'Modern Family' alum Ed O'Neill almost joined 'a mob?'

Modern Family alum Ed O’Neill recalled the time when he planned to join a mob instead of Hollywood.

In his recent interview with ex co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast Dinner on Me, the 77 year-old actor opened up about the time when he was fired by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 and had no clue about his future.

He recalled talking to his friend, named Jim, who worked for organised crime in Ohio and offered him an irresistible job.

"He said, ‘You can do this kind of stuff for me, you know, I’ll protect you, I’ll give you easy stuff. Just you collect it here,'" Ed recalled him saying.

“I said, ‘Let me think about it, Jim. Cause I’m, I don’t know. I might be leaving town to pursue this acting thing,'” he continued.

Later, Ed's father, who saw him being dropped off by Jim, confronted him about his work situation, "He said, ‘I saw you take a ride with Jimmy … I just want to ask you a question. Can you do time?' I said, 'No.'"

“He said, ‘You couldn’t do time. You’d have a hard time being in jail, right?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t think I could do time,'" Ed recalled his conversation with his father which consequently led him to New York where he pursued acting.