‘I Went Through A Lot.’ Modern Family’s Ariel Winter On Past Struggles With Public Backlash And How Co-Star Sofia Vergara Helped Her

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Ariel Winter initially gained recognition primarily as the middle child Alex Dunphy in the popular ABC series “Modern Family.” However, the show ended its run around five years before the 2025 TV schedule, and since then, the actress has shared stories about personal hardships that her character, Alex, didn’t face to the same extent. Despite facing criticism as a child, she found support from Sofia Vergara which helped her continue her acting career on ABC.

The veterinarian from the popular sitcom, “Modern Family,” has spoken openly about receiving inappropriate messages from older men when she was underage, and also endured hurtful comments about her appearance while working alongside the rest of the cast. In a more recent interview with People magazine, Winter shared:

For a substantial period of time, I’ve been in their company since I was quite young. We’ve experienced numerous events together, and they have always stood by my side during those times. Sofía [Vergara] was particularly supportive when it came to understanding my body image, as I found a connection with her because she seemed like someone I could identify with.

Ariel Winter explained that she wasn’t equating herself with the actress portraying Gloria in terms of physical appearance, but rather they both underwent early development. While Alex and Gloria weren’t often scene partners on Modern Family, it’s apparent that this co-star had a significant impact on Winter during challenging times in her life. She continued:

Finding that difficult situation challenging was something I struggled with. But seeing her embody that role and having it be honored in such a beautiful way left me awestruck. Furthermore, when she encouraged me by saying, ‘Who cares about other people’s opinions? Just embrace it — and here are some tips to boost your confidence,’ it was incredibly helpful for me.

Support from Sofia Vergara didn’t magically erase Ariel Winter’s lingering concerns, and the body-shaming comments from fans persisted long after. Winter’s “process of self-recovery” required time, but she appears to be more at ease with discussing how her experiences have impacted her in adulthood. Additionally, Winter credited Ed O’Neill, who played Jay Pritchett, for offering valuable acting advice during their time on Modern Family, which was Winter’s first series regular role.

Currently, I’m finding myself playing characters that are quite distinct from Alex Dunphy and even my role on Law & Order: SVU, which I portrayed while Modern Family was still running. If you’re curious about revisiting the Alex era, filled with laughter despite the challenges I faced off-screen, you can stream the entire series with a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

Moving away from Hollywood, specifically leaving Los Angeles for Nashville, TN, was a pivotal shift for her, as she felt L.A.’s atmosphere wasn’t quite her rhythm. Despite some online criticism, her time on Modern Family had largely positive aspects, and it didn’t entirely overshadow her entire teenage experience. The actress mentioned that Nolan Gould, who portrayed her character’s little brother Luke, is one of her closest friends, and the memories from their shared time are so deeply etched in her mind that she doesn’t require souvenirs from the set to remember them.

It would be great if Ariel Winter remains confident enough in her maturity to discuss her experiences from her younger days openly. Landing a role at the tender age of eleven and acting in it for eleven seasons across 250 network television episodes can put an immense burden on a young actor.

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2025-07-25 11:08