Ed O’Neill seems like the kind of guy that my dad would like to hang out with. A sort of grizzled, respected national treasure, Mr. O’Neill has been quite the presence on television his entire career. His career has been bookended by two very different roles with a lot of guest actor work in between. Most shocking of all, the man has never won an Emmy, and that needs to change.
The tide seems to be slightly turning against Modern Family. People are waiting for it to fail at the Emmy Awards (imagine those snarky headlines when/if that happens), but it’s still a strong comedy. I suspect that people are tired of seeing it take the stage year after year at awards show after awards show—not unlike the kid in algebra who always does well, is a suck up, and it totally likable.
While many of its stars have been nominated over the years, O’Neill is the one actor who constantly is overlooked when the envelope is opened. Julie Bowen and Eric Stonestreet have both won while Ty Burrell is an Emmy darling. O’Neill has been nominated 3 consecutive times (from 2011-2013), but he missed out last year. Is his nomination luck completely gone?
When O’Neill starred on Married…with Children, he connected with audiences because he was a beleaguered, weary man who just wanted to get ahead with what he had. The show had a cult following, but it was probably too low-bow and trashy for anyone to take any serious awards notice. God forbid we have some great fun with our television. His Jay Pritchett has the same kind of tired and sly wit. He’s a cuddly curmudgeon in a crushed velour track suit who wants his beer cold and his television loud. He’s basically the best version of your grandfather that you’d ever want. Jay might be prickly and spiky on the outside, but his center is soft and gelatinous.
One of the best elements of Modern Family has been the dynamic between Jay and Cam, his son’s husband. Jay has never been fully comfortable with his son’s sexuality and Eric Stonestreet always manages to push the limits of Jay’s comfort zone. In this season’s episode “Knocking ‘Em Down,” Cam tricks Jay into participating in a gay bowling league. Since Jay is a strong bowler (another reason why my dad would enjoy the company of Mr. O’Neill), Cam doesn’t tell him that he has to pretend to be gay in order to play until Jay arrives willing to bowl. Cam’s nemesis (played by Oliver Platt) doesn’t buy Jay’s charade for one second, and Cam tells him to flounce it up. Jay’s reaction: “Why doesn’t he believe I’m gay? I’m not handsome enough—is that it?!”
Normally, I am not a fan of “career awards.” It should always be based on the work that is presented. Either way, O’Neill has always been a strong contender, but I’m sure there are Modern Family haters out there that would disagree with me. Why shouldn’t we award a character like Jay? He’s a man who has worked hard his entire life, and now he is expected to change his viewpoints on everything in a world that is rapidly changing around him. With a lesser man, they would be more stubborn and not adapt. O’Neill’s Jay might be resistant to some change (who isn’t?), but he is a character that always realizes that his change of opinion is for the better. He is a family man who values family above all else. He loves his crazy kids unconditionally and his sometimes crazier wife and stepson.
The notion that O’Neill hasn’t won an Emmy is absurd. Give it to him—not because he has been in the industry for so long. Because he has been in the industry for so long and delivers strong, subtle, hilarious work.
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