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The lead cast members of the hit sitcom Modern Family recently came together for their first reunion since the show ended in 2020. A series of photographs and videos posted by Sofia Vergara on her Instagram showed the cast members enjoying their time together.
Vergara, who played the charismatic Gloria in Modern Family, posted selfies with the other cast members, including Ariel Winter, Sarah Hyland, Ed O’Neil, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, Nolan Gould, and Rico Rodriguez.
The show's co-creator, Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, were also present at the get-together. One member of the main cast who was conspicuously missing from the event was Ty Burrell, who played the fan-favorite character of Phil Dunphy.
Despite ending in 2020 after a successful 11-season run, Modern Family remains one of the most-watched family sitcoms on American television, and this is partly due to the wonderful chemistry among the ensemble cast. Here are some fascinating things to know about the show's beloved cast members.
10 things you need to know about the Modern Family cast
1) Fizbo was based on Eric Stonestreet's real-life
Fizbo the Clown was Cam Tucker's clown persona that made recurring appearances throughout the show. Eric Stonestreet, who played Cam Tucker, revealed in a post on X (previously known as Twitter) that Fizbo was actually based on his own childhood, where he would dress up in clown costumes made by his grandmother.
2) Nolan Gould is actually a genius
Nolan Gould's character, Luke Dunphy, is portrayed in the series as a naive, innocent, and goofy child who is not always the smartest person in the room. In contrast, Gould is actually a genius with an IQ of 150. Gould graduated high school at only 13 years of age and is also a member of Mensa, which is the largest high-IQ society in the world.
3) Ed O'Neill was almost a football player
Ed O'Neill, who played the character of Jay Pritchett, was almost a professional football player. The actor was signed as a defensive lineman by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 but was unfortunately cut in training camp. After a brief stint as a teacher at his old elementary school, O'Neill decided to try his hand at acting.
4) Ariel Winter has a purple belt in Taekwondo
Unlike her character Alex Dunphy, who is described as a nerdy, smart, and accomplished person in the show, Ariel Winter is quite the workout enthusiast. The actress is known for her love for working out and even has a purple belt in the Korean martial art, Taekwondo.
5) Sofia Vergara thought Ed O'Neill spoke Spanish
Sofia Vergara and Ed O'Neill played the on-screen married couple Gloria and Jay Pritchett. While their chemistry was impeccable, Vergara has previously admitted that she had already been familiar with O'Neill even before Modern Family.
The actress used to watch the Spanish-dubbed version of O'Neill's show Married...With Children, which led her to think that he knew Spanish. Vergara was later disappointed to learn that her on-screen husband did not, in fact, speak Spanish.
6) Sarah Hyland has had two kidney transplants
Sarah Hyland has always been vocal about her health struggles, particularly the multiple surgeries she has had to go through since early in her childhood. The actress, who was born with kidney dysplasia, has had two kidney transplants.
After the first one failed, the actress underwent a major health crisis, which led to another transplant, dialysis treatments, hospitalizations, and several other issues, all while juggling her shoot schedules for Modern Family.
7) Ty Burrell used to live in a van
Ty Burrell played Modern Family's quirky, goofy, and lovable dad, Phil Dunphy. But Burrell has admitted that before attaining fame and success, he had a period of difficulty where he was forced to live in a van during his grad school days.
However, the actor seems to have fond memories from the period, as he stated:
"Honestly, some of my best memories are of that period. I was busy with grad school (at Penn State), so I had real purpose. I had focus and a routine. I would get up, go shower in the gym, read scripts and memorize them in the van."
8) Ed O'Neill has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Although Ed O'Neill plays the grumpy, old patriarch Jay Pritchett in Modern Family, the actor's real personality could not be more different from his character. O'Neill is a martial arts expert with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The actor has been practicing for over thirty years and trained under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Grand Master, Rorion Gracie.
9) Ariel Winter had to get legal emancipation from her family
Modern Family's Dunphys are literal family goals. However, Ariel Winter, who plays Alex Dunphy, has had a difficult and tumultuous relationship with her own mother. The actress was officially emancipated from her family in 2015 after allegations of emotional mistreatment by her mother came out.
Winter had been under the guardianship of her sister from the ages of 14 to 17, before seeking legal emancipation after she turned 17.
10) Jesse Tyler Ferguson officiated Sarah Hyland’s wedding
The bond between the cast of Modern Family is one that is endearing and heartwarming. Such is their relationship that when Sarah Hyland got married to her longtime fiance Wells Adams, the marriage was officiated by none other than her on-screen uncle, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays Mitchell Pritchett-Tucker in the show.
All 11 seasons of Modern Family are available to stream on Hulu.
