Modern Family stars Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen are opening up about their kids’ candid reactions to their hit ABC sitcom — if their kids have bothered to watch at all.
“No, my kids have never watched Modern Family – never, never once — as a point of pride,” Bowen, 56, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, May 7, alongside her former costar Burrell, 58, while highlighting their partnership with GSK on an episode that blends laughter with essential health information for parents of teens.
“And I think that that is perfectly natural,” Bowen added.
Bowen shares son Oliver and twins John and Gustav with her ex-husband, Scott Phillips, who she married in 2004 and later divorced in 2018. Burrell shares daughters Frances and Greta with his wife Holly Burrell.
While Bowen’s children refusing to watch her work on the Emmy-winning series sounds harsh, Burrell warned his former castmate that it could be far, far worse.
“This may be worse — my kids started watching and stopped and we fell off,” Burrell exclusively told Us on Thursday. “They fell off in like season 6 or something — like, we lost them at six. But they’re making sounds like they want to finish the series.”
He added, “But anyway, I thought that was — [we] haven’t gotten there yet.”
Just like the two proud parents — who played onscreen husband and wife for 11 seasons and until the hit show’s April 8, 2020, series finale — aren’t afraid to hear their kids’ honest takes on their acting skills, the pair aren’t afraid to continue to have the difficult conversations with their children about their health and wellness as the age.
“We’re still on duty,” Burrell said to Us. “You know, I think… I really sympathize with my daughters want[ing] to be independent — and I’m grateful for it. I think it’s a great instinct. It’s the right instinct. And you want them to, you know, spread their wings and go out into the world. But to a certain point — we’re still on duty.”
He added, “We are still health and safety, right? You know, and health and safety doesn’t make a lot of friends. No, not at all.”
“I realize it isn’t always easy, because you’re on the outside of a lot of conversations,” Bowen chimed in. “But at the same time, if you’re just around — we’ve talked a lot about being around, and being around is more important than almost anything else, because otherwise you just kind of can’t have the conversations.”
The pair hope that through their partnership with GSK, they can help raise awareness regarding young people’s health, including the threat of meningitis, all while delivering a few laughs and remaining entertaining.
“The bacteria that can cause meningitis is around, but it somehow — and I’m not a doctor, and I will not even begin to try to explain it — it can become this deadly disease almost randomly,” Bowen explained to Us. “That’s my best doctoring. And that’s why it’s so scary, and that, in my opinion, for me, the right choice was getting my son vaccinated.”
