 One of the shows creators said the reason Ed ONeill (I) (qv) was  cast was that when he was auditioning for the pilot, he was required  to simply walk through the front door into the Bundy home. Right  before he opened the door, ONeill let out a deep breath and slumped  his shoulders, as if going home was a defeat. Producers said when  they saw that, they knew ONeill understood the show.