Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen Face Their Bluntest Critics — Their Kids’ Takes on Modern Family
Modern Family ruled ABC, but at home its leads face a tougher crowd: their own kids. Julie Bowen, 56, says hers have never watched the show by choice, while Ty Burrell says the feedback he gets is as unfiltered as it gets.
File this under: even Emmy-winning parents cannot impress their own kids. Two of Modern Family 's biggest stars say their children either never watched the show that made them household names, or tapped out halfway through. Brutal. Relatable. Kind of funny.
The kids' verdict: thanks, but no thanks
Julie Bowen, 56, says her three boys have never watched Modern Family. Not once. She told Us Weekly on Thursday, May 7, that it is basically a point of pride for them. And honestly, she thinks that is normal kid behavior.
Ty Burrell, 58, is in a slightly different boat: his daughters did start the show, then bailed around season 6. According to him, they say they might finish someday. Emphasis on 'might.' For those keeping score, Bowen and Burrell played Claire and Phil Dunphy for 11 seasons until the series wrapped on April 8, 2020.
- Julie Bowen's family: sons Oliver, John, and Gustav with ex-husband Scott Phillips (married in 2004, divorced in 2018)
- Ty Burrell's family: daughters Frances and Greta with his wife, Holly Burrell
Still parents first, even when the credits roll
This was not just a nostalgia chat. Bowen and Burrell were talking to Us Weekly while promoting a new partnership with GSK — basically a comedy- meets-health episode aimed at getting parents of teens to have the not-so-fun, actually-important conversations about wellness.
Burrell says he is all for his daughters having independence, but that does not mean mom and dad are off duty.
'We are still health and safety, right? And health and safety does not make a lot of friends.'
Bowen adds that being 'around' is the key — you will not be in every conversation, but if you are present, you can actually have the ones that matter.
Why the GSK push: meningitis is on their minds
The pair want to raise awareness about meningitis risk in young people. Bowen keeps it simple: the bacteria that cause meningitis are out there, and, in rare cases, things can turn dangerous fast. She is not pretending to be a doctor, but that unpredictability is exactly why she says getting her son vaccinated was the right move for her family.
So to recap: the Dunphys cannot get their own kids to binge the Dunphys, but they are using their sitcom superpowers to nudge parents toward real-life health talks. Honestly, that tracks.