Ed O’Neill Reunites with 'Modern Family' Co-Stars at Los Angeles Dinner

<figure><img alt="Star of TV's " src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/IYDBWHDZ5JGYVOIUYUAEFXSTFQ.jpg?auth=6657bc85fb7c1b884ab335b36f84371f2851240d2d767e68f3dfea9454e9c205&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2070&amp;height=1164" /><figcaption>George Rose / Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>Actor Ed O’Neill, 80, known for his roles in <i>Married...With Children</i> and <i>Modern Family</i>, attended a reunion dinner with his co-stars over the weekend in Los Angeles.</p><p>O’Neill, who gained fame as Al Bundy in the late-1980s sitcom <i>Married...With Children</i>, joined Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson from <i>Modern Family</i> at SUSHISAMBA. This marked one of O’Neill’s rare public appearances since <i>Modern Family</i> concluded in 2020.</p><p>Vergara, 54, who portrayed Gloria Pritchett, shared images from the gathering on Instagram on August 31, featuring group photos with O’Neill, Bowen, and Ferguson, as well as a picture with her former on-screen husband. Christopher Lloyd, co-creator of <i>Modern Family</i>, also attended the dinner.</p><p>In her Instagram caption, Vergara expressed her nostalgia, stating, “I can’t believe it’s been 6 years since the Modern Family finale!!! I miss u guys!!!”</p><p>Bowen shared her own photos from the dinner, including one where O’Neill is hugging her, captioning it, “I love my fake dad… (and my real dad, but he wasn’t at dinner last night…).”</p><p>O’Neill and Vergara’s reunion highlighted their on-screen relationship as one of television’s notable age-gap couples, with O’Neill being 26 years older than Vergara in real life.</p><p>Throughout its 11-season run, Jay and Gloria remained central characters, even welcoming a son in Season 4.</p><p>Fans commented on O’Neill’s appearance, with some noting he looked younger than during the series. One user asked about his skincare routine, reflecting on his youthful look.</p><p>O’Neill has maintained a low profile since <i>Modern Family</i> ended, lacking a public social media presence, with most updates about his life coming from co-stars’ posts.</p><p>This reunion is not the first for the cast, who have gathered in smaller groups over the years. However, the full ensemble has not appeared together since November 2023, when Vergara hosted a gathering at her home. Ty Burrell, who played Phil Dunphy, was absent due to a medical procedure.</p><p>The six main adult stars—O’Neill, Vergara, Bowen, Ferguson, Burrell, and Eric Stonestreet—last appeared together at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where they presented the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. <i>Modern Family</i> won this award four times during its run, consecutively from 2011 through 2014.</p><p>Notably, younger cast members such as Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter were not present at the reunion.</p><p><i>Modern Family</i> premiered in September 2009 and concluded in April 2020 after 11 seasons and 250 episodes. The show earned 85 Emmy nominations and won 22 Emmys, including five consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series awards from 2010 to 2014.</p><p>At the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards, actress Jane Lynch referred to the event as the “Modern Family Awards” after the show swept the first four major comedy categories.</p><p>O’Neill received three Emmy nominations for his role as Jay in 2011, 2012, and 2013, but did not win. Vergara received four consecutive nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress from 2010 to 2013, also without a win.</p><p>The show received 12 Golden Globe nominations and won once, although neither O’Neill nor Vergara received individual awards.</p><video id="DnMrDKWv" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/DnMrDKWv/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/DnMrDKWv.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video><p></p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ed-oneill-80-makes-rare-appearance-in-modern-family-reunion/">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>