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Year 152 (CLII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Glabrio and Homullus (or, less frequently, year 905 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 152 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events[link]

By place[link]

Roman Empire[link]

• Minor uprisings occur in Mauritania against Roman rule.
• Regular Roman Army campaigns end in Mauritania.

Asia[link]

• The Chinese domination of the Tarim Basin weakens.

Births[link]

• Bao Xin, general of the Han Dynasty (d. 192)
• Wang Lang, politician of the Han Dynasty and during the Three Kingdoms (d. 228)

Deaths[link]

• Empress Dowager Yan Ming

References[link]

Brian Stann
Stann being awarded his Silver Star in 2006
Born	(1980-09-24) September 24, 1980 (age 31) Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	2003-2008
Rank	Captain
Unit	2nd Mobile Assault Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines
Battles/wars	2003 Invasion of Iraq, Operation Matador

Brian Michael Stann (born September 24, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist and U.S. Marine who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former WEC Light Heavyweight champion. As of October 2011, Stann is ranked #7 middleweight fighter in the world by Sherdog.^[1]

Early life and military career[link]

Stann was born at Yokota Air Base in Japan and grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Scranton Preparatory School and then enrolled in the United States Naval Academy in 1999 as a member of the Class of 2003. He played football for the Midshipmen at the position of middle linebacker during his time at the Naval Academy.^[2] Upon graduation, he was assigned as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, and rose to the rank of Captain.^[3]

On May 8, 2005, then Lieutenant Stann was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines and he commanded the 2nd Mobile Assault Platoon. During Operation Matador, his unit was ambushed by insurgents while trying to secure Ramana Bridge, near Karabilah. Stann and his Marines held out for six days under heavy attacks while Stann coordinated air and tank support that eventually allowed them to be relieved on May 14, 2005.^[4] All forty-two Marines in Stann's platoon survived, and the following March, Stann was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor in combat.^[5] Part of the citation reads: "Second Lieutenant Stann personally directed two casualty operations, three vehicle recovery operations and multiple close air support missions under enemy small arms, machine gun and mortar fire in his 360-degree fight."^[4] This mission was shown on the episode, "Iraq's Most Wanted" on the History Channel show, Shootout!, in which Stann was interviewed. His actions were noted by President George W. Bush during one of his speeches. He left active duty in the Marine Corps as of May 2008. Captain Stann was also the commanding officer in the 8th Marine Regiment Headquarters Company while continuing to fight in the WEC.

Marine Corps officials say they continue to use Stann's story as a recruiting tool, and he attributes his success in mixed martial arts to the foundation he learned fighting at the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center for Excellence in Quantico, Va. "He has been an ideal spokesperson and role model", said Lt. Col. Mike Zeliff, assistant chief of staff for advertising with Marine Corps Recruiting Command.^[6]

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Stann began his fighting career in 2006, while still serving on active duty, and used accumulated leave to take time for training and fights.^[7]

World Extreme Cagefighting[link]

On March 26, 2008, Stann defeated Doug Marshall to become the WEC Light Heavyweight champion. With this victory, Stann's MMA record reached 6–0, with five victories in the WEC.

In August he lost his first title defense in a match against Steve Cantwell.^[8]

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

In 2008, Zuffa announced plans to shut down the WEC's 185-lb and 205-lb weight classes, and bring all of those fighters to the UFC by 2009, leaving the WEC to concentrate on lighter weight classes.^[9]

Stann was scheduled to make his UFC debut on December 10, 2008, at the UFC Fight For The Troops show, to be held at the Army base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, but sustained a foot injury and was forced to withdraw from the card.^[10] Instead, he faced Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 97 in Montreal, Canada, on April 18. In the first round, Soszynski locked Stann in a Kimura, forcing him to tap out for the first time. Stann later stated in an issue of UFC Magazine, that due to previous military commitments, he did not have time to prepare for the "grappling-based" aspect of the fight and was why he lost (which was evident during the fight, doing what most ground-fighting coaches tell fighters not to do, and that was flip your hips away from your opponent in an attempt to get up, as it can leave a fighter open for easily-set-up submission attempts).

On September 16, 2009, at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard, Stann once again faced Steve Cantwell in a rubber match. Stann would go on to defeat Cantwell via unanimous decision. This would also be the first time he would fight to a decision in his professional career.

Stann defeated UFC newcomer Rodney Wallace on December 5, 2009, at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale by unanimous decision.^[11]

Stann then faced UFC newcomer Phil Davis on February 6, 2010, at UFC 109^[12] and lost via unanimous decision. Following the fight, Stann then revealed he would drop to the 185 lbs. Middleweight division.

Stann then made his middleweight debut against Mike Massenzio on August 1, 2010, at UFC on Versus 2.^[13] Stann claimed his first ever submission victory, catching Massenzio in a triangle choke midway through the final round, in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors.

Stann then fought in the Co-Main Event at UFC 125 on New Years Day. He defeated Chris Leben with a first-round TKO stoppage. He floored Leben with a right and knocked him down again with body punches. Finally he delivered a knee which sent Leben down as the referee stopped the fight at 3:37. With this win he became the second man to defeat Leben by way of strikes, the first being UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

Stann was scheduled to face former Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva on May 28, 2011, at UFC 130.^[14] However, Silva voiced his reluctance to face Stann and was replaced by former Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago. Stann defeated Santiago via TKO in the 2nd round after a right to the temple sent Santiago down and numerous strikes forced a stoppage.^[15]

Stann then fought Chael Sonnen on October 8, 2011 at UFC 136^[16] where he was defeated via second round submission.

Stann faced Alessio Sakara on April 14, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva.^[17] After knocking down Sakara early with knees from the clinch Stann threw down some heavy ground and pound delivering some short elbows and hammerfists that knocked Sakara out. Stann was awarded the victory at 2:26 of the first round. After the fight, Stann was praised by many MMA media outlets for the stoppage of Sakara. After Stann delivered the knockout blow, he sat up and motioned to the ref that Sakara was out, instead of delivering unnecessary blows before the ref could jump in and stop the fight. Stann's actions were highly praised by many, with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones saying that Brian Stann was "good for the sport." UFC president Dana White also issued his praise for Stann's performance.^[18]

Stann is expected to face Hector Lombard on August 4, 2012 at UFC on Fox 4.^[19]

Personal life[link]

Stann and his wife Teressa have a daughter named Alexandra. They currently reside in Johns Creek, Georgia.^[20][21] The couple had their second daughter, DeAnna on November 30, 2009.^[22]

In the fall of 2010, Stann published his memoir "Heart for the Fight: A Marine Hero's Journey from the Battlefields of Iraq to Mixed Martial Arts Champion" (Zenith Press). Written with military historian John R. Bruning, "Heart for the Fight" details Stann's experiences as a youth growing up in Scranton, PA, playing football for the U.S. Naval Academy, serving honorably as a decorated Marine in Iraq, and becoming WEC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Mixed martial arts[link]

• World Extreme Cagefighting
  • WEC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (Two times)

United States military[link]

• Awards and decorations of the United States military
  • Silver Star

Mixed martial arts record[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

	Biography portal
	United States Marine Corps portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

• Brian Stann
• Official website
• Professional MMA record for Brian Stann from Sherdog
• Official UFC Profile

Vítor Belfort
Born	Vítor Belfort (1977-04-01) April 1, 1977 (age 35) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Other names	The Phenom
Nationality	Brazilian
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	186 lb (84 kg; 13 st 4 lb)
Division	Middleweight (2008–present) Light Heavyweight (1998-2007) Heavyweight (1996-1997)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Style	Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Shotokan Karate
Stance	Southpaw
Fighting out of	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Team	Team Vitor Belfort TapouT Training Center Xtreme Couture
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black belt in Judo Purple belt in Shotokan[1]
Years active	1996–present (MMA)
Professional boxing record
Total	1
Wins	1
By knockout	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	30
Wins	21
By knockout	14
By submission	3
By decision	4
Losses	9
By knockout	3
By submission	1
By decision	5
Other information
Spouse	Joana Prado
Boxing record from Boxrec
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: February 5, 2011

Medal record
Competitor for  Brazil
Men's grappling
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
Bronze	2001 Abu Dhabi	Absolute

Vítor Vieira Belfort^[2] (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvitoʁ viˈejɾɐ bɛwˈfɔʁ]; born April 1, 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in the middleweight division. He is currently ranked as the #3 middleweight in the world by MMA Weekly.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Vítor was born on April 1, 1977 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to a French father and a Greek mother.^[4] Belfort is married to Joana Prado and together they have three children, a son named Davi (born February 5, 2005), a daughter named Victoria (born October 31, 2007),^[5] and a daughter named Kyara (born June 7, 2009).^[6]

Belfort also had a small part in a reality show on Brazilian television and appeared next to his wife when she was photographed for the Brazilian edition of Playboy.^[7]

On January 9, 2004, Vítor's sister, Priscila Belfort disappeared and the relatives received no information about her. In August 2007, a woman (identified as Elaine Paiva) confessed that she participated in her kidnapping and killing^[8] and that she was kidnapped to pay off a four thousand dollar debt Paiva had with drug dealers. Paiva was arrested along with three others alleged to be involved in the kidnapping. The group allegedly buried her body in the woods in Rio de Janeiro where police conducted searches but her remains have never been found. Her family however do not accept this version and believe that Priscila is still alive somewhere. Vítor still maintains a missing sign in the Brazilian version of his website.

Belfort speaks Portuguese, English, and Spanish.^[9]

He is a dedicated Christian and gives his life first to Jesus who he says gives him peace.^[10] Belfort believes the most important key to his success and longevity in the sport is that he is happy with what he does. “I just thank God every day. I’m happy. I’m healthy. Bottom line is it’s just the way you treat life and life will treat you back. Make sure you’re happy with whatever is going on in your life. I think the key of life is just be happy with what’s in front of you and the decision of my life is under God and God knows what’s best for me."^[11] Belfort also appeared in a testimonial video on I Am Second, in which he shares his story of his faith in Jesus Christ.

Mixed martial arts career[link]

At the age of 19, Belfort came to the United States to compete. In his first sanctioned mixed martial arts match, an event called Superbrawl in Hawaii, his opponent was Jon Hess, who the young Brazilian defeated in 12 seconds by knockout.

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

Soon after, he moved on to compete in the UFC, where he was given the nickname The Phenom. He beat two fighters in his debut event in the UFC, winning the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament. At age 19, Belfort became the youngest fighter to ever score a victory inside the octagon.^[12] Belfort's next match saw him score a technical knockout (TKO) against the UFC 6 runner-up Tank Abbott in a non-tournament fight, knocking Abbott down and finishing him with a ground and pound attack.

In 1997 Belfort fought against American Greco-Roman wrestler Randy Couture, the first of three fights they would have. Belfort was upset by TKO 8:16 into the match, his boxing skills negated by Couture's clinch fighting.

After this defeat, he would fight twice more in the UFC. The first of these fights was against a training partner of his, Joe Charles, who he defeated quickly via armbar without throwing a single punch. A year later, Belfort faced rising Brazilian star and future Pride Middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva. Catching Silva early with a left cross, Belfort chased him across the cage with a flurry of punches, TKOing Silva in just 44 seconds.

PRIDE Fighting Championships[link]

Vítor then moved on to fight in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships. His first opponent was Kazushi Sakuraba in 1999. Vítor controlled the first minutes of the fight before breaking his hand,^[13] the remainder of the fight was spent on his back being stomped and kicked by Sakuraba. Following the fight he stopped training with Carlson Gracie and started to train with Brazilian Top Team.

He fought five more times in Pride against Gilbert Yvel, Daijiro Matsui, Bobby Southworth, Yoshiki Takahashi, and Heath Herring. For these matches Belfort used his stand-up striking skills less and instead controlled the fights and won by ground-and-pound tactics, with the exception of his fights with Southworth and Takahashi, which he won via rear naked choke and knockout in the first round respectively.

ADCC Championships[link]

In 2001 Belfort participated in the ADCC championships, in their Absolute division. Prior to that competition he had already faced Hiroki Fukuda, winning by submission, and Mark Robinson, losing by points. In the championship Belfort faced Genki Sudo, winning by points, Ricco Rodriguez, winning by points, Ricardo Arona in the semi-final, losing by points and finally in the 3rd place fight defeating Ricardo Almeida by points, winning the bronze medal.

Return to the UFC[link]

Returning to the UFC, Belfort was scheduled to fight Tito Ortiz in the main event of UFC's first Las Vegas show at UFC 33. However, he sustained an injury prior to the event, and the bout was cancelled. Belfort eventually returned and fought Chuck Liddell (losing via decision), then Marvin Eastman (winning via TKO and opening a severe cut on Eastman's eyebrow with a knee strike).

His next fight was on January 31, 2004, a rematch with Randy Couture for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Despite agonizing over his sister Priscila Belfort, who disappeared on January 9, Vitor won the fight in 49 seconds after a seam from his glove cut Couture's eye leaving Couture with a corneal abrasion, prompting a referee stoppage. A third match between the two took place on August 21, 2004. Couture won via doctor stoppage after the third round, recapturing the title.

His next fight in the UFC was against Tito Ortiz on February 5, 2005. Belfort broke Tito's nose with punches in the first round and nearly stopped Ortiz in the second. The battle raged on as Vitor tried to keep it standing as Ortiz looked to continue to take the fight to the ground. Unable to finish the fight, Belfort lost by a controversial split decision, which many believe Belfort won the first and second round.

Pro boxing[link]

On April 11, 2006 Vitor fought in his pro boxing debut against Josemario Neves. Belfort won by TKO within the first minute after knocking his opponent down three times. This has been his sole venture into the sport of professional boxing so far.

Belfort has expressed a desire to return to professional boxing, stating in 2008 that he was interested in talking with Golden Boy Promotions regarding a deal. More recently, in response to former IBA Heavyweight Champion James Toney's challenge to fight an MMA fighter in the boxing ring, Belfort has stated that he wants to represent the sport of MMA against Toney in a 6 round professional match.^[14]

Steroid controversy[link]

At Pride 32: The Real Deal on October 21, 2006, Belfort lost a unanimous decision to Pride Welterweight Champion Dan Henderson. After the fight, Belfort tested positive for an illegal substance, 4-hydroxytestosterone.^[15] In his defense, Belfort argued that he purchased an over the counter supplement which contained 4-Hydroxytestosterone. Belfort also explained that he may have received 4-Hydroxytestosterone as the result of rehabilitative injections given to him by Brazilian endocrinologist Dr. Rodrigo M. Greco after his surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee in the summer of 2006. The Nevada State Athletic Commission eventually received a statement from Dr. Greco stating that he did give Belfort post surgical injections containing testosterone.^[16] While conceding that Belfort may have not known about the testosterone, the NSAC explained that even if Belfort was given injections by a medical practictioner who did not inform him that they contained anabolic steroids, it would still be a violation of the banned substances policy. On December 21, 2006 he was suspended for nine months from the date of the hearing and fined $10,000.

Cage Rage[link]

Vítor Belfort defeated Ivan Serati by TKO at Cage Rage 21 in England on April 21, 2007. He defeated James Zikic on September 22, 2007 at Cage Rage 23 to claim the Cage Rage light heavyweight title in a unanimous decision. He entered the fight with a broken hand and during the fight threw minimal punches and utilized takedowns and ground and pound techniques. He apologized to the crowd for not putting on a good show but promised a better fight next time.^{[citation needed]}

Affliction[link]

Vítor spent a brief time training for his Affliction fight against Terry Martin with Chute Boxe in Brazil. However, he completed his preparation for the fight at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Randy Couture and Shawn Tompkins helped train him for the fight in which he got a second round KO by landing a flying knee and following up with an uppercut straight-left combination.

After the fight, Couture said Belfort was thinking about moving to Las Vegas and training at Xtreme Couture full time.

Belfort's next fight was slated to be against Matt Lindland at the second Affliction event, however, he was forced to pull out due to a hand-injury sustained during the Terry Martin fight. The second Affliction event was postponed anyway and rescheduled for January 2009, enabling Vítor to fight on that card.

After rumours of a possible bout with reigning Dream Middleweight Grand Prix winner Gegard Mousasi were circulating, it was announced that Vítor would finally fight Lindland at Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Lindland was originally slated to fight Renato Sobral at a catchweight, but promoters of Affliction preferred the Belfort vs. Lindland fight at Middleweight. The fight ended in a KO within thirty-seven seconds as Belfort delivered a strong left to Lindland's jaw and followed up with four unanswered power shots as he hit the ground.

Second return to the UFC[link]

During a press conference, Dana White announced that the UFC had re-signed Belfort to a contract. His first match was against Rich Franklin at a catchweight of 195 lbs, headlining UFC 103, which he won by knockout three minutes and two seconds into the first round.

Belfort was expected to face Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship on January 2, 2010 at UFC 108. However, Silva's manager, Ed Soares, announced that Silva would not be fully recovered from his injury by that time, so the fight was postponed.^[17] Belfort was again slated to fight Silva on February 6, 2010 at UFC 109 and April 10, 2010 at UFC 112, respectively, but both fights were canceled because of a surgery for Silva and an injury suffered by Belfort.^[18] Belfort was scheduled to fight Yushin Okami at UFC 122. However, Dana White tweeted Belfort would instead challenge Silva at UFC 126 for the belt.^[19]

Belfort lost via KO with 1:35 left in the first round after being knocked down by a left front kick to the face and taking two punches after falling to the mat. After having the belt put on him, Silva took it off and knelt at Belfort's feet, showing his respect, same as he had done after fighting Chael Sonnen.

Belfort made his return at UFC 133 against Yoshihiro Akiyama.^[20] Belfort initially thought the UFC would try to put him on the card at UFC 134 in Brazil, but the fight with Akiyama came together to help bolster the card in Philadelphia.^[21] Belfort contracted Hepatitis A in April, shortly after accepting the fight, but his representative, Pedro Lima, said that it would not jeopardize the bout with Akiyama.^[22] Belfort was successful in his return, winning the fight by knockout one minute and fifty-two seconds into the first round.

Belfort was briefly linked to a matchup with Cung Le, expected to take place on November 19, 2011 at UFC 139.^[23] However, Belfort was removed from the bout due to injury and replaced by Wanderlei Silva.^[24]

Belfort faced Anthony Johnson on January 14, 2012 at UFC 142.^[25] During the UFC 142 weigh ins, Johnson came in 11 pounds over the 186 lb weight allowance and was fined 20 percent of his earnings.^[26] Belfort requested that Johnson not weigh more than 205 lbs the day of the fight. The UFC had Johnson weigh in a second time. Johnson officially weighed in at 204 lbs on fight day, and the fight with Belfort proceeded as scheduled, with Belfort winning via rear naked choke in the first round, his first submission win in over a decade.^[27]

Belfort was selected to coach The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil against Wanderlei Silva. The rematch between Belfort and Silva was expected to take place on June 23, 2012 at UFC 147.^[28] However, on May 27, 2012, Belfort was forced to pull out of the bout, citing a broken hand in training, and replaced by Rich Franklin.^[29]

Championships and awards[link]

Mixed martial arts[link]

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament Winner
  • Knockout of the Night (Two times)
• Cage Rage
  • Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Submission grappling[link]

• ADCC
  • ADCC 2001 Absolute division – Bronze medal

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Submission grappling record[link]

Result	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Notes
Win	Ricardo Almeida	Technical Submission (Injury)	ADCC 2001 Absolute Division	2001			3rd Place Spot-Wins Bronze Medal
Loss	Ricardo Arona	Points	ADCC 2001 Absolute	2001			Semi-Finals
Win	Ricco Rodriguez	Points	ADCC 2001 Absolute	2001			Quarter-Finals
Win	Genki Sudo	Points	ADCC 2001 Absolute	2001			Opening Round
Loss	Mark Robinson	Points	ADCC 2011 +99KG	2001			Quarter-Finals
Win	Hiroki Fukuda	Submission (Rear Naked Choke)	ADCC 2001 +99KG	2001			Opening Round

Boxing record[link]

Result	Record	Opponent	Method	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
xWin	1–0	Josemario Neves	KO (left hook)[30]	02006-04-11April 11, 2006	1	1:01	Antonio Balbino Gymnasyum, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil	Boxing Debut

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Professional MMA record for Vitor Belfort from Sherdog
• Official UFC Profile

Ed O'Neill
Ed O'Neill in 2010
Born	Edward Phillip O'Neill, Jr. (1946-04-12) April 12, 1946 (age 66) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–present
Spouse	Catherine Rusoff (1986–present)

Edward Phillip "Ed" O'Neill, Jr. (born April 12, 1946) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the Fox TV Network sitcom Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes.^[1] He can currently be seen on the award-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family in the role of Jay Pritchett, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and won 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Early life[link]

O'Neill was born into an Irish Catholic family in Youngstown, Ohio.^[2][3] His mother, Ruth Ann (née Quinlan), was a homemaker and social worker, and his father, Edward Phillip O'Neill, Sr., was a steel mill worker and truck driver.^[4] O'Neill attended Ursuline High School and won a football scholarship to Ohio University, where he majored in history.^[5] O'Neill left Ohio after his sophomore year: he spent more time playing sports and partying than studying^[5] and also feuded with his coach. He transferred to Youngstown State University, where he was a defensive lineman.^[4] O'Neill was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, but was cut in training camp.^[3][4] Later, on Married... with Children, O'Neill played a former high-school football star who had failed to make it big and constantly reminisced about his "glory days" at Polk High ("I once scored four touchdowns in a single game"). As part of this theme, former Pittsburgh Steelers great and hall of fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw also made two guest appearances on the show. O'Neill was also a social studies teacher at Ursuline High School, before becoming an actor.^[4]

Career[link]

O'Neill reenrolled at YSU after being cut by the Steelers and was one of the first students at the school's then new theatre program. He played Lenny in a stage production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1985, O'Neill appeared in a Red Lobster commercial eating fish and made a brief guest appearance in The Equalizer. In 1986, he was cast as the character of NYPD Police Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle for the planned television series Popeye Doyle. The Popeye Doyle character originally appeared in the motion picture The French Connection (played by Gene Hackman). The two-hour made-for-television movie/pilot was filmed and shown on network television. O'Neill received good reviews for his performance, and the pilot received good ratings, but the series was not picked up for production.

O'Neill is primarily known for playing the lead role of Al Bundy in Married... with Children, a long-running American sitcom about a dysfunctional family living in Chicago.^[4] It was the first primetime television series to air on the Fox Network as a midseason replacement, debuting on April 5, 1987 and concluding June 9, 1997.

During and following the success of Married... with Children, O'Neill appeared in several movies, including The Bone Collector, Little Giants, and Dutch. He also had small parts in Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, and appeared as Relish the Troll King in The 10th Kingdom. O'Neill made a brief appearance on the comedy variety show In Living Color, playing the "Dirty Dozens" champion who defeats the challenger, played by Jamie Foxx. He also made a cameo on the sitcom 8 Simple Rules where he was the ex-boyfriend of Cate S. Hennessy (played by Katey Sagal, who portrayed O'Neill's TV wife Peg Bundy on Married with Children). He also appeared in the movie The Adventures of Ford Fairlane with Andrew Dice Clay and in Cruising with Al Pacino. During the mid 1990s, he had a long string of appearances in commercials for 1-800-COLLECT.

Law & Order franchise creator Dick Wolf cast O'Neill as Sgt. Joe Friday in his 2003 remake of Jack Webb's classic TV crime series Dragnet. The series was canceled by ABC in its second season. O'Neill went on to appear as Governor Eric Baker (D-PA), a recurring character on NBC's The West Wing. Baker, a strong candidate for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, assumed the office of the Vice President under Matt Santos at the end of the series.

O'Neill also played Bill on HBO's television series John From Cincinnati.

In 2008, O'Neill appeared in an advertisement for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama as "Al the Shoesalesman".^[6]

In January 2009, O'Neill reunited with David Faustino (Bud Bundy from Married with Children) for two episodes of Faustino's show Star-ving.^[7] O'Neill also appeared with the entire cast of Married with Children again when they were honored at the 7th Annual TV Land Award show in 2009, presented by Dr. Phil.

Since 2009, O'Neill has played the role of Jay Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family, a role that earned him an Emmy award nomination in 2011.^[8][9][10]

Personal life[link]

O'Neill has been married since 1986 to actress Catherine Rusoff, who appeared in two episodes of Married... with Children. In 1989, the couple separated but reconciled in 1993. They have two daughters, Claire in 1996 and Sophia in 1999.

After being introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by his friend writer/director John Milius, O'Neill has trained in the martial art for 17 years under the mentoring of Rorion Gracie. In December 2007, O'Neill received his black belt.^[11][12]

Awards[link]

O'Neill received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 30th 2011.^[13][14]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

See also[link]

• List of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners

References[link]