The 'Modern Family' Cast From Season 1 Through to Now

The kids look completely different.

ABC's "Modern Family" - Gallery
(Image credit: Bob D'Amico)
Charlotte Chilton
By
published
in Features

Over the course of the past 10 seasons, audiences fell in love with the hilarious antics and distinct personalities of the Dunphy, Tucker, and Pritchett families. Which is why we think we speak for everyone when we say we're in denial that the series is coming to an end. This might help you cope: In honor of the show's 11th and final season, take a look back at how much the cast has changed over the years.

Then: Sofía Vergara
(Image credit: Alexander Tamargo)

Then: Sofía Vergara

After years of appearing in commercials and telenovelas, Sofía cofounded the management company Latin World Entertainment in 1994. The role of Gloria Pritchett on Modern Family was her big break.

Now: Sofía Vergara
(Image credit: Steve Granitz)

Now: Sofía Vergara

Since making it big, Sofía has continued to grace the small screen, as well as the big screen in comedies like Hot Pursuit and New Year's Eve. 

Then: Ed O'Neill
(Image credit: Frazer Harrison)

Then: Ed O'Neill

Prior to Modern Family, Ed played the iconic role of Al Bundy on Married...with Children. After the show ended, he continued to act in TV guest spots, as well as star in the 2004 movie Spartan.

Now: Ed O'Neill
(Image credit: Taylor Hill)

Now: Ed O'Neill

After winning over America (again) as television's favorite patriarch Jay Pritchett, Ed turned his attention to animated film. The actor has voiced characters in Finding Dory as well as Ralph Breaks the Internet in recent years.

Then: Rico Rodriguez
(Image credit: Angela Weiss)

Then: Rico Rodriguez

After getting his start on shows like Disney Channel's Cory in the House and Nickelodeon's iCarly, Rico Rodriguez became a household name for his role as Modern Family's quippy, wise-beyond-his-years Manny Delgado.

Now: Rico Rodriguez
(Image credit: David Livingston)

Now: Rico Rodriguez

Rico was cast as Manny at just 10 years old, which means he's played the part for almost half of his life. He's returned to a few Nickelodeon programs and has done voice work for animated films since his Modern Family success.

Then: Jesse Tyler Ferguson
(Image credit: Jason LaVeris)

Then: Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Although Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a successful theater career before Modern Family, making his Broadway debut in Leonard Bernstein's 1998 production of On the Town, his role as Mitchell Pritchett was his first big break in front of the camera.

Now: Jesse Tyler Ferguson
(Image credit: Jamie McCarthy)

Now: Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Since finding television fame, Jesse's continued to work in film and was the voice of Shangri Llama in Ice Age: Collision Course. The actor and his husband, Justin Mikita, are also vocal LGBTQ community supporters and activists.

Then: Eric Stonestreet
(Image credit: Donato Sardella)

Then: Eric Stonestreet

Early in his career, Eric Stonestreet was part of ImprovOlympic, a renowned improv theater, and landed minor roles in television and film. But his talents weren't widely recognized until his portrayal of the melodramatic, yet lovable, Cameron Tucker on Modern Family. 

Now: Eric Stonestreet
(Image credit: Gregg DeGuire)

Now: Eric Stonestreet

After the show's success, Eric landed a range of roles that proved his acting chops. From playing a trucker cowboy in Identity Thief to a philandering friend in The Loft, Eric has evaded being typecast. The actor will star in a TV miniseries next, called You're Not a Monster, which is in post-production. 

Then: Aubrey Anderson–Emmons
(Image credit: David Livingston)

Then: Aubrey Anderson–Emmons

Aubrey Anderson–Emmons was cast as Mitchell and Cameron's adopted daughter, Lily Tucker-Pritchett, when she was just four years old, so it's not exactly a surprise that the actress didn't have any prior acting experience. She took over the role from twins Ella and Jaden Hiller in the show's third season.

Now: Aubrey Anderson–Emmons
(Image credit: Amy Sussman)

Now: Aubrey Anderson–Emmons

While Modern Family remains Aubrey's primary acting credit, the young star runs a popular Youtube Channel called FoodMania Review, where she tries different kinds of food with her comedian mom, Amy Anderson.

Then: Julie Bowen
(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian)

Then: Julie Bowen

After graduating from Brown University in 1991, Julie Bowen began her acting career and nabbed a starring role in Happy Gilmore. The actress regularly booked spots on TV for shows like Lost and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, but it was the role of Claire Dunphy that earned her two Emmys.

Now: Julie Bowen
(Image credit: Jon Kopaloff)

Now: Julie Bowen

After the success of Modern Family, Julie tried her hand at directing in Girl Code. The actress is also currently filming an untitled project for Netflix with Adam Sandler.

Then: Ty Burrell
(Image credit: John Shearer)

Then: Ty Burrell

Before Ty Burrell played goofy dad Phil Dunphy in Modern Family, he appeared in films like Black Hawk Down and Dawn of the Dead, as well as on TV shows like Back to You and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Now: Ty Burrell
(Image credit: Jerod Harris)

Now: Ty Burrell

Ty has appeared in several films since landing the part of Phil and has lent his voice to several animated movies, like Finding Dory. In 2019, he's set to star in the new Fox series Ducanville, with Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, and Wiz Khalifa.

Then: Sarah Hyland
(Image credit: Mark Von Holden)

Then: Sarah Hyland

The native New Yorker has a prolific background in both theater—her Broadway play Grey Gardens was nominated for a Tony—and television. When Sarah played the role of Brooke Shields' daughter in Lipstick Jungle, she caught the eyes of Hollywood. After the show's cancellation, she was cast as Haley Dunphy.

Then: Ariel Winter
(Image credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix)

Then: Ariel Winter

Ariel Winter rose to fame playing Alex Dunphy, the family's academic and rule-following daughter. Prior to this, Ariel was featured on multiple television shows and had a few minor film roles.

Now: Ariel Winter
(Image credit: Presley Ann)

Now: Ariel Winter

Since scoring the role of Alex, the actress was the voice of Sophia on the children's series Sophia the First from 2013 to 2018, where she debuted her incredible singing voice. Ariel was also recently cast to guest star on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Then: Nolan Gould
(Image credit: Stefanie Keenan)

Then: Nolan Gould

Although Nolan Gould shot to fame as the spacey and youngest Dunphy child, in real life the actor is a member of Mensa and has an IQ of 150. Nolan got his start in theater and began working in commercials and adverts before making it big on TV.

Now: Nolan Gould
(Image credit: Gregg DeGuire)

Now: Nolan Gould

The actor is now a youth ambassador for the Sierra Club and has a strong passion for traveling and the outdoors. In regards to his post-Modern Family life, he told C'est Prune magazine in an interview: "I'll be sad to leave it behind but I’m looking forward to the future."

Then: Jeremy Maguire
(Image credit: Bob D'Amico)

Then: Jeremy Maguire

At four years old, Jeremy Maguire was cast as the Gloria and Jay Pritchett's youngest son, Joe, during the show's seventh season.

Now: Jeremy Maguire
(Image credit: Gregg DeGuire)

Now: Jeremy Maguire

Jeremy made his big screen debut in the 2017 film I'm Not Here. At age 8, the actor is a rising star and says he's excited to work on new projects."I'm feeling really happy about it, kind of sad about it because it's like the end of the world," Jeremy told E! News.

Then: Reid Ewing
(Image credit: Charley Gallay)

Then: Reid Ewing

Reid Ewing first appeared on Modern Family in the pilot episode as Haley's love interest and remained a reoccurring guest star throughout the remainder of the series.

Now: Reid Ewing
(Image credit: Eric McCandless)

Now: Reid Ewing

Since first appearing on the show, Reid has scored roles in several movies, including 10 Rules for Sleeping Around, Crush, and Fright Night. The actor's character on Modern Family also received a bigger storyline in season 10.

Then: Shelley Long
(Image credit: Adam Taylor)

Then: Shelley Long

Shelley Long is best known for her role as Diane in Cheers. In the '80s, the actress starred in multiple films, including The Money Pit and Hello Again. She first appeared on Modern Family as Grandma DeDe in season 1.

Now: Shelley Long
(Image credit: David Livingston)

Now: Shelley Long

The former sitcom star has starred in numerous films in the past decade and her film Heirlooms is currently in post-production. 

Then: Fred Willard
(Image credit: Patrick McMullan)

Then: Fred Willard

The comedian, best known for his roles in Anchorman and Fernwood Tonight, has been acting since the late '60s. In Modern Family, he stepped in to play the wacky part of Phil's dad. 

Now: Fred Willard
(Image credit: Michael Tullberg)

Now: Fred Willard

Fred hasn't slowed down since his role on Modern Family. Thanks to his talent in improvisation, the character actor recently appeared on Netflix's Historical Roasts. 

Then: Nathan Lane
(Image credit: ROBYN BECK)

Then: Nathan Lane

Nathan Lane is known for playing eccentric characters in films like The Producers and Mousehunt. The actor also appeared as a regular guest star on Modern Family as Mitchell and Cameron's friend, Pepper Saltzman. 

Now: Nathan Lane
(Image credit: Bruce Glikas)

Now: Nathan Lane

In addition to his reoccurring parts on the show, Nathan appeared in American Crime Story in 2016, Blacklist in 2018, and recently announced his new TV show, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

Then: Elizabeth Banks
(Image credit: GABRIEL BOUYS)

Then: Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks was fresh off of her role as Dr. Kim Briggs in Scrubs when she first guest-starred on Modern Family. The actress played Mitchell and Cameron's friend, Sal, and regularly appeared throughout the series.

Now: Elizabeth Banks
(Image credit: Eric McCandless)

Now: Elizabeth Banks

Since then, the actress has appeared in everything from 30 Rock to The Hunger Games. Her next film will be a remake of Charlie's Angels and she recently announced that she'll be the host for the revival of the TV game show Press Your Luck. 

Then: Chazz Palminteri
(Image credit: Charles Eshelman)

Then: Chazz Palminteri

Chazz Palminteri is best known for appearing in iconic crime films throughout his career, like A Bronx Tale, Bullets Over Broadway, and The Usual Suspects. The actor also regularly joined the Modern Family cast as Jay's friend Shorty. 

Now: Chazz Palminteri
(Image credit: Michael Loccisano)

Now: Chazz Palminteri

Chazz's latest film, Vault, was just released in theaters and the actor has three more films in the works. 

Then: Rob Riggle
(Image credit: Jason LaVeris)

Then: Rob Riggle

The comedian got his start as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and then began making appearances in shows like The Office and Arrested Development. He had a regular guest role in the early Modern Family seasons as Phil's work nemesis, Gil Thorpe.

Now: Rob Riggle
(Image credit: Michael Kovac)

Now: Rob Riggle

With a plethora of classic comedy films under his belt, Rob has recently began voicing characters for animated movies, most recently for UglyDolls. 

Then: Celia Weston
(Image credit: Jim Spellman)

Then: Celia Weston

After getting her big break on the TV show Alice, Celia Weston has spent the last thirty years continuing to act. From her role in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to her appearances on Modern Family as Cameron Tucker's mother, the actress has built an astounding resume.

Now: Celia Weston
(Image credit: Phillip Faraone)

Now: Celia Weston

Most recently, Celia starred in Poms alongside Diane Keaton. She also scored a role in the highly-anticipated new film, The Secret, which is set to be released in 2020. 

Charlotte Chilton
Charlotte Chilton
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