It’s hard to believe one of the best sitcoms ever, Modern Family, has been off the air for nearly 5 years. Though, given how often the former castmates post photos together, you'd think the show was still in production. One member of the Dunphy/Pritchett clan was noticeably missing from a recent reunion of the entire cast, and the internet thought the man in question, Ty Burrell, was dead. However, everyone’s favorite TV dad is alive and well, and he has finally explained the reason for his absence.
Back in 2023, Sofia Vergara (Gloria) held an unofficial Modern Family reunion at her house. No TV crew, just chosen family and friends catching up. They did take a group picture though and, in it, Ariel Winter (Alex Dunphy) is holding a sweet picture of her TV dad.
Naturally, the internet assumed Ty Burrell had died and that his image was being memorialized. To clear his name of these morbid rumors, the Mr. Peabody and Sherman actor was convinced to join a mini cast reunion at the 2024 SAG awards. Unfortunately, it might be challenging for Burrell to make frequent appearances like these, and he recently told People why.
We've had a couple of gatherings, but I wasn't able to make it to a couple of them. I live in Utah now, so the logistics have gotten a little bit trickier. But everybody has stayed in touch, and I'm incredibly grateful to know all those people.
So Ty Burrell has moved out of Hollywood. He’s not alone, as many actors have moved away from LA in recent years, including Matthew McConaughey and Anthony Mackie. Burrell’s own Modern Family co-star, Ariel Winter. moved from LA to Virginia, but she was still able to make the reunion.
While living in Utah does mean he sees his former TV set family a lot less, it doesn’t mean they’ve fallen out of touch. The Muppets actor said they have a group chat that they text in frequently.
They truly do feel like they are a real family. It's not always the case that actors become close while working together, even after doing so for years. Some can grow to love each other, while others might despise each other. Thankfully, it was the latter in this case, and this cast is more tight-knit than most.
For the Dunphy kids who grew up on the show, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, their onscreen parents were almost like actual guardians. Hyland’s husband, Wells Adams, even asked Burrell and Julie Bowen for their permission to marry her, and her TV dad was supposed to officiate the wedding. However, due to unexpected circumstances, he had to miss this unofficial Modern Family reunion as well, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson stepped in at the last minute.
I really love to see the continued bond shared among the stars of Modern Family (which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription), and I'd personally love to see a reboot. Should that not come to pass, though, I'll just revel in the fact that these stars remain close. Also, please show up to more reunions, Mr. Burrell, as we don't need anymore confusion involving your supposed death.
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