The Girls of Modern Family on Their Roles
Entertainment Weekly Magazine ranked "The Kids of Modern Family" as #5 on their list of Entertainers of the Year. Here's what the article had to say about the young actresses on the show, from youngest to oldest:
Kids on a sitcom - now, there's a risky proposition. They can be so cutesy, so cloying, so saccharine. But every once in a while, TV gives us youngsters who deftly avoid cliche and deliver something really funny. ABC's Modern Family has managed the rare feat of finding them.
Ella & Jaden Hiller, age 2 (Lily). The twins split the role of little Lily. Says co-creator Steve Levitan, "When it comes to the very daunting challenge of playing a baby who mostly just sits there and stares, Ella and Jaden absolutely nail it. It is, in our opinion, an Emmy-worthy dual performance."
Ariel Winter, 12 (Alex). "One of the most fun parts about playing Alex is that I get to experience things on set that I haven't experienced in real life. I mean, the horror of going to a boy's house to ask him to kiss you and being mortified that the whole soccer team is standing behind his front door is exhilarating but embarrassing for a young girl. I couldn't help thinking, 'Oh, boy, I hope that never happens to me.'"
Sarah Hyland, 20 (Haley). "I have a younger brother, so I know what it's like to hate someone and love someone with all your heart at the same time. You know [the love's] there, and they know it's there, so when you throw things at each other and scream, it's fine because you don't mean it, even though you do -- but you still love them."
All the kids of Modern Family in a promo shoot
Rico Rodriguez, Ariel holding Ella or Jaden, Sarah, and Nolan Gould