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There’s no way we can imagineModern Familyin any other format or with different actors than the ones who ended up playing the respective characters. It feels wrong to mess with the show that left a lasting legacy in television.
However, when the creators of the show, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd look back on their time in developing the show, they can recount numerous challenges that hindered their progress.
One such challenge? Finding the right cast for the show. Considering it’s an ensemble series, the creators wanted each actor to bring authenticity to the table and truly embrace the essence of the diverse characters.
Nobody can be Phil Dunphy except Ty Burrell
One of the standout characters on the showModern Familywas Phil Dunphy, the ultra-hip and cool dad who supported his family unconditionally. Not only was he a lovable goof, but also a responsible and sensible man who had provided for his family in the toughest of times. With the love of his life Claire, by his side, Phil felt empowered to take on the world.
Played byTy Burrell, the character has been etched in the annals of history as one of the best television characters ever. His comic timing, physical comedy, and ability to be serious when needed made him the perfect choice for the role. However, the network ABC didn’t resonate with this thought. In a feature forThe Guardian, co-creator Christopher Lloyd said,
When it came to casting, I had worked with Ty Burrell, who plays Phil Dunphy, on a couple of things, and couldn’t understand how he had been floating around as long as he had without being on a hit show. Appealing, good-looking, so funny – it just doesn’t happen that often. We wanted him, but the network didn’t. But we shot a scene with him and to their credit they saw what he has and said: “We were wrong.”
Lloyd made the perfect choice bringing in Burrell as Phil since he outshone almost every other character and instantly made viewers smile with just his on-screen presence.
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Burrell also desperately neededthe job since he had just graduated college and was relying on meager jobs to pay rent. He faced an extremely low point in life where he even had to live in his van.
Lloyd shared that the same happened while casting Gloria as well. They had full faith in Sofia Vergara to pull off the role but the network was hesitant. In the end, the talents of these actors were enough to change the network executives’ minds and fans couldn’t be happier about it.
Modern Familycreators focused on character-driven plot
Even before finalizing the overarching plot, the creators ofModern Familywere adamant about the kind of structure and format they wanted for the show. Steven Levitan shared with The Guardian that the process of carving such unique characters and their interpersonal dynamics was difficult, to say the least.
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The creators did not want to create temporary relationships and conflicts that would fizzle out after the pilot but wished to showcase enduring nuances that stood the test of time. Levitan shared,
I see a lot of pilots, and what people do is create characters that work for that initial episode, but once that story’s over they don’t know what to do because they haven’t clear conflicts or relationships. It took us about six weeks to figure out who everyone was, before we even looked at plot. Then our casting director Jeff Greenberg saw about 1,400 people for the 10 roles and we saw about 200-300 of them.
The attention to detail in casting and creating the different equations between characters iswidely evident in the show. From Phil and Jay’s rocky relationship to the underrated love shared by the three Dunphy siblings, the creators managed to give every character a distinct voice and feel.
Modern Familyis streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Vidhi Narula
Content Editor / Reviewer
Articles Published :36
With over 4 years of content writing experience, Vidhi is adept at creating articles in entertainment, lifestyle, finance, travel, and culinary spaces. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication that helped her understand the intricacies of news writing and reporting. Vidhi’s work has been published on numerous platforms from Collider and The Cinemaholics to The Statesman and Nomadic Road.
