‘Modern Family’ Changed Ariel Winter’s Life, but She Absolutely Hated One Year in 11 Seasons of Filming: “I went through puberty over the summer”

SUMMARY

• Starting her acting career at an early age, Ariel Winter landed the most popular role of her career at the age of 11 in Modern Family.
• The actress later opened up about the challenges of going through various phases of life in front of the public.
• She recalled the "awful year" when she faced harsh judgment over braces and her physical changes.

Starting her acting career at an early age, Ariel Winter landed the most popular role of her career at the age of 11 as Alex Dunphy on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. The actress continued playing the role throughout the show’s successful 11-season run, during which both she and her character experienced significant changes.

Ariel Winter as Alex Dunphy | Credit: ABC

However, growing up in the spotlight can be challenging for child stars, and Winter also faced the difficulties that come with such fame, particularly during one specific year.

Modern Family star Ariel Winter opened up about the challenges of growing up in the spotlight

Embodying the role of Alex Dunphy in Modern Family, Ariel Winter shared the screen with several child stars, including Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez, who played Luke Dunphy and Manny Delgado, respectively.

Talking about her experience starring on the show and growing up in the spotlight, she acknowledged the challenges of going through various phases of life in front of the public. She said, “Growing up in front of everybody is difficult. It’s stressful.”

Modern Family star Ariel Winter | Credit: ABC

“Millions of people think they can comment on your life,” Winter further stated, as she recalled the “awful year” when she faced harsh judgment over braces and her physical changes. She said in an interview, as per USA Today,

Rico, Nolan, and I changed a lot over 11 years. … The year I had braces was an awful year for me. I went through puberty over the summer. I had other things — It was an awful year for me.

Ariel Winter was not alone in dealing with such criticism. Her co-star Sarah Hyland, who played her elder sister, Haley Dunphy, also endured significant judgment throughout her time on the show.

However, Winter acknowledged that despite the public scrutiny, the Modern Family set provided a healthy environment for the child stars.

Ariel Winter reflects on the supportive environment on the Modern Family set

Though Ariel Winter did not appreciate the internet trolls and the constant public judgment over her appearance, the actress did share her gratitude for the on-set environment on the show, especially for its child actors.

A still from Modern Family | Credit: ABC

The actress along with her co-star Nolan Gould have shared their experience of growing up on the set of Modern Family. “I know we have very separate stories on that,” Gould said, as per USA Today, as he explained,

I’d say that if you were going to choose a set to grow up on, this has been a pretty good one. Everyone’s been super supportive and we really are just like family.

Ariel Winter | Credit: ABC

Winter also noted that though there were challenges, she felt supported on the show’s set. “This is the best set to grow up on if you’re going to grow up on a TV show,” she said.

She also noted the benefits of having a well-documented childhood.

It’s a lot of fun because we now get to go back and look at our younger years — We can be like, ‘Oh, wow! That’s the year I had braces. That sucked.’ You get to have those memories on video.

Her resilience has kept her going, and despite the critiques from internet trolls, Winter has continued working and also stays connected with her fans through her social media.

Modern Family is available to watch on Hulu.

Written by Laxmi Rajput

Articles Published: 2865

Laxmi Rajput is a writer at Fandomwire. She finished her Post Graduation in Broadcast Journalism and worked as a Business News writer for a year. But her interest in entertainment and pop culture compelled her to find a way towards Entertainment Journalism. She has worked across various fields and has 2 years of experience in content writing. She likes reading, music, movies, and traveling. She aspires to become a fiction writer in the future.