Modern Family cast ages: how old were the actors then and now?

It's been15 years since Modern Family premiered, so a good time to focus on how old the cast of this hit ABC comedy was then and now!

Some may have forgotten that the first episode of Modern Family had a twist at the end. It appeared to be a documentary focusing on three different families in various levels of marriage. The final scene revealed they were one large extended family of the Pritchetts. 

For 11 seasons and 250 episodes, viewers loved to see the family grow amid various escapades and misadventures, but the family bond was always there. It was a big ratings hit and won five Emmys for Outstanding Comedy series to boot. 

The show signed off in 2020, but the cast has reassembled for some commercials, so here's a look at how old they are now!

Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett

Birthday: April 12, 1946
Age when Modern Family began: 63
Age Today: 78

The role of the gruff but loveable patriarch of the clan was a far cry from Ed O'Neill's iconic turn as Al Bundy on Married With Children. However, the TV veteran slid into the role easily and made Jay the heart of the show with his fun drive and Jay handling the younger generation.

O'Neill kept mostly quiet after the show ended but made a big return in 2024's FX series Clipped playing disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. It showed that at 78, the man still has some great acting roles left in him. 

Sofía Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

Birthday: July 10, 1972
Age when Modern Family began: 37
Age today: 52

Some of the early comedy of the show came from how exactly Jay ended up marrying the younger, vivacious Gloria. Sofía Vergara looked younger than 37 when she joined the show and her lush accent made her a standout. It was Vergara's big break in American TV after acting in Mexico and earned her numerous Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Vergara has been busy since running some businesses and a judge on America's Got Talent. She also gave a great performance in the Netflix drama Griselda, which shows her talent is as huge as her stunning looks. 

Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy 

Birthday: March 3, 1970
Age when Modern Family began: 39
Age today: 54

Already a TV veteran with roles in ER, Ed, Boston Legal and Lost, Julie Bowen finally got the credit due her as Claire. The harried mother showed off Bowen's excellent comedic skills and earned the actress two Emmy awards for her wonderful work. 

Since the show ended, Bowen has done some voice acting and is ready to make a big return starring in the Peacock thriller Hysteria! Yet the recent TV ads show that Claire is still the most iconic role that she slips into with ease. 

Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy

Birthday: August 22, 1967
Age when Modern Family began: 41
Age today: 56

Not as well known when Modern Family began, Ty Burrell sure changed that as Phil Dunphy. He got some of the funniest moments as the bumbling dad whose constant misunderstandings fed the show's humor. It earned Burrell two Emmy awards and a great voice on the show.

Burrell has mostly been into voice acting since Modern Family ended, such as Boondoggle and Duncanville. He also runs some restaurants in Salt Lake City, Utah and his reprisal of Phil in TV commercials has fans hopeful he can get in front of the camera again soon. 

Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett

Birthday: October 22, 1975
Age when Modern Family began: 33
Age today: 48

Jesse Tyler Ferguson had experience with sitcoms on the short-lived CBS series The Class. That lent well to his turn as Mitchell, the more straight-laced half of his marriage, although prone to some crazy antics at times. It boosted Ferguson's name with several Emmy nominations.

Ferguson has done some TV roles, such as Elsbeth, but nowadays, he mostly sticks to Broadway. That includes winning a Tony Award for the play Take Me Out and easily moving from TV to stage with comfort while showing a more dramatic range than he got on Modern Family. 

Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker

Birthday: September 9, 1971
Age when Modern Family began: 38
Age today: 52

Starring in various TV shows in the early 2000s, Eric Stonestreet got attention for his recurring role as a lab tech on CSI. His portrayal of the grandiose and campy Cameron was one of the best parts of the show, winning Stonestreet two Emmy awards and anchoring most of the series' laughs. 

Stonestreet has appeared in various reality and competition shows and played a "Mad Santa" on the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses. With his great humor, the man can still gain as many laughs as he did playing Cameron. 

Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy

Birthday: November 24, 1990
Age when Modern Family began: 19
Age today: 33

A major starlet for the show, Sarah Hyland played Haley, the airheaded daughter of Phil and Claire. Much of her humor came from her misunderstanding of situations and dressing in hot outfits while making mistakes in her dating life. She was grounded more as the show went, including eventually becoming a mom herself.

Sarah Hyland was 19 when the show started, although Haley was meant to be younger. She's done a lot of voice work for various animated series and hosted Love Island USA while also doing a lot of endorsement deals to blossom as a starlet. 

Ariel Winter as Alex Dunphy

Birthday: January 28, 1998
Age when Modern Family began: 11
Age today: 26

Just 11 when Modern Family began, Ariel Winter grew into the role of brainiac Alex, whose smarts are offset by her insecurities. Winter had done a lot of TV work before but various personal and health issues marked her tenure on the show despite her blossoming into quite the beauty on the series. 

Winter also became famous for voicing the title character on the Disney animated hit Sofia the First. She's stuck to voice work in Star Trek: Lower Decks, competed in Stars on Mars, and seems in a better place, so hopefully, she can get more work soon. 

Nolan Gould as Luke Dunphy

Birthday: October 28, 1998
Age when Modern Family began: 10
Age today: 25

One of the funniest characters on the show, Luke, was the rambunctious son of Claire and Phil whose strange behavior could be mistaken as stupidity. He was smart, he just didn't understanding things and got a lot of great lines along with nutty stunts. 

Nolan Gould grew nicely in the role, with Luke surprising everyone by becoming a success and even adapting to adulthood. Gould has been working in small films since Modern Family ended along with a Grey's Anatomy episode and while he seems to be taking a break from acting for now, he might be right for a comeback. 

Rico Rodriguez as Manny Delgado

Birthday: July 31, 1988
Age when Modern Family began: 10
Age today: 26

One of the best parts of Modern Family was Manny, Gloria's son, who acted like someone twice his age. There were scores of fun bits of Manny trying to be a suave ladies' man and flaunting his cultural knowledge, not grasping how he came off ridiculous thanks to his age. 

This was Rico Rodriguez's first big acting role and he was terrific showing Manny's growth over the series. While he's appeared as himself in some reality shows, Rodriguez seems to be taking a break from acting at the moment but will hopefully land another project soon. 

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons as Lily Tucker-Pritchett

Birthday: June 6, 2007
Age when joined Modern Family: 3
Age today: 17

The adopted daughter of Cameron and Mitchell had been played by twins Jaden and Ella Hiller for the show's first two seasons. With Lily growing, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons was cast and went from precocious child to pre-teen, firing off great laugh lines and reactions to show Lilly was possibly the sanest person in the family. She also holds the record for the youngest person to win a SAG Award, just four years old when the cast got it for Best Comedy Ensemble. 

Now 17, Anderson-Emmons hasn't acted since the series ended. She is involved in charity work and the FoodMania Review YouTube channel with her mother as she seems content letting Lily be her big acting role. 

Jeremy Maguire as Joe Pritchett

Birthday: August 10, 2011
Age when joined Modern Family: 4
Age today: 13

Originally played by Pierce Wallace, the role of Gloria and Jay's son was taken over by Jeremy Maguire; it was his first-ever acting gig. He was good in the role as Joe grew up and added a fresh wave of comedy antics to the series. 

Maguire starred in the short-lived Turner & Hooch series, but right now, he seems to be concentrating on school life before he gets back into acting again. When he does, his experience as Joe proves he could pull off a fun, comedic role. 

Reid Ewing as Dylan Marshall

Birthday: November 7, 1988
Age when Modern Family began: 20
Age today: 35

A recurring face for the show's first seasons, Reid Ewing became a cast regular for the last years as Dylan Marshall, Haley's on-off boyfriend. Their relationship saw ups and downs, although everyone agreed Dylan's dimwitted antics made him a perfect match for Haley. The pair were later married and had twins to throw the family into more chaos. 

Ewing has come clean on his personal issues during the show, including anxieties over his looks. That may be why he hasn't acted much since the series ended while still making Dylan a fun character who became a family member by the end.

Modern Family is streaming on Hulu and Peacock.