Ed O'Neill

Character: Jay Pritchett

Jay Pritchett is on the south side of middle age. He recently married the much younger, much hotter, much more Colombian Gloria. He's already done the dad thing once with Claire and Mitchell. Now he's ready for round two with Gloria's son, Manny. There's a bit of a cultural clash. Jay is pretty set in his no-nonsense ways. But Gloria is quite fiery and Manny is most passionate. They are forcing Jay to change the way he thinks and embrace new experiences. Well, maybe embrace is too strong of a word. Let's just say he tolerates things. As much as he tries to cover his emotions with his gruff exterior, we can see that family is everything to Jay.

Actor Bio

Ed O'Neill is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the FOX Network's long running sitcom, Married... with Children.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, O'Neill attended Ohio University in Athens, OH, and Youngstown State University. Signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was cut in training camp and worked as a social studies teacher before becoming an actor. He has appeared in a number of movies, including The Bone Collector, Little Giants, Dutch and the Wayne's World series.

Besides his role on Married... with Children, O'Neill's television credits include the reincarnation of Sgt. Joe Friday on Dick Wolf's remake of Dragnet, the recurring role of Baker (D-PA), a potential Vice Presidential candidate on the NBC drama The West Wing, the role of Detective Michael Mooney on David Milch's CBS series, Big Apple, and most recently that of a retired cop on HBO's John from Cincinnati, from the creator/producer of NYPD Blue and Deadwood.

 

 

Sofia Vergara

Character: Gloria Pritchett

Gloria hails from a lovely little village in Colombia, which also happens to be the murder capital of that fine country. She's married to Jay, who is quite a few years older. That doesn't matter to Gloria. She loves what she loves. And she truly loves Jay and her young son, Manny. Anyone who doubts this had better think twice about saying so. See, Gloria is most passionate. She's not afraid to say exactly what's on her mind. In fact, we don't think she's afraid of anything. Gloria truly embraces life. Guess that's why Jay fell in love with her. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she's drop-dead gorgeous, too.

 

Actor Bio

Sofía Vergara was already one of the hottest Hispanic TV stars and one of the most beloved personalities of the Latino world when she decided to pursue her career in the U.S., becoming one of the few Hispanic stars to find crossover success.

Most recently Vergara has appeared in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns and Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail for Lionsgate, and on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money. Before that she played the sexy Colombian actress who stirred things up on Entourage, starred in Amas de Casa Desesperadas,the Latin-tailored version of Desperate Housewives, and in the FOX comedy feature Chasing Papi.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld gave Vergara her big break in the U.S. when he cast her as Nina in Disney's comedy film, Big Trouble, with Tim Allen and Rene Russo. That was followed by a pivotal dramatic role opposite James Marsden in Anthony Piccirillo's independent film, The 24th Day, and opposite Mark Wahlberg and Terrence Howard in Four Brothers. On stage she is taking on the role of Matron Mama Morton in the Chicago Broadway tour this Spring.

Vergara has graced the cover of over 100 international magazines and hosted dozens of top Hispanic events, each watched by more than 100 million viewers. Her Hispanic television credits include Fuera de Serie on Univisión and her own top-rated weekly show,"A que no te atreves" (I dare you). When she became the host of "La Bomba," a syndicated music and interview TV show, she caused a ratings explosion.

In 1999 Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú awarded Vergara the Hispanic Woman of the Year Award, commending her leadership skills representing the qualities Latina women have to offer to the world. In 2001 she created "Peace and Hope for the Children of Colombia," a charity foundation that has helped thousands of children in her country and has donated a pediatric cancer pavilion in her native Barranquilla.

In 2002 Vergara was awarded the Women of Hope Award by the City of Hope Organization as one of the outstanding role models for future generations. In 2007 she was named one of The 25 Most Powerful Hispanic Women in the Entertainment Industry by The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard.

 

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Character: Mitchell Pritchett

Mitchell is a serious, low key kind of guy. In other words, he's the exact opposite of his partner, Cameron. But opposites attract and Mitchell seems to have found the perfect counterbalance for his sometimes uptight, worrying ways. Mitchell has always been a little competitive with his sister Claire and he knows that dad Jay isn't completely comfortable with the fact that he's gay. Guess that's why it was so hard for him to tell the family that he and Cam adopted a beautiful baby girl. Of course, his family welcomed Lily with open arms knowing that she's lucky to have such a cautious, worrisome, overprotective, completely loving dad.

Actor Bio

No stranger to television, Jesse Tyler Ferguson received rave reviews and was honored by The Hollywood Reporter in 2006 as one of Ten to Watch for his role on the CBS ensemble sitcom, The Class. Additional television credits include Do Not Disturb and Ugly Betty.

Ferguson's film credits include Untraceable, directed by Gregory Hoblit and starring Diane Lane, and Griffin & Phoenix, with Amanda Peet and Dermot Mulroney. He will next appear opposite Matthew Broderick in Wonderful World," a 2009 Tribeca Film Festival selection that marks the feature directorial debut of Joshua Goldin.

Born in Missoula, Montana, Ferguson made the decision to become an actor when he was eight years old, and soon after joined the Albuquerque Children's Theater, where he remained a member for six years. After graduating high school, he moved to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and began performing in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, the most notable of which were the critically-acclaimed, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Outstanding Ensemble Performance winner, Drama Desk Awards, 2005) and the Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (Distinguished Performance nominee, Drama League Awards, 2008).

 

Julie Bowen

Character: Claire Dunphy

If her teenage daughter Haley never wakes up on a beach in Florida half-naked, then Claire Dunphy feels she's done her job as mom. See, it's not easy to keep everyone in line when you're raising three very different kids (four, if you include hubby Phil). But as exasperated as she sometimes seems to be, we get the sense that Claire wouldn't change a thing when it comes to her family. Well, she might want Phil to take out the trash once in awhile... and for Haley and Alex to stop fighting... and it would be nice if Luke wore clothes while jumping in the trampoline. Still, as Jay's only daughter and Mitchell's older sis, she's the linchpin that keeps this Modern Familygoing.

Actor Bio

Julie Bowen was raised in Baltimore, MD, where she caught the acting bug as a child while putting on plays with her two sisters in their backyard. She attended Brown University, where she starred in Guys and Dolls, Stage Door and Lemon Sky. While earning a degree in Italian Renaissance studies, she also spent a year in Florence, Italy, and became fluent in Italian.

During her senior year at Brown, Bowen landed the lead role in an independent film entitled Five Spot Jewel, and was featured in actor-director Ed Burns' debut film, No Visible Bruises. She guest-starred on the dramatic series Class of '96, then moved to Los Angeles where, within weeks, she landed the lead in the Showtime drama Runaway Daughters, directed by Joe Dante.

Bowen was recently seen in a guest star arc on the darkly-comedic Showtime series Weeds as Lisa Ferris, a cheese shop owner who seduces a younger man, and she will soon be seen inCrazy on the Outside, a feature starring and directed by Tim Allen.

Bowen spent two seasons on ABC's critically-acclaimed Boston Legal as attorney Denise Bauer. She plays the recurring role of Matthew Fox's wife on the hit ABC series Lost and, for three seasons, played Carol Vessey, the dream girl of former classmate-turned-lawyer Ed Stevens on the charming NBC series, Ed.

On the big screen she starred as Adam Sandler's love interest in the comedy Happy Gilmore and appeared with Michael Keaton in Multiplicity. She also starred in An American Werewolf in Paris,performed with Lynn Redgrave in the independent romantic comedy Venus & Mars, and starred opposite Tim Allen in Joe Somebody.

In the advertising world, Bowen has been both the face of Neutrogena and the voice of Pampers. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three sons. When she's not working, she enjoys hiking, reading and tutoring high school students

Ty Burrell

Character: Phil Dunphy

Phil Dunphy is the cool dad. That's his thang. At least, that's what he'd like us to believe. And you know what? We kinda do! Oh, sure, Phil has those "roll your eyes" moments that have us asking, "Is the guy for real?" You bet he is. As goofy as he may seem, Phil always has his heart in the right place. He dotes on his wife Claire and he constantly tries to bond with his three kids. Phil acts like a parent and talks like a peer. He calls it "peerenting." Love it! As a real estate mogul, Phil says, "I could sell a fur coat to an Eskimo." We believe he could. Phil has a severe fear of clowns and a not-so-subtle affection for his father-in-law's beautiful new wife. But we know in our hearts this Modern Family man would never stray. He's way too cool for that.

 

Actor Bio

Through his ability to effortlessly play roles ranging from classical Shakespearean to contemporary film, Ty Burrell is quickly establishing himself as one of the most versatile actors of our time, taking on challenging roles and carving out a diverse career in movies, television and on stage.

In film Burrell recently completed shooting Fair Game, opposite Sean Penn for Doug Liman. He is scheduled to start shooting Morning Glory, opposite Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. He played Dr. Samson in Universal's The Incredible Hulk, with Edward Norton and Liv Tyler, and was inNational Treasure 2, opposite Nicolas Cage. Burrell starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. in Steven Shainberg's film Fur, about the life of Diane Arbus. He was also seen in Finn Taylor's romantic comedy The Darwin Awards.

Other film credits include Nicole Holofcener's Friends with Money, opposite Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand and Jennifer Aniston; David Jacobson's "Down in the Valley," opposite Edward Norton and Evan Rachel Wood; the Weitz Brothers' film, In Good Company, Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, Dawn of the Dead (Cannes Film Festival) and Ivan Reitman'sEvolution.

Burrell recently starred to great reviews in the world premiere of Caryl Churchill's play, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You, at the Royal Court Theatre in London and directed by James MacDonald. His extensive Broadway and Off-Broadway theater credits include starring in the highly acclaimed Signature Theater Off-Broadway production of Burn This, opposite Edward Norton, Catherine Keener and Dallas Roberts; starring as Lord Buckingham in the Public Theater's production of Richard III, with Peter Dinklage and directed by Peter DuBois; and starring in Paul Weitz's Show People, opposite Debra Monk and Judy Greer and directed by Peter Askin at Second Stage Theater.

On television Burrell starred in the FOX sitcom, Back to You, opposite Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. He also recently starred in the half-hour CBS sitcom Out of Practice, with Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler, and has been recurring on the FX series Damages.