Even if you don’t know that Catherine Rusoff has been married for more than 3 decades, to Ed O’Neill, then you should know her from her acting stints.
She has been active in the acting industry since the 1980s and has had roles in Ohara, Midnight Caller, Highway to Heaven, and a few episodes of Married… with Children.
Her marriage to Ed O’Neill started off a bit shaky but apart from the on-and-off relationship, they have remained together since the joining. Catherine even has 2 girls with the Modern Family actor and the youngest of them has chosen to tow her parent’s path.
Here Are 7 Facts About Catherine Rusoff You Should Know
1. She is From Teaneck
Catherine Rusoff was reportedly born in 1954 in Teaneck, New York City. She attended Teaneck High School in New York and graduated in 1972. According to some online reports, she also attended the University of Teaneck.
Other notable celebrities in Hollywood who hail from Teaneck include American singer Kevin Jonas. He is one part of The Jonas Brothers, a musical group of singing boys and dancers.
2. Rusoff has Been in a Just a Few Movies
The one-time American actress has garnered quite a number of series roles though not as much as her husband. She has credit for roles in series such as;
- Ohara (1988) – As Claudia
- Highway to Heaven (1989) – As Checker
- Midnight Caller (1989) – As Susan
- The New Adam – 12 (1990) – Mrs. Aragon
- The Whereabouts of Jenny (1991) – As Andrea
- Married …with Children (1988-1991) – As Betsy and Mona Squab
3. Catherine Rusoff Met and Got Married Before Her Career Took Off
There are reports that state Catherine and Ed met on a movie set before their romance took shape. However, this isn’t accurate as Catherine and Ed got married in 1986 while her debut came 2 years later.
Her husband on the other hand had been an actor since 1967.
Nonetheless, the couple were already married before Rusoff’s acting career blew off. Ed went on to have a more successful career than his wife, though.
4. She and Her Husband have Worked Together
Catherine and her husband have worked together. The aforementioned report that they met and got married after working together stemmed from sharing a set.
Catherine and Ed worked together on the set of Married …with Children. She appeared in 2 episodes of the series but her husband played the lead character, Al Bundy.
5. She is the Mother of 2 Girls
Catherine is the mother of 2 girls whom she had with her husband of 39 years. Her first daughter is named Claire O’Neill and she was born in 1990, 4 years after their marriage.
A couple of years later, the actors welcomed another daughter to their home. Sophia O’Neill was born in 1999 while the younger daughter, Claire was born in 2006, 7 years after Sophia was born.
Having children was her idea, according to the comedic actor, Ed. He said that left to him, he wouldn’t have had kids and that the idea was all Catherine. However, after having his first daughter, he fell in love with the idea and thought it cool to have another.
Sophia has indicated her interest in acting and has even been cast in a couple of movies and series. She was the Nerdy Friend in 2010’s On the Block II, Girl #1 in 1 episode of Modern Family, and Morrissey White in An American Funeral. She also prides herself as a hand balancer.
6. Catherine Rusoff and Ed O’Neill have been in On-and-Off Marriage
Sometime in the over-30-year-old marriage between Rusoff and O’Neill, there was tumult. The couple even separated for a while. In 1989, Catherine and her husband split and were living separately. Ed was even described as a ‘semi-single dad’.
This separation came before they had any of their daughters. However, by 1993 the couple gave their marriage a second chance and got back together.
According to news.amomama, they celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary in 2022. Cumulatively though, they have been together for almost 40 years.
7. She is an Environmentalist
Catherine and indeed the entire Rusoff-O’Neill family are environmentalists. According to the former actress, they live ‘green’ and do everything to ensure a green and safer world.
The family drives electric cars, they recycle, and compost, and even spoke about having a worm farm. They also make use of solar energy and do whatever is possible to make sure that they keep the environment healthy.
