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Where are they now? The kids of Modern Family are all grown up!

The actors have aged over the past decade? Shocked and confused. - by Tina Burke
  • 25 Jan 2022

If you told us mere moments before writing this article that it had been 13 years since Modern Family premiered, we would have fallen down dramatically in shock. Or we would have just been like "huh" and moved on. But you get it, it's a surprise.

WATCH: The cast of Modern Family say goodbye

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While it feels like just yesterday that we met the Dunphy-Pritchett-Delgado-Tucker clan, it’s been much, much longer. The hit sitcom first aired in 2009 – and ran for an impressive 11 seasons before wrapping up in 2020.

As the seasons went on, actors like Sofia Vergara finally received some long overdue recognition in Hollywood, while old-favourites like Ed O'Neill and Julie Bowen found new characters to make their own.

modern family cast then and now

The cast of Modern Family burst onto our screens in 2009.

Getty Images

The Emmy Award-winning series - which you can watch on BINGE -  boasted an all-star cast, including a bunch of kids who truly brought the show to life with their distinct personalities and one-liners.

Over the years, we watched them grow and move through important life stages like graduating school, having their first kiss or getting pregnant... in one case. 

But what are the actors up to now? Scroll through to find out.

sarah hylad
Getty Images/Instagram

Sarah Hyland (Haley Dunphy)

In the early days of Modern Family, Haley was established as the ditzy cool girl who loved fashion, make-up, boys and not a whole lot else. But over the course of 11 seasons her character arc would introduce us to Haley's many different sides and talents (while always keeping it real with her wry sense of humour and regular mishaps).

Played by the charming Sarah Hyland, the actress was actually a few years older than her character and portrayed the teenager while in her 20s. While she loved the show and is still close with her co-stars, Sarah has admitted to being “disappointed” by her story and screen time in the final season. Even revealing she found out some plot points while the show was airing.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan in 2020, Sarah said she wished they’d shown Haley as a "badass" mum rather than keeping her out of 10 of the final 18 episodes.

"There are so many amazing mothers who are also hard workers and excel in their jobs and kill it every day in both aspects," Sarah said. "That would have been a really cool thing to see — especially from Haley."

Outside of the end of Modern Family, the 31-year-old actress has been busy in her personal life planning a wedding with her fiancé Wells Adams - who shot to fame as a contestant on The Bachelorette in the US. This week Wells joked that the Modern Family cast would probably give better gifts than his reality TV buddies, when the duo try to make it down the aisle for a third time (they had to cancel their wedding twice due to COVID).

In 2022 she’ll be in a film with Dylan Sprouse called My Fake Boyfriend, and is working with producer Emily V Gordon on an untitled project.

ariel winter modern family
Getty Images/Instagram

Ariel Winter (Alex Dunphy)

For every Haley, there must be an Alex. Touted as the antithesis of her spacey sister, Alex was bookish, clever and a classic "good girl." But, much like Haley, her character's story was fleshed out over the years to show off her funnier side and celebrate her unique smarts.

Ariel took the role at just 11 years old, and has been open about her experiences of living with her abusive stage mum (from whom she became emancipated at the age of 15). She's also been open about the cruel comments and body shaming she's been subject to as she went through puberty on our screens.

But, despite the difficulties that went hand in hand with being on the show, Ariel has revealed she's still close with the cast and crew - and cherishes her life on Modern Family.

"We are all so grateful for the love we’ve received over the course of this 11 year journey," she said in 2020. "To know our fans love our family just as much as we do is the most amazing gift. Even though you only see us on your screens, we have just as wonderful people working behind the camera that I will miss seeing all the time. We have been so lucky."

The 23-year-old actress also worked on Sofia The First, Minnie's Bow Tunes, Phineas & Ferb and a whole bunch of other TV shows and films while she played Alex for a decade. So, the actress took a tiny step back during the past two years of the pandemic.

But she's jumping back in with a short film with her boyfriend Luke Benward (Dumplin') and has signed on to indie film Pools.

nolan gould
Getty Images/Instagram

Nolan Gould (Luke Dunphy)

Luke was as loveable as he was, let's say it, idiotic. He was the quintessential younger brother who would act first and think later.

And while he started off as a young kid, fans watched him grow into a teenager over the course of 11 seasons. So much so that when he suddenly appeared all buff and six-packed up, the internet lost its mind. 

One year after the show ended, he revealed he still hadn't fully processed it. 

"How do you accept, pay tribute to, and yeah, even grieve, the loss of something that you were a part of for 11 years? I'm not sure. I miss getting to see my friends and family every day, especially the best f**king crew in the world that I love dearly. We were incredibly lucky to make comedy with such a special and talented group of people and call it work," he wrote on Instagram at the time.

Following his role on Modern Family - which ended smack bang in the middle of the pandemic - he took a break from auditioning to focus on learning new skills.

"I feel more clear-headed and have been doing as much writing as possible," he explained to People. "Being in acting class, taking all the steps I can so when the pandemic's finally over, hopefully, I'll just be ready to go to work."

The 23-year-old has recently nabbed his first role since the sitcom in a familiar mockumentary style film called The Nana Project.

rico
Getty Images/Instagram

Rico Rodriguez (Manuel Alberto Javier Alejandro Ramirez "Manny" Delgado)

Manny declared his love for a senior student in the very first episode of Modern Family, setting the scene for his story arc as a love-obsessed dreamer. 

His relationship with his on-screen mum continued off-screen, with Sofia taking on an important role in his life as he grew up on the show. He recently surprised her on live TV while she filmed America's Got Talent - much to the delight of the audience.

The actor, also 23, is currently not lined up for any projects, after working on the sitcom (and a number of others including The Lion Guard and The Muppets) all through his teen years and early 20s.

Getty Images/Instagram
Getty Images/Instagram

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (Lily Tucker-Pritchett)

Lily was adopted from Vietnam in the first episode of Modern Family, with the role being taken over by Aubrey in Season 3 when Lily was a little older.

The now 14-year-old star has been on our screens since she was a literal child, remaining close and posting photos with her TV dads Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet.

She's got a growing social media presence on Instagram and TikTok, has a successful food review channel with her mum on YouTube titled FoodMania Review. She's also got a boyfriend (further proving we're all VERY OLD) and is still in high school.

Getty Images/Instagram
Getty Images/Instagram

Jeremy Maguire (Fulgencio Joseph "Joe" Pritchett)

Gloria and Jay's son Joe joined the series in Season 4, with actor Jeremy Maguire stepping into the role in Season 7. 

After playing the sassy toddler on Modern Family, the 10-year-old actor taken the role of Matthew Garland in the Disney + reboot of Turner & Hooch with Joshua Peck. We can't believe how much he's grown - pictured above with his new co-stars.

Keen to re-watch Modern Family? You can watch Seasons 1-11 on BINGE. Sign up here for a two-week free trial.

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Tina Burke
Tina Burke
Tina Burke is the Digital Lead for WHO, obsessed with all things pop culture, entertainment and lifestyle. When she’s not writing about the latest TV shows, you’ll find her aimlessly scrolling through TikTok.

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