting that might not be so hilarious to watch. You can also check out O'Neill's time as Al Bundy with Married... with Children streaming with a Peacock subscription.

Throughout a career that has lasted for decades, actor Ed O'Neill has already set up his acting legacy by playing two of TV's most iconic sitcom dads in Married with Children's Al Bundy and Modern Family's Jay Pritchett, whom he portrayed for a combined 22 seasons. Don't expect his next big TV role to look anything like that, however, as he'll be teaming up with fellow Hollywood legend Sissy Spacek for the brand new sci-fi (!!) TV series Lightyears that is heading to streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

With the fairly singular distinction of having two lead characters both over 70 years old, Lightyears centers on Ed O'Neill's Franklin York and Sissy Spacek's Irene York, a couple sharing a very strange and potentially world-changing secret. Years previous, the pair discovered a chamber beneath their backyard that unexplainably goes from their home to a deserted planet somewhere in outer space, and I'm already hooked.

Though Franklin and Irene have made a point of keeping their backyard mystery a secret from the outside world, things take a potentially dangerous turn when a curious young man shows up. According to Variety, his arrival turns their otherwise quiet lives upside down and inside out, and they come to discover that the mystifying chamber they thought they mostly understood is far more important and meaningful than they ever could have suspected. This story sounds like it could go to 1,000 different places, both figuratively and literally.

A co-production between Amazon Studios and Legendary Television, Lightyears is being written by Holden Miller, who'd previous worked on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. Serving as showrunner will be Daniel C. Connolly, who has worked on such genre-heavy shows as The Whispers and Colony, as well as Into the Badlands and Longmire. Both will also be executive producing. Fellow Colony vet Juan José Campanella, who most recently helmed episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, will serve as Lightyears' director.

This role marks Ed O'Neill's first big project after the conclusion of Modern Family, which wrapped in 2020 after eleven highly successful seasons, and which earned him three Emmy nominations. Though the actor is far more known for comedies and lighter dramas as opposed to science fiction, the only other live-action TV show he acted in during Modern Family's run was, interestingly enough, an episode of YouTube's sci-fi anthology show Weird City.

Similarly, Sissy Spacek has not filled her filmography with science fiction projects, though she has been a horror icon for 45 years now due almost entirely to her stellar performance in 1976's Carrie. The actress made her long-awaited return to Stephen King's world for the first season of Hulu's now-cancelled horror anthology Castle Rock in 2018. That same year, she was in the first season of Amazon's Homecoming with Julia Roberts, which was her last TV project to date.

I cannot wait to see the character dynamics that play out between Sissy Spacek and Ed O'Neill throughout Lightyears, which is set to go into production later this year at some point. It will be very refreshing to see O'Neill take on another TV role after so many years of Modern Family's signature family-friendly jokes and deliveries. (WandaVision missed the boat by not having him cameo in its Modern Family-esque episode.) And considering the talent already on display, viewers should probably anticipate more excellent cast members being announced soon!

When it premiered in 2009, Modern Family went from critical favorite to one of the most popular and award-winning shows on TV. The acclaimed show, filmed in the mockumentary style that was popularized from the American remake of The Office, featured a delightful ensemble, sharp writing, and a lot of lovable moments. The series lasted 11 seasons, and it turned Sofia Vergara, Ariel Winter and others into famous celebrities all while continuing to build upon Ed O'Neill's towering television legacy, but everything must end at some point. As Modern Family concluded, several actors found their next projects while some other cast members left their future uncertain. Let's take a look at what we know about these award-winning actors and see what they're looking to pursue next.

Ty Burrell (Phil Dunphy)

Playing Phil Dunphy, the patriarch of the Dunphy family, Ty Burrell found his most well-recognized role in Modern Family. The actor rose to prominence through a Broadway run of Macbeth and several off-broadway plays, as well as roles in Black Hawk Down and the Dawn of the Dead remake, but this series is what helped Burrell turn into a household name. Since appearing in Modern Family, Burrell also booked roles in Finding Dory, Storks, Muppets Most Wanted, Rough Night, and a title role in Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Now that his two-time Emmy-winning role in Modern Family is over, Burrell has booked his next role. He provides his voice to the new animated series, Duncanville, where he serves as a regular player.

Julie Bowen (Claire Dunphy)

An established film and TV actress before she joined the cast of Modern Family, Julie Bowen was known for starring in Happy Gilmore, Lost, Dawson's Creek, Boston Legal, and Ed, to name a few titles, before she joined the popular sitcom, but it became her most famous role to date. As the matriarch Claire Dunphy, Bowen won two Emmy awards for her performance in the series. Now that the show has concluded, Bowen has a couple titled lined up next. The first is Hubie Halloween, the newest Adam Sandler Netflix comedy, which is set to come out later this year. Bowen is also attached to Raised By Wolves, the new CBS multi-camera comedy series from the creators of Will & Grace. Though there might've been speculation that she'd quit acting after Modern Family's series finale, that's evidently not the case.

Sofia Vergara (Gloria Delgado-Pritchett)

As Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, the significantly younger wife to Jay Pritchett, Sofia Vergara's profile skyrocketed thanks to the success of Modern Family. The Colombian-American actress became one of the highest paid actresses on television for several years through her Emmy-nominated performance. The former Univision co-host found herself in The Smurfs, New Year's Eve, Machete Kills, The Three Stooges, Chef, Hot Pursuit, Happy Feet Two, The Emoji Movie, and more following the show's success, and she'll continue to be a friendly face on television. Now that Modern Family has aired its final episode, Vergara has lined up her next TV gig. She'll join America's Got Talent as a judge during its 15th season. She has also done endorsements for several companies since she found international fame through Modern Family.

Ed O'Neill (Jay Pritchett)

Previously best known for playing Al Bundy in Married... With Children, O'Neill was already a comedy titan when he starred in Modern Family, though the series gave his television career a great second wave. Having also appeared in the Wayne's World movies and Little Giants, O'Neill got a plush role in this hit series and it renewed his career enormously. Since the award-winning series premiered, O'Neill has also done voice work for Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Finding Dory. As Modern Family came to a close after eleven seasons, O'Neill hasn't lined up any new acting gigs, though he's soon set to be seen in the indie comedy, The Last Shift, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. As for the next project, he admitted on Ellen that he's "going along" and figuring it out in due time.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell Pritchett)

Playing Mitchell Pritchett, the husband of Cameron Tucker and Lily's father, Jesse Tyler Ferguson found himself in a major television hit with this role. The performance was nominated for five Emmy awards and it certainly helped his profile, though he was previously well-known for his standout work in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which became a huge Broadway sensation. Recently, Ferguson found himself on Broadway again in the 2016 production of Fully Committed. He also lent his voice to the audiobook, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, from 2018, and he appeared in Taylor Swift's 2019 music video for "You Need To Calm Down." He also voiced a character in Ice Age: Collision Course, and he appeared on Project Runway and Drop the Mic. Now that Modern Family has concluded, Ferguson will be the new host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Eric Stonestreet (Cameron Tucker)

Eric Stonestreet was a hard-working actor who finally found his big break with Modern Family. Playing Cameron Tucker, Mitchell Pritchett's husband and Lily's other father, Stonestreet won two Emmys and gained wide acclaim for his beloved performance. Since Modern Family, Stonestreet has also been seen or heard in American Horror Story, Monk, Identity Thief, Bad Teacher, The Loft, You're Not A Monster, and The Secret Life of Pets 1 & 2. Now that Modern Family is finished, Stonestreet doesn't currently have any upcoming acting roles formally announced, though he's taking Heidi Klum's place on America's Got Talent's fifteenth season as a guest judge. He was also recently seen on the revival of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.

Sarah Hyland (Haley Dunphy)

As Haley Dunphy, the eldest Dunphy daughter, Sarah Hyland found her claim to fame with Modern Family. The young actress, who had previously appeared in minor roles in Private Parts and Annie, found herself in this acclaimed ensemble and it opened a few new doors. Since the show began, Hyland has been seen in Geek Charming, Scary Movie 5, Struck By Lightning, Vampire Academy, XOXO, and the Dirty Dancing remake — to name a few projects. Now that Modern Family has come to a close, Hyland is looking to pursue her next project. Specifically, Hyland is attached to headline and produce a forthcoming ABC comedy series from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick) and This Is Us co-showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. Not much is known about the untitled series at this time. Hyland also recently did a single with Jordan McGraw.

Ariel Winter (Alex Dunphy)

Playing the part of Alex Dunphy, the middle child of the fame, Ariel Winter grew in prominence and fame through her work on the popular ABC series. Thanks to Modern Family, Winter has elevated her career in a number of ways, though she primarily works as a voice actress nowadays. She has lent her voice to the lead role in Sofia the First, as well as Final Fantasy games, Phineas And Ferb, Smurfs: The Lost Village, Mr. Peabody & Sherman (also starring Ty Burrell), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and ParaNorman, to name a few projects. She'll next be heard in the lead role of Little Audrey.

Rico Rodriguez (Manny Delgado)

In his calling card role, former child actor Rico Rodriguez became a household name when he played Manny Delgado, Gloria's sweet-natured son from another marriage, in Modern Family. Though he appeared in Cory in the House, Nip/Tuck, My Name is Earl, iCarly, Epic Movie, and NCIS in minor roles before his time in the popular ABC sitcom, his scene-stealing character made him an adorable favorite on the series, helping the actor find parts in The Muppets, Austin & Ally, and Good Luck Charlie, among other roles. Also, in 2012, the young actor published his memoir, Reel Life Lessons... So Far, which he authored alongside Laura Morton. With the series concluded, Rodriguez currently doesn't have any other roles announced presently, but the actor did recently appear in an episode of Nickelodeon's reality TV program, The Substitute.

Nolan Gould (Luke Dunphy)

In the role of Luke Dunphy, the youngest Dunphy sibling, Nolan Gould was a consistent presence throughout Modern Family. Though he hasn't found the same notoriety as his co-stars, Gould has found several new acting projects since appearing on this popular series. The same year Modern Family hit television, Gould was seen in Space Buddies, and he has been seen in Friends with Benefits, The To Do List, Good Luck Charlie, and more since then. He also made an appearance as himself in a 2014 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Next, Gould has a role in Yes and he'll appear in What's Up North. He's expected to be seen in the comedy-drama, Camp. He's also been doing more music videos lately.

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (Lily Tucker-Pritchett)

As Lily Tucker-Pritchett, the sweet young daughter of Cameron and Mitchell, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons played a more prominent role in the series as it went along. The show remains her only acting credit outside of a 2014 short film, though she has build a presence on YouTube. Specifically, Anderson-Emmons does the segment FoodMania Review with her mom, Amy. They started making videos in 2015 and they have over a million views and 19,000 subscribers.

Jeremy Maguire (Joe Pritchett)

As Joe Pritchett, the son of Jay and Gloria, Jeremy Maguire became an adorable addition to Modern Family from Season 4 onward. Outside of this show, Maguire has appeared in The Last Ship and 2017's I'm Not There. He'll next appear in the comedy-drama film, The Virgin of Highland Park. He also regularly makes videos on his YouTube account.

Reid Ewing (Dylan Marshall)

Though he only played a supporting role during the early seasons of Modern Family, Reid Ewing found himself playing a main role in the show's 11th and final season. In the role of Dylan, a love interest Haley Dunphy, the character became an endearing presence throughout the show's run, proving himself to be the man for Haley as the show progressed forward. Now that Modern Family is done, the actor-musician currently doesn't have any new acting roles announced yet. There was potentially talk of a spin-off series that would feature Ewing more prominently, but that potential series has not been announced in any official capacity — and it's hard to know if it'll ever come to be. We'll certainly keep you posted if that ever ends up happening.

Who is your favorite Modern Family actor? Let us know in the comments!

2020 hasn't exactly been the smoothest year so far, which is putting it lightly, and not even the usual comforts of primetime TV are a safe haven for emotional relief. Case in point: the French bulldog widely known for portraying Modern Family's beloved pet Stella has passed away, and the timing couldn't have been more poignant.

The bulldog, whose real name was Beatrice, reportedly died a week or so ago, and her death came mere days after Modern Family wrapped filming on the finale for its eleventh and final season. At this time, it isn't clear what exactly caused Beatrice's sudden death.

Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan provided USA Today with an amusingly sweet tribute to Beatrice.

I'd like to think that Stella and Beatrice's doggie heaven looks a lot like Paris.

The character of Stella was introduced back in Season 2 of Modern Family, in the episode "Good Cop Bad Dog." When Jay convinced her original owner Guillermo (played by Lin-Manuel Miranda) to return to college to finish his education, Stella was gifted to the Pritchard family. Jay wasn't too happy about it, considering Stella was known to tear things up around the house, but he eventually came around to adoring her, to the point where Sofia Vergara's Gloria often gets jealous over how attentive and forgiving Jay is for the dog.

Of course, the late Beatrice wasn't actually the first canine to take on the role of Stella. Back when she was first given to Jay and Gloria, Stella was played by another bulldog named Brigitte, who kept the role for two seasons on Modern Family before somewhat controversially being dropped from the show. At the time, it was reported that Brigitte's agency, Good Dog Animals, had a dispute with the dog's owner, which led to the agency getting rid of Brigitte.

So from the middle of Season 4 up until the show's final episodes, the Pritchett's beloved Stella was played by Beatrice. It has been confirmed by ABC that Stella will indeed appear in the series finale, so fans will be able to get a sense of closure in that sense. (Assuming there aren't any major dog-related cliffhangers involved.)

Considering how emotional some of the Modern Family cast and crew got during the final weeks of filming, it's safe to say the Internet will be flooded with more farewell posts and pictures as the end draws nearer. There's a good chance quite a few of those posts will offer up love to Beatrice and Stella.

Unfortunately, Beatrice's passing is actually the second noteworthy Modern Family-related death to happen in 2020 so far. Marsha Kramer, who portrayed the recurring role of Margaret, died in January at 74 years old.

We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Beatrice's owners and friends during their time of mourning.

Modern Family airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET, with the series finale set to air on Wednesday, April 8.

Modern Family will conclude with the Season 11 finale in April, which marks the end of an era for ABC. The network was home to a series that was a critical darling during its height and kept on going for its fans. Remarkably, the Modern Family regulars who debuted back in Season 1 remain on board as Season 11 comes to and end. Now is the time to look back at Modern Family Season 1 and see how the cast has changed by Season 11.

The Modern Family cast matured from Season 1 to Season 11, with the kids grown into young adults and much of the cast enjoying career opportunities that they likely would not have gotten if not for the super successful sitcom. Let's start with the man who had the most sitcom experience coming in to Modern Family Season 1: Ed O'Neill.

Ed O'Neill (Jay Pritchett)

Best known prior to Modern Family as Al Bundy of Married... with Children, Ed O'Neill plays the Modern Family patriarch Jay Pritchett. 63-years-old when Modern Family Season 1 launched back on September 23, 2009, O'Neill will be just shy of 74 when the Modern Family series finale airs. Jay went through a lot of changes over the years as he became more accepting and more... well, modern as a husband, father, and grandfather.

Ed O'Neill proved his comedy chops weren't limited to Married... with Children on Modern Family, as Jay evolved over the years without losing the ability to deliver laughs. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Emmys three times thanks to Modern Family. He mostly stuck with Modern Family for work since 2009, although he has done plenty of voice work, with roles ranging from Zyrtec commercials to Wreck-It Ralph to Finding Dory.

Julie Bowen (Claire Dunphy)

Julie Bowen was an accomplished TV actress prior to playing Claire on Modern Family Season 1 thanks to Ed and Boston Legal. Claire shifted over the years from housewife to working mom to now grandmother of a couple of twins. Bowen herself gave birth to twins in 2009, and her baby bump is visible for eagle-eyed viewers of the pilot. 39-years-old when that pilot aired, Bowen is now 50. She divorced from her husband in 2018, but remains "very good friends" with him.

Julie Bowen did a lot of voice work during Modern Family's run, with projects like DuckTales and Tangled: The Series. That said, she also has live-action films like Horrible Bosses (2011) and Knife Fight (2012) to her name. Modern Family is undeniably her biggest critical success, with six consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress, with Bowen taking home the trophy in 2011 and 2012.

Ty Burrell (Phil Dunphy)

The 52-year-old Ty Burrell has spent 11 seasons tackling the role of Phil Dunphy, the goofy dad of the Dunphy crew with a big heart and inconvenient fear of clowns. His bond with his kids changed as they grew up, but his marriage with Claire remained strong. Burrell worked as a voice actor throughout Modern Family's run, with roles in Finding Dory and the 2020 animated sitcom Duncanville. He also had some live-action appearances, with Muppets Most Wanted in 2014 and episodes of Key and Peele.

Notably, Ty Burrell signed a deal with 20th Century Fox TV in 2014 to develop comedy projects, and he produced and starred in the web series Boondoggle, which scored him an Emmy nom for Short Form Comedy in 2017. 42-years-old when Modern Family Season 1 premiered in 2009, Burrell accumulated eight Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor, winning in 2011 and 2014.

Sofia Vergara (Gloria Delgado)

Sofia Vergara debuted on Modern Family as Gloria Delgado at 37, playing the much-younger Colombian wife of Jay Pritchett, mother of Manny and eventually Joe. Gloria is traditional and superstitious, but deeply loving of her family. For Modern Family, Vergara has been nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy four times. Vergara (now 47) largely appeared in live-action during her Modern Family stint, including Hot Pursuit in 2015 with Reese Witherspoon and Bottom of the Ninth in 2019 with husband Joe Manganiello.

Back in 2019, Deadline reported Sofia Vergara as set to star and produce an untitled female ensemble comedy film. Her first major project following the end of Modern Family will see her move from ABC to NBC as a new judge on America's Got Talent. Vergara has stated that she's "extremely proud to be the first Latin judge on the show."

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell Pritchett)

The youngest of the adult cast at 34 when Modern Family Season 1 premiered in 2009, Jesse Tyler Ferguson (now 44) has played the gay son of Jay, brother of Claire, husband of Cam, and father of Lily. Originally high-strung and struggling with his relationship with his father, Mitchell was able to loosen up and embrace his family as the years passed. Ferguson primarily stayed off the big screen over the past decade, with TV roles on shows like Hot in Cleveland and Nightcap.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson managed to squeeze in some musical theater productions during his years on Modern Family, and certainly not small roles. Ferguson also appeared in Taylor Swift's "You Need To Calm Down" music video. He and his husband are expecting their first child this year. He joins his Modern Family costars in stacking up the Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy nominations, with five to his name.

Eric Stonestreet (Cameron Tucker)

Eric Stonestreet was 38 when Modern Family launched in 2009, and Cam proved to be a devoted husband and father, a lover of farms, and a clown enthusiast with a clown alter ego by the name of Fizbo. Prior to Modern Family, Stonestreet (now 49) mostly landed one-off TV roles, with the exception of 13 episodes of CSI. Following Modern Family Season 1's launch, he landed live-action gigs like an episode of American Horror Story in 2011 and The Loft in 2015, as well as voice roles in both Secret Life of Pets films, the Sofia the First animated series, and more.

Unsurprisingly considering this is Modern Family, Eric Stonestreet has been nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy three times, winning twice. In 2019, Stonestreet became a partial owner of the Kansas City Royals. He has expressed interest in working with Modern Family on-screen husband Jesse Tyler Ferguson again.

Sarah Hyland (Haley Dunphy)

The eldest of the Dunphy kids was played by 19-year-old Sarah Hyland when Modern Family Season 1 launched. Haley was never the smartest of the Dunphys, but she always meant well and went on to marry on-again/off-again boyfriend Dylan and give birth to twins. Now 29, Hyland has worked on a variety of projects during the 11 seasons of Modern Family while also struggling with health issues and public perception. She underwent two kidney transplants throughout the run of Modern Family.

Despite keeping busy with Modern Family, Sarah Hyland found time to star in projects like Vampire Academy and the Dirty Dancing remake. She appeared in the controversial latest season of Veronica Mars and also worked as a voice actress, with roles on The Lion Guard, Lego DC Comics Superheroes, and more. Hyland already lined up her next network TV role following Modern Family, which may mean that Haley-centric spinoff won't happen.

Ariel Winter (Alex Dunphy)

Only 11 when Modern Family Season 1 premiered, Ariel Winter has played Alex Dunphy, a.k.a. the brainy middle child of the Dunphy family. Although Alex has always been competitive, she loves her family and uses her brains to help them... and mess with them, but she has her their backs. Winter is now 22, and most of her jobs during Modern Family were voice roles, with Sofia the First as a highlight. More recently, she played a very non-Alex Dunphy character for Law & Order: SVU.

Ariel Winter's personal life involved a lot of ups and downs as she grew up during Modern Family, which she described as "difficult" and "awful." After being emancipated from her mother, Winter underwent breast reduction surgery. She went through further changes due to medications that resulted in weight loss, and she has made all kinds of headlines with her bold wardrobe choices.

Nolan Gould (Luke Dunphy)

Believe it or not, Nolan Gould is less than a year younger than on-screen sister Ariel Winter, despite the endearingly goofy Luke seeming so much younger than the much-brainier Alex. Only 11 when Modern Family's first episode aired on ABC, the 21-year-old Gould is a member of Mensa with an IQ of 150, according to Gould himself on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. At the age of 13, he tested out of high school.

Compared to his Modern Family costars, Nolan Gould didn't tackle too many projects during Modern Family, but he does have some notable projects to his name. On top of an appearance in 2011's Friends with Benefits, he went for horror with 2012's Ghoul, and starred in the 2019 drama Yes. Gould told PopCulture that he "took an interest" in Yes because it was so different from Modern Family, but he also told PopCulture in 2019 that he's "one hundred percent on board for a spinoff or a reboot or anything."

Rico Rodriguez (Manny Delgado)

At 11-years-old when Modern Family Season 1 premiered, Rico Rodriguez was pretty young to be playing Claire and Mitchell's step-sibling and the Dunphy kids' step-uncle, but Manny with his sensitivity, love of the arts, and surprisingly grown-up tendencies (played for laughs) always delivered. Now 21, Rodriguez got his big break with Modern Family and didn't branch out a whole lot during the run of the series. He did some voice work on TV projects like Mad and The Lion Guard, played himself in The Muppets in 2011, and landed some one-off TV roles including on R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour and Austin & Ally.

Notably, Rico Rodriguez wrote a book back in 2012, called Reel Life Lessons... So Far. The book included his thoughts on growing up in the spotlight thanks to Modern Family's success, overcoming challenges, and starring on a show with Sofia Vergara playing his mom.

Few shows can hang on to so many members of the Season 1 cast, let alone the full cast of series regulars. See the Modern Family cast in their final episodes airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. The series finale airs on April 8, so there is a limited number of episodes remaining until the final credits roll. Be sure to tune in! For some viewing options once Modern Family wraps with Season 11, check out our 2020 midseason premiere schedule.

Now that more than a handful of TV revivals have proven themselves to be extended successes, barely any of yesteryear's classics are off the table for potential returns. One rightfully qualifying example is the good-taste-eschewing sitcom Married with Children, ran for 11 seasons on Fox until 1997. Fans' requests for Married with Children's return definitely go back further than the recent revival trend, but now is the perfect time to make it happen, thanks to Modern Family ending its run on ABC.

Below, we'll go over the reasons why now is the best possible time for Fox to bring a Married with Children to audiences, starting off with the main man himself.

Modern Family's Ed O'Neill Now Has Time For Married With Children

In the 22 years that spanned between Married with Children's end and Modern Family's debut in 2009, Ed O'Neill's biggest TV role was playing Joe Friday for the all-but-forgotten 2003 reboot L.A. Dragnet. (His most memorable roles, perhaps, were on John from Cincinnati and The West Wing.) I'm not trying to typecast the Emmy-nominated actor or anything, but it's time for him to return to the role that started his legacy, hand in his pants and all.

While it would have been great had Ed O'Neill agreed to take on some kind of Married with Children revival in the past decade, his Modern Family schedule would have made it extremely difficult for the actor, now 73 years old, to have lent his talents and full attention to a completely different show for anything more than a one-off special. But without ABC's 20+ episode seasons locking him down for so many months of the year, he's free to return to Married with Children's Chicago setting, whether it be for only a few episodes or a bunch of them.

Katey Sagal's Sitcom Chops Are As Strong As Ever With The Conners

After Married with Children wrapped in 1997, it wasn't long before Katey Sagal landed her next iconic role as Futurama's Leela, and she followed that up with stellar runs on 8 Simple Rules, Superior Donuts and (my personal favorite) Sons of Anarchy. Most recently, Sagal has enjoyed a recurring role on ABC's The Conners, and while her role isn't wholly used for comedic value, it's still clear how much command the actress has in any given show, in any given scene.

Katey Sagal does have a new project in the works with Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krysta Vernoff, which would obviously be a bump in the road to Married with Children if it goes forward. But considering her role on The Conners isn't made to appear in every episode, she would seemingly have the time to rock a red 'do as the luxuriously trashy Peggy Bundy.

Christina Applegate Could Probably Fit Married With Children Around Dead To Me

At this point in her career, Christina Applegate definitely doesn't need for Married with Children to return to television, but audiences would not doubt love to see what she could bring to the role of Kelly Bundy with 22 additional years of acting experience. Applegate has been an audience favorite no matter what show she takes on, from Jesse to Samantha Who? to her Friends episodes to Up All Night.

Currently, Christina Applegate has amassed tons of audience and critical acclaim for her darker turn as Jen Harding on Netflix's grief-infused dramedy Dead To Me, which she's also an executive producer on. That said, the streaming series only runs for ten episodes per season, with Season 2 on the way later this year. Though Netflix productions take longer than those of a linear network drama, it would still presumably give Applegate a decent-sized window between seasons where she could fittingly reprise the role of Kelly Bundy for Married with Children.

David Faustino Definitely Has The Time And Energy

While that header might have come across as an insult at David Faustino's expense, it definitely isn't meant to reflect negatively on the actor and radio DJ's steady career. Rather, it highlights the fact that Faustino has long been arguably the biggest proponent for Married with Children's return to TV in some shape or form. After all, it was his pitch about grown-up Bud Bundy that everyone seemed ready to return for a few years back, though nothing ever came of it, presumably because life is evil.

David Faustino's TV roles haven't been quite as prominent as those of his Married with Children co-stars, but the actor has supplemented that with work in the music industry, both as an MC and as a producer. Not to mention his long-running gig as a radio DJ, currently for Dash Radio. And if Married with Children fans weren't already amped to see Bud Bundy back on the small screen, Faustino stoked that fire in 2019 by battling fellow sitcom child star Joey Lawrence on an episode of Drop the Mic.

The Bundys Need To Experience Woke America

With the exception of maybe the Griffins of Family Guy and the Reynolds of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (and a select few others), Married with Children's Bundy clan is one of the most morally deficient and repugnant families in TV history. Which, of course, is part of what made them so highly popular during the show's eleven seasons. Married with Children was part of the first big wave of primetime programming on the still-new Fox network, along with The Tracy Ullman Show (which birthed The Simpsons) and 21 Jump Street. Fox had little problem with pushing envelopes at the time, but what about in 2020?

So many of the family's actions are fairly toxic and off-putting by today's standards, with Al's No Ma'am club arguably being the poster child for those issues. While Al was often too self-deprecating and somewhat faithful to Peg to become a full #MeToo monster, his leery nature (which definitely rubbed off in all the wrong ways on Bud) and antagonistic nature against overweight women would make him and instant target for cancel culture in the current climate. Think this season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but if Larry David also hated himself as much as everyone else.

As such, I would absolutely LOVE to see how Married with Children's creative team would handle Al Bundy living in a world filled with neo-feminism, Twitter tirades, amateur pornography and online shoe stores. It would be equally interesting to see how Peg would survive in such an all-inclusive world as well, though she wouldn't be able to smoke in as many public places.

As far as the kids go, I would assume that Bud never came out of his room as soon as Internet porn went live, and that Kelly is still trying to figure out how a coiled phone cord into a cell phone. But if the characters had evolved intelligently enough, it would be equally interesting to see how they transitioned into full adulthood, and whether or not they were able to find and maintain the love and marriage spoken of in the iconic theme song.

Modern Family is set to wrap up its own 11-season run with a two-part finale on Wednesday, April 8. It's not extremely likely that any big Married with Children news will break before that happens, but I've got the old Dodge's engine ready to rumble in the garage if any news breaks. In the meantime, every episode can currently be streamed on Hulu.

When it first started airing, Modern Family may have seemed destined to continue airing until everyone within the Pritchard and Dunphy families grew up and moved on. However, the past couple of years have been plagued by rumors of the show's plug getting pulled for one reason or another. Now, it looks like Modern Family will remain an ABC commodity for at least one more year, as the adult cast members are reportedly in contract negotiations tied to making Season 11, presumably its final one, a reality.

At this point, those negotiations are an ongoing affair, with some specific issues left to be figured out. But all signs are pointing to Modern Family returning for Season 11 with its six principal adult stars, including Ty Burrell, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ed O'Neill, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet. It does appear that these are final-season deals being made between cast members and 20th Century Fox TV

If the deal goes through as is, Deadline is reporting that Modern Family's final season is currently being set for 18 episodes. Of course, that number could increase by the time things are finalized and official.

While the specific money details haven't been shared, it's almost guaranteed that the deals will keep the actors high up in the list of highest-paid TV stars. ABC's licensing fee for a potential eleventh season would be equal to that of Season 10, so no mega-raises are expected to go through.

With all of the adult actors' deals now allegedly going through, the focus can now switch to the rest of the cast members, which includes the young adult ensemble. Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter's celebrity status blew up in recent years, indicating their careers will expand beyond the ABC sitcom, but they, as well as Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez, are said to be going with the flow.

Similarly, early talks are being had with co-creators Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd about returning for Season 11. The duo have already voiced their commitment to keeping the show around as long as it makes sense, so both of those deals are expected to go through with ease. As well, it's been reported that Levitan and Lloyd are aiming to keep several key writers from Season 10 staffed.

Previously, the co-creators had expressed the desire for ABC to come clean as soon as possible with intentions for Modern Family's future, so that they could craft a suitable exit for both the long-running comedy and its plethora of characters. Considering TV"s biggest comedy The Big Bang Theory got a full season's notice about its cancellation from CBS, it's likely that ABC will offer a similar heads up to Modern Family.

Season 10 of Modern Family is still going strong, with highly publicized deaths and untimely pregnancies. Find it airing on ABC every Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see what else is heading to primetime soon, head to our fall TV guide and our midseason premiere schedule.

It is that time of year again! The list of television's highest-paid actors has been revealed. In a move that will probably surprise few, familiar names from television's most popular shows populate the list, with CBS stars leading the way. Without further ado, let's dig into who made the Top 10:

CBS stars alone account for 50% of the list. When it comes to the top ten actors, the five top spots are populated by actors from two CBS shows, per Forbes. Those two shows are NCIS and The Big Bang Theory. The latter series easily dominates the list.

Jim Parsons tops co-star Johnny Galecki's Big Bang Theory paycheck by $1.5 million. The pay gap between The Big Bang Theory's highest-paid star and NCIS lead Mark Harmon is substantial. As in $7.5 million substantial. The difference in pay between Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar's Big Bang Theory paycheck and Harmon's is $4.5 million.

Also worth noting is that Mark Harmon is one of only two actors on the list to star in a drama, with The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln being the other. Everyone else stars in a comedy. Given the shake-ups around the corner, this list is destined for a significant shakeup of its own.

Ahead of its twelfth season premiere, The Big Bang Theory announced it would also be its last. So, the cast of the hugely popular sitcom will not be featured on the list much longer. Likewise, Andrew Lincoln is leaving The Walking Dead. Their impending exits will open up five slots on the list.

So, Mark Harmon should theoretically rocket to the top spot. Modern Family is currently in the midst of its tenth season. While there has been chatter of it being the series' last, its future currently remains unclear. The stars of the comedy could stick around after their rivals leave.

Four members from the cast of the ABC comedy Modern Family are on the list. That puts the show populating nearly 50% of the list. It is also the only ABC series with stars that made the cut. If and when Modern Family ends up joining The Big Bang Theory in ending, the list will shift even more.

While network television has been hit with ever-evolving changes, one thing has not changed. Network television is still the highest-paying. No star of a streaming series appears on the list, and only one actor from a cable series makes an appearance.

What is also interesting is that comedies totally dominate television's list of highest-paid actors. So, while dramas such as The Walking Dead tend to dominate watercooler talk, television's paychecks tell another story.

With so many actors on the list preparing to say goodbye, it will be interesting to see who takes their place. Many of the stars appearing in this year's list star in television's fall premieres.

If Al and Peg Bundy could stay married throughout the eleven seasons that Married with Children was on the air, not to mention the years before and after, then it's easy to assume that anything could happen, right? Anything like maybe a Married with Children spinoff centered on son Bud Bundy, right? Well, star Ed O'Neill had something slightly less enthusiastic to say about the rumored project when asked if it was going to happen.

You know, with all of the current revivals and reboots populating the small screen, I hadn't really been too worried that David Faustino's plans for a continuation of Married with Children would get squashed before at least a pilot got produced. Sure, I get that nothing is guaranteed in the modern market when streaming and delayed viewing skew rating measures, but the ribald sitcom almost single-handedly turned Fox into a major network (with the other hand presumably down the front of one's pants). I really thought everyone involved would turn the cogs in order to get this thing in motion.

David Faustino recently spoke up about the potential return of Grandmaster B after months of no updates, and mentioned the legal issue that Ed O'Neill brought up, though he couldn't go into specifics about it. It sounds like a handful of network or studio execs are just unwilling to let the comedy see the light of day, which is possibly a damned shame. This is the face I've made for the past 20 minutes.

First brought to fans' attention nearly two years ago, the Married with Children revival was indeed set to center on Bud Bundy, and Faustino was the one spearheading it. The other cast members didn't take long to show their support by saying they'd all be involved in some capacity. As O'Neill stated most recently, he would definitely only be around for an episode or two each season (assuming it would make it to two), and the same would probably go for anyone else working a regular gig, although cable shows do have much different shooting schedules than network series. But now I guess no one has to worry about finagling any schedules at all.

O'Neill, who shared this bad news with AOL Build while discussing Finding Dory, did get to work with Faustino not too long ago - in the loosest sense of the word "work" - when the younger actor made an appearance on Modern Family in Season 4 as the venerable Tater. Sadly, Faustino and O'Neill didn't even get to share a scene together, which made the cameo all the more strange.

Now, we wait for the next morsel of news about the future of this long-gestating Married with Children spinoff. While I have you, did I ever tell you the story about my high school football days?

Pixar scored a massive hit earlier this summer with the emotionally charged Inside Out, and they’ll be back this fall to tug at our heartstrings with The Good Dinosaur. That’s a strong year, but they’ve never been ones to rest on their laurels. They’re hard at work on their next film, the Finding Nemo spinoff Finding Dory, and they just gave us some new details about the awesome cast of characters we’ll be seeing on June 17, 2016.

Disney’s D23 expo just kicked off, and we’ve got one of our own there in person, and during the Pixar portion of the animation panel feeding us all kinds of new intel. The action of Finding Dory follows the daft, but sweet amnesiac Dory, a Pacific regal blue tang voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. One day, hanging around the coral reef, all of her childhood memories come rushing back and she heads off to find her family. Along the way she encounters a whole ensemble of new friends, and we just got some new details about a few of them.

Hank

One of Dory’s new compatriots is a friendly Octopus named Hank. We knew that she meets him at the Marine Life Institute, and that he becomes her guide on this journey, but now we know a bit more. Most importantly, he’ll be voiced by Ed O’Neill from Modern Family and Married…with Children. We knew he was injured and at the institute so he could recover, but now that something happened and he only has seven legs. We’ll have to wait and see, but whatever trauma he suffered is bound to play into his emotional journey.

Bailey

O’Neill’s Modern Family co-star Ty Burrell also gets in on the fun in Finding Dory. He voices a Beluga Whale named Bailey, and while that was previously known, we’re getting a sense of who he is and how he fits into this rag tag band of misfit weirdoes. Because of his oddly shaped head, they think he has a head injury, but that’s just how he looks. He also has "mad location skills" thanks to his echolocation abilities, and you can imagine how that skill set could come in handy along the road.

Destiny

Kaitlin Olson from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia lends her voice to Destiny, who is, according to earlier reports, Dory’s adopted sister. True to the rest of this colorful cast of characters, she’s got more going on than just this. According to what our man heard at D23, Destiny is a whale shark. It sounds like she’s having a bit of an identity crisis, as even though she is a shark—whale sharks are a type of filter feeding shark—she is under the impression that she is, in fact, a whale.

This is indeed an awesomely strange array of characters and should make Finding Dory a lot of fun. And as you probably imagined, that’s not all Pixar has in store. True to form, they’ve put together a fantastic voice cast, including Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy show up as Dory’s parents, Jenny and Charlie. According to other reports, The Wire alums Dominic West and Idris Elba also stop by, though we don’t know anything about their characters just yet.

We might learn more before, but if not, we’ll find out for sure when Finding Dory hits theaters on June 17, 2016.

When Sons of Anarchy premiered this week, it brought back TV’s most hardcore mother. Gemma Teller is a role that actress Katey Sagal seems born to play, though it’s the opposite good/bad mother of Peg Bundy, her similarly iconic role on the long-running sitcom Married With Children. If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like if Jax Teller and Bud Bundy shared the same air, it happened this week in Los Angeles (sort of), as Sagal was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and her Married With Children cast reunited to honor their former co-star.

After a brief speech from FX Networks CEO John Landgraf, actors Ed O’Neill, Christina Applegate and David Faustino took the stage to share a memory or two about their history with Sagal. Predictably, O’Neill makes a marriage joke right away about the rarity of someone in Hollywood saying something nice about their ex-wife. (Cue studio audience laughter.) He recalls the show by bringing up his and Sagal’s chemistry and saying he never laughed as hard in his life. Take that, Modern Family!

“None of us thought we’d get out of there,” joked Christina Applegate, referring to the Fox series’ eleven seasons on the air. She glorifies Sagal’s physique, which she said has only gotten better since they first met, when a 15-year-old Applegate thought Sagal had the greatest “white t-shirt and jeans” body she’d ever seen. As well, the younger actress speaks highly of her TV mother’s matronly ways through all those years, admitting she saw her work family more than her real one.

Faustino doesn’t say much other than Sagal has always been an inspiration for him. It was quite amusing when Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President Leron Gubler was announcing their names, as he wasn’t quite sure if Faustino was going to also say something or not. The way he says “Is David coming up, still?” is classic.

Here’s the crew together again in still form, just in case you didn’t want to watch the video from Variety.

“Over the years as I’ve done my job,” Sagal says during a particularly poignant stretch of her acceptance speech, “I’ve realized more and more that my job is a service job. As actors, we help others to access their emotions. We make people laugh and cry and wonder and remember, and feel their big feelings. We help great storytellers to tell their stories. And of course, we help to sell soap.”

What’s your favorite Peg Bundy memory? Hopefully it wasn’t “when she briefly mothered that kid Seven that disappeared without a trace.”

It wasn't too long ago that I was bitching about the cast of Modern Family's appearance on James Lipton's Inside the Actors Studio. I ended up taking about how the guests on Bravo's IAS lately don't exactly live up to the original, career actors who the show was designed to interview. We want legends, not rising stars. Well, with Ed O'Neill present there was at least one legend in attendance and just yesterday that status was cemented, literally, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Zap2It covered the event and snapped some pretty great photos of the man we've come to know as both Al Bundy and now, Jay Pritchett. In fact, both of his on-screen wives were in attendance for the special event. Yep, Peggy Bundy (aka Katey Sagal) from Married with Children and Gloria Delgado-Pritchett from Modern Family (aka Sofia Vergara). Hm. I wonder who would win in a throw down? Gloria is nothing if not, uh, spicy, but Sagal's Peg might just nag her to death.

About the honor, O'Neill said,

I wonder if the placement of the star had any bearing on why he eventually accepted? I mean, if you're going to put Al Bundy's star anywhere, it better be outside the one place he hated the most, his place of embittered employment... a shoe store. Yes, they were actually smart and clever enough to have O'Neill's permanent place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame reside just beyond the stoop of a shoe store. Let's hope it specializes in ladies footwear. That'd be perfect.

His new ABC comedy has become quite the hit after only two seasons, largely in part to the fantastic performances they get out of their actors like O'Neill. I wouldn't put it up there with Married With Children just yet, but Modern Family is well on its way to becoming one of the best sitcoms of the '00s (watch out Parks and Recreation). Congratulations Al, I hope it takes you back to your glory days playing Polk High football.

Modern Family's third season will premiere on ABC on Wednesday, September 21st.

It was a big day for Modern Family as the new comedy series earned itself fourteen Emmy nominations. Among those were five (five!!!) nominations for Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series. The show clearly wasn’t forgotten, so why didn’t Ed O’Neill get a nomination?

Maybe it’s the Bundy curse, as his former Married With Children on-screen wife Katey Sagal didn’t score a nomination for her performance as Gemma on the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy either, but Modern Family wasn’t exactly overlooked this year. So why no love for the man who plays the Pritchett family patriarch? E! Online’s Kristin Dos Santos talked to Emmy nominee Ty Burrell, who plays Phil in Modern Family about his own nomination and his thoughts on O’Neill’s snub.

On his nomination, Burrell said he was overwhelmed and glad. "I'm so glad, [and] I just feel so lucky. [But] I have to say Ed O'Neill's omission from the Emmys voting is an opportunity to talk about him being the heart and soul of [Modern Family], which he is.”

So, let’s talk about O’Neill! How did he get left off the list, while the other five adult characters all managed to score nominations? Was his performance as the Dad/Grandpa/Step-Dad on Modern Family any less brilliant than those of his co-stars? Or was the snub less about him paling by comparison to them and more about him getting inched out of the Outstanding Actor category?

Burrell went on to credit O’Neill for the cast getting along so well, saying, "He sets the tone with the first performance and with the stuff offscreen. We get along so well, and a lot of it has to do with Ed just being such a good egg."

What do you think? Was O’Neill robbed?

Modern Family is one of the best new shows of the fall season. And of the three families that make up its large ensemble, I find myself enjoying Jay (Ed O'Neill) and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) the most. A lot of that has to do with Gloria's son Manny, who's far too smart for his own good. But it's Manny's absent father who's brought out the reluctant heart in Jay.

Now, Zap2It reports that Benjamin Bratt has been cast in the role of Manny's father. He's fresh off a two-year stint on his own dramatic series The Cleaner over on A&E. So far, we know that Manny idolizes his father, Gloria still glorifies his sexual prowess, and he seems to be a classic douchebag absent father. While Bratt isn't known for his comedic chops, I think he can sink his teeth into the emotional punch of this character.

The very fact that they've cast the role means they're going to further explore the relationship between him and his son. I'm worried for Manny, because I don't think his father's going to suddenly be as attentive as he needs. I see heartbreak in his future, and another opportunity for Jay to show more compassion toward his stepson than he even does his biological children. I like that this comedy is willing to have an authentically emotional side.

With The Cleaner canceled, Bratt is available for more extended work if storylines can sustain him. Maybe he'll hook up with Shelley Long, who guests this week as Jay's ex-wife. It's a bit obvious, perhaps, but there could be plenty of humor mined from even a short fling between the two.