The 'Married with Children' Cast: One Left for Broadway Mid-Run, One Made TV History, and Christina Applegate Has a New Chapter — Photos

The stars who made television's most delightfully dysfunctional household feel like familiar company have changed considerably, and a recent glimpse of one beloved cast member has fans looking especially closely.

Since "Married... with Children" began its run in 1987, Ed O'Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate, and their co-stars have given viewers plenty of reasons to follow them beyond the Bundy living room.

Now, in September 2026, Christina's latest video has some fans questioning what they're seeing and others sending heartfelt support, while an old disagreement between two cast members complicates the nostalgia.

Al Bundy's Second Family Came With Quite the Upgrade

There is something wonderfully reassuring about Ed's familiar face, even for viewers who first knew him as a man spectacularly unimpressed with his own household. At 80, the actor has the rare distinction of having helped make two very different television families feel like people we knew.

When "Married... with Children" finished its 11-season run in 1997, Ed gave that famous comic timing a rest and explored darker material. His screen credits included "The Spanish Prisoner" in 1997 and "The Bone Collector" in 1999, followed by police roles in "Big Apple" in 2001 and "Dragnet" in 2003.

By 2004, he was playing Pennsylvania's incumbent governor on "The West Wing." Quite a professional promotion for the man so many viewers still associated with Al Bundy.

Then, in fall 2009, came another family, another formidable television wife, and a beautiful reminder of just how good Ed could be at making exasperation funny. As Jay Pritchett in "Modern Family," he starred opposite Sofia Vergara, who played his younger wife, Gloria.

Jay's household included a young stepson, while his grown children and grandchildren supplied further opportunities for generational misunderstandings. The comedy lasted 11 seasons, and Ed earned three consecutive Emmy nominations for his performance.

His voice became familiar to younger audiences, too, through "Wreck-It Ralph" in 2012, "Finding Dory" in 2016, and "Ralph Breaks the Internet" in 2018. Children who had never watched a Bundy argument could still grow up hearing him.

Away from his fictional families, Ed and actress and dancer Catherine Rusoff have two children and have made their home in Los Angeles. But the memories of his first great sitcom success are not all as cozy as viewers might imagine.

One relationship from that set would prove particularly difficult. His television marriage, fortunately, left his leading lady with a much sweeter story.

Peg's Biggest Celebration Happened Far From the Bundy Couch

Katey Sagal, 72, made Peg Bundy such a deliciously recognizable character that imagining anyone else in the role feels almost rude. Yet Katey herself once doubted that viewers would give the show much of a chance.

Speaking to ABC News in 2017, she opened up about her first response to the script, "I remember reading the script and thinking, 'This is hysterically funny, but no one will watch it because it's just too outside the box. We'll get cancelled immediately.'"

Fox was so unfamiliar at the time, she recalled, and had so little programming that it aired the show three times a night. That scrappy beginning makes its eventual place in television history all the more endearing.

Her memories of working with Ed were especially affectionate. "We had great chemistry together," she said. "I just remember going to work and laughing all the time, and I'm not exaggerating."

That laughter was one chapter in a performing life that began remarkably early. According to her biography, the Los Angeles native started performing at five and later sang backup for artists including Bob Dylan and KISS.

She also released the solo album "Room" in 2004. Peg may have commanded attention, but Katey had a voice and ambitions of her own long before the Bundys arrived.

Her later roles gave audiences ample opportunity to appreciate that range. She voiced Turanga Leela in "Futurama" and appeared in "8 Simple Rules" and "The Conners," while her portrayal of Gemma Teller Morrow in "Sons of Anarchy," which began in 2008, earned her a Golden Globe.

That is a formidable second act for someone who expected an immediate cancellation.

Her family life brings out a gentler pride. Katey lives in the Los Angeles area with her fourth husband, writer and producer Kurt Sutter, and has three children: Sarah Grace White, Jackson White, and Esmé Sutter.

In a Mother's Day post, she celebrated her children as her greatest work. She has also written about adapting family routines to support Esmé, whose ADHD and dyslexia she discussed in her memoir, as People reported.

Then came a deeply personal celebration. In an August 23 post in 2026, Katey shared that she had spent the previous evening marking 40 years of continuous sobriety, surrounded by friends, her husband, and her children.

For the woman who once kept viewers laughing from the Bundy couch, that anniversary offered something especially lovely to celebrate. Four decades of sobriety deserved every bit of the love gathered around her.

Bud Grew Up, and One Difficult Chapter Finally Closed

While Katey had already spent years performing before the sitcom, David Faustino grew up with viewers watching. Born on March 3, 1974, in Los Angeles, the actor who played Bud Bundy is now 52.

Yes, Bud is in his 50s. Some television facts really should come with a moment to sit down.

David's acting career continued beyond the sitcom, with credits including "Star-ving" in 2009 and "The Legend of Korra" in 2012. He also worked as a producer, building a professional life beyond the character audiences had watched through adolescence.

His personal life had a difficult stretch in 2007. That February, he filed for divorce from Andrea Faustino in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.

Later that year, CBS News reported his arrest on marijuana and disorderly intoxication charges following an encounter with police while he was with Andrea. Authorities said he attempted to get out through a car window before opening the door, then tried to walk away when officers approached.

Police reported smelling alcohol on his breath and finding a bag containing weed in his pocket. David was booked into Volusia County jail in Florida and released the following day.

The resolution matters, too. The disorderly intoxication charge was dismissed in May 2007, and prosecutors dropped the marijuana charge in 2008. "He successfully completed the deferred prosecution agreement, which included a drug treatment program," State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Linda Pruitt said in the follow-up report.

That chapter closed. His career continued and he formed a family with Lindsay Bronson, even as another familiar face from the sitcom pursued work that could hardly have been further from the Bundy household.

Jefferson's Charm Took Him All the Way to the Ballroom

Ted McGinley, 68, brought Jefferson D'Arcy to life with the ease of someone who knew his way around a television comedy. By the time he joined the neighborhood, he already had a résumé full of familiar favorites.

Born on May 30, 1958, in Newport Beach, California, Ted began professionally as a model. A casting director spotted him in GQ, helping him secure the role of Roger Phillips on "Happy Days," where he made his screen acting debut in 1980.

His television work also included "The Love Boat" and "Dynasty," followed by "The West Wing." Later, he played Charley Shanowski in "Hope & Faith."

Films provided their own changes of pace. He appeared in "Young Doctors in Love" in 1982 and "Revenge of the Nerds" in 1984, then "Wayne's World 2" in 1993, "Major League: Back to the Minors" in 1998, and "Pearl Harbor" in 2001.

Offscreen, his early years included being a college water-polo captain and a member of Sigma Chi. There was also a particularly memorable school dance: in 1982, he accompanied 16-year-old Brooke Shields to her senior prom at Dwight Englewood High School.

Decades later, Ted faced a rather more public dance floor. As TV Guide records, he competed on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2008, partnered with professional dancer Inna Brayer. They were eliminated in the second week. Jefferson's easy charm, alas, could not guarantee a long ballroom engagement.

Ted's career has also carried a cheeky label, "patron saint of shark-jumping," from Jump the Shark founder Jon Hein, who associated him with joining established shows during their later seasons. Still, his extensive credits suggest casting directors remained considerably more enthusiastic than the nickname.

In 2009, his "Married... with Children" work was recognized with a TV Land Innovator Award. And the actress who played his sitcom wife had made a lasting contribution of her own, both onscreen and beyond it.

Marcy Made History, but One Cast Wound Stayed Open

Amanda Bearse, 68, was born on August 9, 1958, in Winter Park, Florida. Before becoming the Bundys' memorably combative neighbor Marcy, she made her screen debut in "All My Children" in 1982 and appeared in "Fright Night" in 1985.

Her career later included "Tapawingo" in 2023, but acting was only part of the work she wanted to do. Amanda trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse under Sanford Meisner and studied directing at the American Film Institute and the University of Southern California.

Her education also included Rollins College and Birmingham Southern College, and she earned an associate degree from Young Harris College.

On "Married... with Children," she found room to develop behind the camera. She directed during six seasons of the sitcom and went on to direct episodes of "Reba," "Dharma & Greg," and "Veronica's Closet."

In 2008, she served as director and co-executive producer of "The Big Gay Sketch Show." Marcy's world might have been confined by the script, but Amanda's ambitions certainly were not.

Her most consequential public step came in 1993, when she came out as a lesbian in The Advocate. TV Guide credits her as the first primetime actress to do so.

She became the first representative of the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Day and served on the boards of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. In 2010, she married Carrie Schenken; the couple has two children.

Her relationship with Ed, however, remained a painful footnote to their years together. During the January 18, 2024, episode of Jesse Tyler Ferguson's podcast "Dinner's on Me," Ed addressed their history.

"I did a thing on the show that involved Amanda Bearse that I regretted," he said. "We didn't get along."

He traced the disagreement to a July-August 1989 TV Guide cover featuring the four actors who played the Bundy family. Amanda and David Garrison, who played her first television husband, Steve Rhoades, were excluded.

According to Ed, the two wanted him to approach co-creator Ron Leavitt and insist that they be included. Ed declined, believing the cover would benefit the entire production even without every cast member appearing.

In a subsequent Fox News interview, he clarified his position: "Yes, the TV Guide thing happened." He added:

"I wasn't sorry for that decision."

What he wished he had handled differently was the conversation with colleagues whose feelings were hurt. He said a more diplomatic response would have been to offer to speak with Ron.

Years later, Amanda did not invite him to her wedding, and Ed acknowledged that his own feelings were wounded. He remembered privately wondering whether she was confusing him with the character he played.

"You know, I didn't say that, but that's what I felt like," he recalled. "'Why? What do you mean? What do you think, I'm a Neanderthal or something?' So I was angry."

The laughs audiences treasured did not guarantee an easy friendship behind the scenes. And for Amanda's original on-screen husband, staying in that familiar neighborhood had never been the ultimate goal.

The Neighbor Who Chose Broadway Over a Bigger Bank Balance

David Garrison, 74, made a choice that might have baffled anyone who dreamed of landing a successful sitcom. After four years as Steve, he left "Married... with Children" to return to theater.

He entered the world on June 30, 1952, in Long Branch, New Jersey, and went on to graduate summa cum laude from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. His biography includes television credits such as "It's Your Move," "Remington Steele," and "The Practice," along with a delightfully unexpected qualification: licensed whitewater river guide.

Apparently, taking a less predictable route suited him. In a 2004 interview with Talkin' Broadway, David explained his departure with admirable clarity. "I left the show after four years, and that was fine," he said. "My bank account may curse the decision every so often, but I don't. It was time."

He already had a substantial theater career, including a Tony nomination for playing Samovar in "A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine." Later stage work included Ismay in "Titanic" and Sandor in "Bells Are Ringing."

His performance opposite Karen Ziemba in the Off-Broadway revival of "I Do! I Do!" earned a Drama Desk nomination. He also received a Helen Hayes Award for playing Charley in Arena Stage's "Merrily We Roll Along" and toured as Nathan Detroit in "Guys & Dolls," opposite Lorna Luft.

When interviewed in Seattle in 2004, he was rehearsing Craig Lucas' "Singing Forest" ahead of its July 30 opening at Intiman Theatre. The play required him to portray related characters in contemporary New York and late-1930s Vienna, giving him precisely the sort of challenge he had sought.

Even his days off could become working days. During that production, he flew to Los Angeles to record material with Julie Andrews and others for PBS's "Broadway: The American Musical," then returned to rehearsals.

In 2005, he played the Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the touring production of "Wicked." By 2006, he was performing the role at New York's Gershwin Theatre on Broadway.

Steve had left the neighborhood, but David had gone exactly where he wanted to be. Christina's path beyond the sitcom would eventually involve a far more difficult change of direction.

Kelly's Latest Hello Carries More Than a New Look

For viewers who remember Christina Applegate as Kelly Bundy, seeing her at 54 brings a particular tenderness. The young actress who helped make that chaotic household so entertaining has since shared parts of her life that require a very different kind of attention.

Born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, to record producer Robert Applegate and singer-actress Nancy Priddy, Christina entered the business almost before she could understand it. Her biography describes a commercial debut at just five months old.

Her parents separated shortly after her birth, and Nancy brought her daughter along to auditions and acting jobs. Christina later became especially close to her half-sister Alisa, even sharing a home with her while Alisa attended college; she also has a half-brother, Kyle.

There were sweet keepsakes amid that unconventional childhood. Nancy spent time with musician Stephen Stills, who gave Christina a guitar she continued to cherish. Television work eventually led to her breakout sitcom role in 1987.

In adulthood, becoming a mother brought a love that left the actress searching for words. Christina and musician Martyn LeNoble became engaged on Valentine's Day in 2010 and announced her pregnancy that July.

Their daughter, Sadie Grace LeNoble, was born on January 27, 2011, in Los Angeles, and the couple married in 2013. Speaking to People, Christina described the "level of love" she had for her daughter.

"I love my kid … more than I've ever known [is] possible," she said. "Like, humanly possible. It's a spiritual thing … I really love her."

Her health brought profound challenges. After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008, she underwent a double mastectomy; she later had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed after learning she carried a BRCA1 gene mutation associated with increased cancer risk.

In August 2021, Christina publicly shared her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. According to People, she recalled experiencing symptoms, including numbness and buckling legs, as much as seven years before the diagnosis.

She subsequently stepped back from acting and developed other ways to connect. Alongside friend and fellow actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who also has MS, she hosts the podcast "MeSsy."

Christina also launched Next in MS, an online platform for people living with the disease, and wrote her memoir, "You With the Sad Eyes." Her candor has remained central to that work.

"My life isn't wrapped up with a bow," she told People in February 2026. "People's lives, sorry for lack of a better term, [expletive] suck sometimes. So I'm being as honest and raw as I possibly can."

According to the Boston Globe, the memoir includes accounts of sexual abuse and abusive relationships, alongside body dysmorphia and anorexia. It also discusses her experience of persistent pain, which she rated at eight out of 10.

That history gives her latest public hello a deeply personal context. Christina recently returned home on September 21, following a months-long hospitalization related to MS. A video showed her sharing her newly colored hair and a brief message for those following her.

"Fresh hair colour, new weird spot on my cheek haha," she wrote. "Love to you all out there."

When TMZ shared the footage on Instagram, some commenters focused on how different they thought she looked. One wrote, "That is not Christina." Another remarked, "Bro, she looks hurting and spun out."

A third added, "I don't think this is her. I don't know what it is she looks completely different. She's okay either way.🙌 [sic]"

Others speculated about a change in her weight. One commenter wrote, "She lost a lot of weight." Another asked, "Too different did she lose that much weight in the hospital [sic]."

Concern also appeared in the responses. "Am I the only one who is concerned here. She looks very uncomfortable [sic]," one person wrote.

Those impressions do not establish anything about her medical condition. Among the reactions, another commenter offered a particularly compassionate response:

"I see your beauty through the pain. I see and empathize with you! I am in awe of your vulnerability and keeping your cheering squad as a part of your real life!"

For those who grew up laughing with the Bundys, that affection feels beautifully familiar. We can miss those gloriously unruly television days while caring about the people who gave them to us, and Christina's small, affectionate hello offers a reason to send some of that love right back.