The actors on Married... With Children have become stars known for many other shows. Ed O'Neill made everyone laugh as prickly Jay Pritchett on Modern Family and Christina Applegate became part of the well-off cast of Dead To Me. While David Garrison might not be as famous as his two co-stars, he made audiences smile as Steve Rhoades, who lived near the Bundy family.
Applegate has done so much since Married... With Children. And David Garrison has had a lot going on as well. While fans were shocked when the actor quit the sitcom just a few seasons into its run, he had a great reason. What did David Garrison do after Married... With Children and what is he up to today?
Why Did David Garrison Quit Married... With Children?
Some Married... With Children actors became pals. And David Garrison has never indicated that he had a horrible time on the sitcom. But why did he want to stop appearing as a member of the main cast in 1990?
In an interview with Get.tv, Garrison explained that he wanted to act in plays instead of TV and movies, and that is why he wanted to step away from the sitcom.
Garrison said, "I was basically commuting from New York to shoot the show in Los Angeles, and I missed my life in Manhattan, as well as my theatre career. The first rule of show business is “leave them wanting more,” so after four seasons I felt it was time to exercise some other muscles. I left on good terms, and returned as a guest on the show in subsequent seasons."
After the actor quit Married... With Children, he came back to play Steve Roades again in 1992, 1993, and 1995. However, he was only in a few episodes.
Garrison's choice was all about his acting career and what he wanted to do next. It doesn't seem like it had anything to do with the show itself. And it sounds as if he liked acting with Amanda Bearse, who was Steve's wife Marcy. She told The Fayette Observer in 2020, "I’m still very good friends with David Garrison, the actor who played my first husband."
David Garrison also told Get.tv that there are some types of TV comedy that feel similar to acting in a play. He definitely has a huge passion for theater. He said, "Doing a half-hour show on camera with a live studio audience is much closer to theatre work than doing single camera for television or film."
He continued, "As an actor, you have much more control over pacing and delivery than you do when you’re shooting out of sequence and piecing together scenes from various angles. Also, the audience reaction gives you a theatre-like energy. Nonetheless, being on camera in any form requires a different playing style and size compared to being on stage."
What Did David Garrison Do After Married... With Children?
Quitting Married... With Children did allow David Garrison to lean into the theater. In 1990, he starred in two plays, Merrily We Roll Along and You Never Know. He then starred in Guys And Dolls, Titanic, and Bells Are Ringing, to name just a few of his many theater credits.
Making this choice enabled the actor to be choosy about what he really wanted to do. He still has some TV credits under his name as well, though. He starred in one episode of shows such as Everybody Loves Raymond, Murphy Brown, and Judging Amy.
And around the time that Married... With Children was on the air, he starred in some other sitcoms. In 1990, he began playing Stan on Working It Out, a show about the relationship between David Stuart and Sarah Marshall. And in 1984 and 1985, Garrison played Norman Lamb on It's Your Move. The show starred Jason Bateman as Matthew Burton, a high schooler who was conning everyone.
According to a 2004 interview that he did with Talkin' Broadway, David Garrison has been an acclaimed theater actor for decades. He starred in A Day In Hollywood/A Night In Ukraine and was nominated for a Tony, which is really exciting.
He mentioned Married... With Children and said that he felt fine about quitting when he did. Garrison told Talkin' Broadway that while he could have made more money if he had stayed on the sitcom, he accepted that.
Garrison said about acting, "I believe that most television series have four, maybe five good years in them before you start losing the original writers, and then the first team that follow them. I left the show after four years, and that was fine. My bank account may curse the decision every so often, but I don't. It was time. Before I crossed over to that place where I would only be remembered as that funny next door neighbor."
The actor's most recent theater credits are from 2019 when he starred in The Cradle Will Rock, Working, Ever After, and The Great Society. But it's clear that while David Garrison starred on Married... With Children for several seasons, he has always loved being up on a stage most of all. While he didn't get married or have any kids, in the years since he stopped playing Steve, Garrison has been in a relationship with Patricia Ben Peterson.
In an interview with Theatersensation.com, he explained why he enjoys it so much. He said, "In this digital age where we are vulcanized socially and politically, there are few places we can come together and share experiences. Theatre is a cleansing experience where people can laugh and cry together – this is incredibly important. What happens in theatre is we discover how much more alike than different we are."
Everyone can be motivated by David Garrison's desire to quit Married... With Children and lead the life that was really speaking to him. It worked out great for the star.
