THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (2024)

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Jillian Selzer

Updated

2023-03-02T22:27:11Z

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (1)

ABC's "Modern Family" first aired in 2009 and the series ended in April 2020 after 11 seasons.
Actors Ty Burrell and Sofîa Vergara made names for themselves in the US because of "Modern Family."
Many of the stars haven't acted much since "Modern Family" ended.

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Ty Burrell made audiences laugh as Phil Dunphy.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (2)

Ty Burrell played dad-est dad of all the dads Phil Dunphy on the show and his goofy and lovable humor hasn't changed a bit in 10 years.

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Ty Burrell's sense of humor is now his trademark.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (3)

If anything, his humor became a signature of both Dunphy and Burrell and has carried over into his side projects.

Famously, Burrell voiced Bailey in "Finding Dory" (2016) and he was also in a series of humorous Gain detergent commercials that almost felt like a subplot of a "Modern Family" episode.

Recently, he voiced a character on Fox's comedy "Duncanville."

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Julie Bowen found her niche as Claire Dunphy.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (4)

Before starring as the compassionate, aggressive, and sometimes overly-judgmental Claire Dunphy, Julie Bowen made the rounds on a variety of television series both dramatic and comedy, from "ER" to "Weeds" and "Ed," but hadn't landed the job that would be her claim to fame — until "Modern Family" aired.

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Bowen is still working in the industry.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (5)

Since then, she's won two Emmy awards for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.

In 2021, she wrapped up voicework on Disney's animated "DuckTales" series and appeared on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and the movie "Mixtape."

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Ariel Winter played the uber-intelligent Alex Dunphy.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (6)

Ariel Winter started on the show as middle child and girl genius Alex Dunphy when she was only 11 years old.

As she made her way through her teen years as the practical perfectionist on "Modern Family," she also lent herself to other big-name shows as a voice actress, like "Phineas and Ferb" and "Sofia the First."

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Winter was pursuing her college degree but has paused her studies.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (7)

Winter began pursuing her college degree at UCLA in fall of 2017, according to Entertainment Tonight.

She's since put a pause on her studies, but did say, "I think education's really important. I love being there. I love learning," Winter said. "I will continue to keep learning."

In 2022 she appeared in the movies "The Quarry" and "Bully."

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Sarah Hyland played the rebellious oldest Dunphy.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (8)

With an underage-drinking arrest and dropping out of college under her belt, Haley Dunphy has had a few mishaps throughout the series.

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Hyland has continued performing and she's also done some work in the music industry.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (9)

Sarah Hyland has thrived since being thrown into the spotlight as the eldest Dunphy child.

She's created some viral videos with Boyce Avenue on YouTube, covering popular songs like "Closer" by The Chainsmokers and "Don't Wanna Know" by Maroon 5.

She also performed the catchy song "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" on the television remake of "Dirty Dancing" in 2017.

She also wed to "Bachelorette" alum Wells Adam in August 2022. According to her Instagram bio, she's also the cofounder and creative director of the vitamin-infused chocolate brand Sourse.

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Nolan Gould starred as Luke.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (10)

As the youngest child in the Dunphy family trio, Luke started as a rambunctious and dim-witted kid who was often at the center of mischievous antics in the family.

As the series has progressed, however, he's shed his playful ways and the writers have progressively leaned into Luke's lack of intelligence, much like his older sister, Haley.

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Gould has shown off his academic chops.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (11)

Like Winter and Rico Rodriguez, Gould started on the show at just 11 years old.

And even though his character is famously not bright, he's an actual genius.

He graduated with a GED at just 13 and told Ellen Degeneres in 2013 that his IQ was 150. He's also a member of high-IQ society Mensa International.

He has acted in a few projects since "Modern Family" wrapped.

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Ed O'Neill owned his role as everyone's favorite (and brutally honest) patriarch.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (12)

As the patriarch of the Dunphy-Pritchett clan, Ed O'Neill's character Jay Pritchett was problematic at worst and simply ignorant at best during the beginning of the series.

Jay has gradually come to be more accepting of the other characters that are the most different from him, mainly his openly gay son Mitchell and his awkward stepson Manny.

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O'Neill's performance is sure to remain iconic.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (13)

O'Neill already solidified himself as a Hollywood icon when he played Al Bundy on "Married With Children" for 11 years. His role as Jay Pritchett will likely be just as memorable.

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Sofîa Vergara quickly became a household name.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (14)

Before "Modern Family," Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara had small roles in various American television shows and movies and even hosted two shows on Univisión in the late 1990s.

Once she was cast in the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, she became a household name in the United States.

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Vergara has had a lot of achievements since.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (15)

Since then, she's been the face of CoverGirl, been nominated for both Emmys and Golden Globes, has starred in successful movies like "Hot Pursuit" and "Chef," and has been named the highest-paid television actress in America for seven consecutive years, according to Forbes.

She's also hosted "Saturday Night Live." In recent years, she was a judge on "America's Got Talent" and host on "Extra."

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Rico Rodriguez played Manny Delgado, a kid wise beyond his years.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (16)

When 11-year-old Rico Rodriguez was introduced as the unbelievably mature Manny Delgado at the start of the show, his wisdom and class hilariously mismatched the young kid on the screen.

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Rodriguez has continued to impress audiences.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (17)

Since then, Rodriguez has brought a whole new sophistication to the character.

He's had small roles in a number of small projects over the years but hasn't acted in a major production since "Modern Family."

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Before starring on the show, Jesse Tyler Ferguson was on Broadway.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (18)

Before he played lawyer Mitchell Pritchett on "Modern Family," Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a successful theater career, originating the role of Leaf Coneybear in "The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee."

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Ferguson has returned to his theatrical roots.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (19)

Ferguson and Mitchell Pritchett share the same love of theatre and film.

In years since the show first aired, he's taken on off-Broadway roles in "The Tempest" and "Spamalot" and again originated a Broadway role as Sam in "Fully Committed" in 2016.

He also appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for "You Need to Calm Down."

Recently, he released a cookbook with recipe developer Julie Tanous and was in a Broadway revival of "Take Me Out," which opened in 2022.

In 2023 he appeared in the movie "Cocaine Bear."

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Eric Stonestreet went from regular guest star to star of the show.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (20)

The chronically optimistic, bubbly, and caring Cameron Tucker on "Modern Family" brought Eric Stonestreet from guest-star status to recognizable TV star.

Before he landed the role, Stonestreet was most recognizable as Ronnie Litre on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and as a hotel desk clerk in "Almost Famous."

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Stonestreet has given an award-winning performance.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (21)

He's totally nailed Cameron's over-the-top personality and won himself two Emmys because of it, all while maintaining the character's unique presence over the course of the show's run.

He's also done voice work for a few shows, including "You're Not a Monster" and "Sofia the First." He also appeared on the comedy "American Auto" in 2023.

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Aubrey Anderson-Emmons started the show very young.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (22)

It's Lily's world and we're all just living in it. From the moment Cam and Mitchell adopted baby Lily Tucker-Pritchett on season one, she's been stealing the spotlight.

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Anderson-Emmons has come a long way.

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Modern Family' 14 years later (23)

Although they were originally played by twins Jaden and Ella Hiller, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons has been a star since she joined the show at 4 years old.

They have not acted in major projects since the show wrapped in 2020. On Instsgram

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