ABC has a fantastic Wednesday night line-up of comedy. One of the series that makes the alphabet network a must watch that evening is Modern Family, which airs at 9 PM. The series is so popular that it won Outstanding Comedy Series for its first five seasons at the Emmy Awards. Now currently in its seventh season, the series is currently still bringing the laughter to all who watch. You have been tuning in every week to Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet, and Sofia Vergara for so many years, you may think you know them better than your best friend or spouse. However, we have unearthed a few interesting facts that you may not know about the cast of Modern Family. Take a look, you will be impressed.
1. Sofia Vergara has been a Pepsi Girl for Years
Modern Family fans will most likely remember Sofia Vergara appearing in Diet Pepsi commercials in 2013. However, that was not the first time the actress appeared in advertisements for the pop company. Vergara was first discovered when she was 17 years old by a photographer. Her first gig was starring in a 1989 Pepsi commercial in Latin America. Check out the clip above that features Vergara prancing along the hot and sandy beach.
2. Jesse Tyler Ferguson Started a Non-Profit Charity
A year before marrying his husband Justin Mikita in 2013, Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson founded a non-profit charity called Tie the Knot. The organization sells bow ties to support same sex marriage. The couple designs the bow ties and they can be purchased at The Tie Bar, a men’s neckwear company in Illinois. A Tie the Knot store was opened temporarily in Los Angeles in 2013 to raise more funds and awareness.
3. Ed O’Neill was almost an NFL Star
Like his Modern Family character Jay Pritchett, Ed O’Neill almost had a successful career as an NFL player. O’Neill played college football at both Ohio University and Youngstown State University. In 1969, his dream of playing professional football came true when he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sadly, those dreams were cut short when he was removed from the team during training camp.
4. Julie Bowen is not Her Legal Name
Modern Family star Julie Bowen has been acting in television and movies since the early 1990’s. You may remember her in such films as Happy Gilmore and Multiplicity. Some of her early TV credits include Party of Five and ER. All this time, we assumed Julie Bowen was her real name. Bowen is actually Julie’s middle name. Her legal name is Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer.
5. Eric Stonestreet was a Pig Farmer
Like his Modern Family character, Eric Stonestreet grew up on a farm. Stonestreet spent his childhood in Kansas raising pigs. He would go on to attend Kansas State University and graduate in 1996. It would be during this time that he would develop a passion for acting. He would then spend two years studying improv at the famous Second City located in Chicago.
6. Ty Burrell has had Two Interesting Summer Jobs
Ty Burrell did not make his television debut until 2000 at the age of 32. Before the Modern Family actor got bit by the acting bug, he had a couple summer jobs working outside. Burrell spent the entire summer camping and working at a local fishery in Alaska. He loved the great outdoors so much that he spent another summer fighting forest fires, though he has admitted he was not very good at it.
Do you know any fun facts about the cast of Modern Family? Let us know in the comments section below.
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
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