Modern Family is hands down one of the best American sitcoms of modern times. It was certainly incredible watching all the actors grow up on set while sharing some of their most iconic moments in front of the camera, together. And surely, when they first met each other before the show turned into what it was, they probably didn’t know they’d hit it off so well!
It was on September 23, 2009, when Modern Family aired its first episode and the show spanned 11 incredible seasons filled with moments of, what we would consider, experiencing the simple joys of life. Obviously, the cast had to sit down for a mandatory table read before filming began, and Julie Bowen, who acts as Claire Dunphy, recently shared a story to PEOPLE about the experience she had at the meeting.
Julie Bowen jumped the gun on who she thought Sofia Vergara was as a person
Modern Family happened to be Sofia Vergara’s biggest role on camera before she wound up working on projects like The Smurfs, Chef, and Griselda, which is her latest show streaming on Netflix. Vergara was cast to act as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, Claire’s stepmother who married her aging father, Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill).
The initial table read was probably Julie Bowen’s first time interacting with Vergara, who according to her seemed like “drama”. During a very recent interview with PEOPLE, Bowen said,
I remember that I went to that first table read and was so worried that Sofia was famously beautiful and she has this of sort of an outward character. And I thought, ‘Oh, what if she’s drama?’
But that moment was also when Julie Bowen realized never to assume something about someone ever again. The 54-year-old actress went on to describe her former co-star as a “warm, intelligent, loving, supportive person”. Ironically, that’s who Gloria was too!
Bowen also complimented Ty Burrell, who played the character of Phil Dunphy, the incredibly clumsy yet kind-hearted real estate agent and husband to Claire. She claimed that Burrell and her on-screen children almost immediately made her feel at home.
Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara have a strong friendship off-screen
According to E! News, a few rumors claimed Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara barely got along. But while speaking to the outlet, Bowen claimed otherwise, stating that she was “blown away” by the rumors that were being circulated.
The Modern Family alum went on to describe what their relationship is like comparing it to a house on fire. The two are so close that Bowen claimed she would wear the “baggiest, grossest” looking underwear to show Vergara. She described how the Colombian icon would react,
She’s like, ‘Please, why are you wearing that?’ She used to leave a little thong underwear for me in my trailer, and I was like, ‘What is this? What is this tiny scrap of fabric?’ Because she wants me to be more of a woman.
However, Bowen was blessed with a beautiful set of co-stars as she claims everybody who shared the screen with her on Modern Family was “mega-talented”. However, as an actor, she often used to feel nervous at table reads, but Burrell was always there to help overcome her nerves.
Bowen was exceptional on the show, which is why she was honored with an Emmy twice, in 2011 and 2012 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Burrell also received an Emmy for the same category as an actor in 2011. Surely, fans wish the entire cast will reunite someday!
Modern Family can be streamed on Disney+.
