Sarah Hyland Nearly Rejected from the ‘Modern Family’ Audition for Being ‘Too Old’ to Play Her Character’s Age

Sarah Hyland almost didn’t get a chance to audition for ‘Modern Family‘ because they thought she was too old at 18 for the role of a 15-year-old character. Her agent’s assistant had to convince them that she could pull off the role convincingly.

In ‘Modern Family’, Hyland played the role of Haley Dunphy, the oldest daughter of Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell). She is depicted as a typical teenage girl who is interested in fashion, boys, and socializing. Throughout the series, Haley goes through various stages of personal growth, from her high school years to adulthood.

In a Buzz Feed interview, Hyland revealed that she initially wasn’t considered for Haley’s role in ‘Modern Family’ due to her age. Her agent’s assistant fought for her, and she auditioned in person with the casting director. Despite doubts about her age, she met with the director and creators afterward.

Hyland said, “Originally, they didn’t want to see me for Modern Family because I was 18 and Haley’s character was 15. They were like, “She’s too old.” And at the time, my agent’s assistant fought for me to get in the room. She was like, “She doesn’t look 18 years old, I promise you! She looks very, very young!” So I went in and they pre-read me for the cast — like, they didn’t put my audition on the tape — and then he brought in the casting director. The casting director, Jeff [Greenberg], had me read, and then he was like, “Okay, now do it again, and now I’ll put it on tape.” They were just very much like, “She’s too old. She’s 18.” And then after that, I went to see the director and creators.”

Hyland started on the show at 18 and continued through her 20s. The younger cast members began around 10 or 11 and faced puberty in the public eye. Despite personal challenges in her 20s, she focused on work and didn’t let them affect her job.

“I was 18 when I started, I was there through all of my 20s. The kids were 10 or 11 when they started the show. So for them to go through puberty in front of millions of people — and for myself, a lot of traumatic things happen to women when they’re in their 20s. Most of the time you don’t have to put on a smile and go to work and do it in front of millions of people — everyone has to smile and go to work. I think that was probably the most challenging part, was all of the lows in my 20s that I experienced. I had to very much put them to the side and leave it at the door whenever I went to work, because I just refused for anything to affect my job.”

‘Modern Family’ premiered on September 23, 2009, and concluded on April 8, 2020. Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, the show gained widespread popularity for its unique mockumentary-style format, which involved characters addressing the camera directly in a documentary-like manner. The series provided a comedic and often heartwarming look into the lives of a diverse extended family.

‘Modern Family’ premiered on September 23, 2009, and concluded on April 8, 2020. Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. The series provided a comedic and often heartwarming look into the lives of a diverse extended family.

Details:

• Premiere Date: September 23, 2009
• Finale Date: April 8, 2020
• Creators: Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan
• Genre: Sitcom, Mockumentary
• Setting: Los Angeles, California, focusing on three related families.

Main Families and Characters:

1. Pritchett-Dunphy Family:
   • Jay Pritchett (played by Ed O’Neill): The patriarch of the family, Jay is married to Gloria and has two adult children from his previous marriage.
   • Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (played by Sofia Vergara): Jay’s vibrant and passionate second wife from Colombia, with whom he has a young son.
   • Manny Delgado (played by Rico Rodriguez): Gloria’s teenage son from her first marriage, known for his mature and intellectual demeanor.
   • Claire Dunphy (played by Julie Bowen): Jay’s daughter, a perfectionist and mother of three, who is married to Phil.
   • Phil Dunphy (played by Ty Burrell): Claire’s goofy and well-meaning husband, who often finds himself in humorous situations.
   • Haley Dunphy (played by Sarah Hyland): Claire and Phil’s eldest daughter, known for her carefree and party-loving personality.
   • Alex Dunphy (played by Ariel Winter): The middle child of Claire and Phil, characterized by her intellect and studious nature.
   • Luke Dunphy (played by Nolan Gould): The Dunphys’ youngest child, known for his quirky and often clueless behavior.
2. Tucker-Pritchett Family:
   • Mitchell Pritchett (played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson): Jay’s son and a lawyer, who is in a same-sex marriage with Cameron.
   • Cameron Tucker (played by Eric Stonestreet): Mitchell’s husband, a dramatic and affectionate stay-at-home dad.
   • Lily Tucker-Pritchett (various child actors): Mitchell and Cameron’s adopted daughter, known for her witty remarks and sassy attitude.