Judy Greer Reveals Why She Passed on ‘Modern Family’ Claire Audition

Judy Greer recently opened up about her choice to pass on auditioning for the role of Claire Dunphy in Modern Family, a part that eventually was played by Julie Bowen.

Greer mentioned that during that period, becoming a mother was not in her plans, which made the prospect of portraying Claire Dunphy, and by extension becoming “America’s mom,” unattractive to her.

Discussing her career trajectory with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on his podcast Dinner’s On Me, she said, “This was a time in my career when I was just beginning to take on mother roles.”

“Looking back, it seems so absurd, but I’m honest about it. In films, having a child character is one thing, but this audition was for a role where I’d have three kids, including a teenager, and it was for a TV series… You have to consider these things if the show succeeds, and Modern Family did indeed become a massive hit. In films, the audience moves on, but on TV, you’re perpetually seen as a mom,” Greer explained.

She further explained that having children was “not even a consideration” in her personal life at the time, and shared, “I was so conflicted but eventually decided not to go for the audition. Who knows if I would have gotten the role, but I just wasn’t ready to be America’s mom.”

Greer described the potential role as “feeling very restrictive compared to what I was already doing in my career, not to mention it would change public perception of me as an actress. Plus, my lifestyle involved a lot of traveling, acting in different films, visiting new places, and meeting new people.”

“I just wasn’t ready for that in my career,” Greer added.

On the other hand, Julie Bowen, who successfully landed the role of Claire, reflected on her audition process during an episode of Andy Richter’s podcast The Three Questions. She humorously recalled thinking she had failed the audition because she “can’t tell a joke, I’m not funny.”

Bowen also shared, “I was auditioning for two pilots at the time, and I really hoped for Modern Family, but the other show had a character who was pregnant, which seemed more in my wheelhouse at the time because of my visible pregnancy. You end up needing the job that will really pay the bills and has potential.”

Modern Family, created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, was an ensemble comedy that centered around the extended Dunphy family, including patriarch Jay Pritchett, played by Ed O’Neill, his adult children Claire and Mitchell (played by Ferguson), and their families. The show aired on ABC from 2009 to 2020, spanning 11 seasons and securing 22 Emmy Awards, including two for Bowen as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.