FAREWELL TO MODERN FAMILY!
Before you watch this week’s finale, here are 10 things you need to know about the world’s favourite TV brood
1 T The c creators of o Modern Family F il first thought about making it an animated series because they were reluctant to work with kids.
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Julie Bowen (left), who stars as Claire Dunphy, was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with twins on the pilot episode. Camera angles, along with a series of props (like laundry baskets, cereal boxes and couch cushions), were used to hide her belly!
3 Parenthood’sthood’s P Craig T Nelsonson (left) was t the firstrst choice to play l patriarchch Jay Pritchett. “I really wantednted to do Modern Family.mily. I really liked the scriptipt and I liked the people,”” recalled Craig, who passed on the project becauseause he felt “disrespected”ed” by the salary he wasas offered.
“I just said, ‘You know what? I’ve been doing this too long.’” The part went to Ed O’neillll instead.
4 T Ty Burrell almost wasn’t P Phil Dunphy! Friends star M Matt Leblanc (above) was th the originali pick for the part — but he turned it down. “I remember reading it thinking... I’m not the guy for this,” says Matt. “Ii’dd be doingg the project an injustice to take this.”
5 Though she was cast as brunette bombshell Gloria Marie DelgadoPritchett more than 10 years ago, Sofia Vergara’s actually a natural blonde! “In LA they’re used to Latin women looking more Mexican. [So] when I started auditioning... they didn’t know where to put me,” explains Sofia (left), who dyed her hair dark.
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Nolan Gould is best knownnown for playing the lovablee but dimwitted Luke Dunphy,hy, but in real life, the actor is a genius!ius! A member of the high intelligencence group Mensa, Luke graduated high school at 13 and has a reported IQ off 150.
7 Fizbo, the clown alter ego of Cam Tucker (played by Eric Stonestreet, left) was actually Eric’s creation! Growing up, his dream was to be a circus clown. Around the age of 11, Eric began dressing up as Fizbo and performing at kids’ birthday parties. “[My] grandma would make my costumes,” he says “It was my way as a young man to express my desire to entertain.”
8 D During the fi first two s seasons,
C Cam and
Mitchell
Pritchett’s adopted daughter Lily was played by identical twins Jaden and Ella Hiller. But the girls didn’t enjoy acting, so the role was recast, and Aubrey Anderson-emmons (above) became Lily.
9 T Talk about a united front! The c cast of Modern Family has r reportedly had a pact since the h first fi season to submit themselves to awards shows in supporting roles. The reason? So that no one in the comedy could be deemed more important than anyone else.
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RIP! Jay’s beloved French bulldog Stella, played by pup Beatrice (below) since 2012, 20 passed awaaway just days after filming fi wrapped on the show’s fifinale.finale.