They grow up so fast! Sarah Hyland took to Instagram on Monday, January 28, to wish her Modern Family costar Ariel Winter a happy 21st birthday.
“I can’t believe it,” the 28-year-old captioned a picture of the pair, who play siblings Haley and Alex Dunphy on the sitcom. “My baby sister is 21 today!!!!”
Hyland also reminisced about meeting Winter before their award-winning show hit the air almost a decade ago. “I remember meeting @arielwinter a month after she has turned 11. She loved wearing black and saying outlandish things. 10 years later…not much has changed,” the actress wrote. “It’s been an honor to watch you grow in to the woman you are today!!!! Very very lucky to have you in my life. Love you @arielwinter!!! And happy frikkin birthdayyyy!!!!!”
The costars have become close friends over the years. In September, they were seen turning Variety’s Annual Power of Young Hollywood event into a double date night as they hung out together with Hyland’s boyfriend Wells Adams and Winter’s love Levi Meaden.
And just like a protective big sister, Hyland has rushed to Winter’s defense on social media numerous times. In June, when trolls made inappropriate comments on a picture Winter posted of herself, Hyland stepped in.“To all the pervs commenting on this post?” she wrote, “GET OFFLINE AND GET BACK TO YOUR BLOWUP DOLL YA CREEPS!”
The two aren’t the only Modern Family cast members who have an offscreen bond. “Ed O’Neill is very much a father figure to me,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson has said of his TV dad. “He will send me random emails in the middle of the night checking in on me or wants me to know what he is doing. It’s just like my dad would do. He will send me texts I can barely decipher because he is not the best texter. It’s great.”
Meaden also posted a social media message for his girlfriend on her special day. “Happy birthday to this sexy, brilliant, hilarious woman,” wrote the 31-year-old. “I love you and all you’ve brought into my life!”
