‘Modern Family’ has been one of the longest-running and most successful sitcoms in the past decades, and all of the credit goes to its incredible cast, who held the seasons together till the very last and made it one of the funniest shows to ever exist.
The casting of the series truly fit the shoe, as all the actors took on their roles wonderfully. Years later, however, fans noticed that the actors had almost become a part of the show, and the same is the case for Judy Greer. Here’s why the actress turned down the role of Claire Dunphy.
Why Did Judy Greer Turn Down The Role Of Claire Dunphy?
In a recent episode of ‘Dinner’s on Me‘ podcast, Judy Greer disclosed that she ditched an audition to play Claire Dunphy simply because she didn’t want to be America’s mom yet. Greer, as she sat down for a meal with host Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who played Claire’s brother Mitchell Pritchett on the popular ABC sitcom, talked about how she felt the role was limiting and she wasn’t ready to slip into it.
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“It sounds so silly to say it out loud now, but I’ll be honest,” Greer said. “In a movie, I would have a kid. And then there was this opportunity to audition where I would have three kids, one of them in high school, and on a TV show… and you do have to think of these things in terms of success, and obviously Modern Family was a huge success. In a movie, people kind of see it and then they forget. In a TV show, it’s just like, you’re a mom.”
Elaborating on why she rejected the role, she added, “That was not even on the table for me. I was like, ‘I think I’m not going to audition for it.’ I was really torn about it, but I ended up obviously not. Who knows if I would have even gotten it anyway, but I was just like, ‘I don’t know if I want to be America’s mom yet. And in addition to just the perception of who you are as an actor. It’s lifestyle too. I was like, Well, I like traveling a lot, and I like doing all these movies, and I like going to all these places, and I like meeting all these people.”
Julie Bowen: The Ultimate Claire Dunphy
The role eventually went on to Julie Bowen, who did an absolutely great job. The show centered around all the Pritchetts and the Dunphy’s, and Julie Bowen’s role as Claire and her chemistry with Ty Burrell’s Phil Dunphy was one of the biggest highlights of the show.
Related: ‘Modern Family’: How Jay Pritchett Is The Show’s Most Evolved Character
The actress also went on to win two Primetime Emmys for her role and was nominated for eleven. Not just that, Judy Greer makes an appearance later in the show as Phil’s ex-girlfriend who comes to town to have an affair with him.
