ABC’s hit sitcom, Modern Family, is known for its witty humor and heartwarming moments. The show’s relatable family dynamics captured the hearts of millions of viewers around the world. Modern Family featured an ensemble cast that included a diverse range of characters from different cultural and familial backgrounds.
Following its premiere in 2009, Modern Family ran for an astounding 11 seasons, closing the curtains in 2020. Like most child actors, the five children who were part of the cast had to be tutored onset to balance their school and work life. And the on-set tutor of one of the show’s stars was worried that the actor wasn’t getting enough food.
Ariel Winter had a difficult childhood
Ariel Winter shot to fame for her role as the smart Alex Dunphy on Modern Family. But while she was rising to Hollywood stardom, Winter’s family life was falling apart.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter from 2017, Winter revealed that she never felt like she got to be a kid because of her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Crystal Workman. According to the actor, her mother was extremely controlling.
For instance, Winter’s mother forbade her from making female friends on the grounds that they represented unfair competition. In addition, the actor was dressed in “low-cut things” and “the smallest miniskirts” as early 7 years old. Winter also claimed she received little support for her schooling, despite having access to “excellent” tutors. In fact, she only went to school for half of both kindergarten and second grade. Winter’s father was largely gone from her life during this time.
Ariel Winter’s ‘Modern Family’ on-set tutor was worried she wasn’t getting enough food
Winter was cast as Alex on Modern Family at 11. But as the actor’s star rose, her relationship with her mother didn’t improve. It was while playing Alex that Winter’s on-set tutor, Sharon Sacks, got worried that the actor wasn’t getting enough food. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Sacks explained that she would ensure Winter had a good lunch. She said, “I would order a couple of lunches in my name so Ariel could eat one of them. I could tell she was hungry.”
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Ultimately, things worse for the actor. At 14, she was placed by the courts in the temporary custody of her adult sister, Shanelle Gray. She then became legally emancipated in 2015. When she turned 18, Winter tried to mend her relationship with her dad. However, the actor and her mom are still estranged.
Ariel Winter was not the only ‘Modern Family’ star with a difficult childhood
As it turns out, Winter was not the only Modern Family star with a difficult childhood. Her fellow cast member, Sarah Hyland, had her challenges too. But while Winter’s problems came from having an overbearing mother, Hyland battled health issues. The actor, who played Haley Dunphy on the popular sitcom, was born with kidney dysplasia. This is a condition where one or both kidneys don’t develop as they should while a fetus is growing in the womb.
In 2018, Hyland shared her roller-coaster experience living with the condition on her Instagram and in Self Magazine. As a child, the actor was able to delay the onset of kidney failure with medical care, but by the time she was 21, she needed a transplant. In 2012, her dad, Edward James Hyland, donated a kidney to her.
However, in 2017, five years after the transplant, her body rejected the kidney. Fortunately, her younger brother, the actor Ian Hyland, then offered to donate his kidney. Hyland has since embraced her situation and speaks openly about her journey.
Winter and Hyland have gone on to work on different projects since their time on Modern Family. The two actors are shining examples of resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges.
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