Over the course of eleven seasons, America fell in love with the Pritchett’s crew from Modern Family. One of the most adorable relationships in the series is the ever-budding friendship between suburban mother Claire Pritchett (Julie Bowen) and her talkative Colombian step-mother Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vergara). The dynamic between the pair evolves dramatically, starting with Claire’s lukewarm reception of Gloria and culminating in a true bond between the two.
Now, however, fans are beginning to wonder about the real-life friendship between Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara. Did the pair actually get along on set? And do they ever spend time together, now that the show has been canceled? We’ve done some digging into the actress’ social lives to dish the inside scoop on Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara’s friendship.
A ‘Modern’ Sisterhood
Fans will be thrilled to know that the two actresses actually get along well in the real world. During their time shooting Modern Family, Bowen and Vergara actually traveled with the rest of the cast to film episodes set in locations like Australia and Hawaii. According to Vergara, these work trips were actually bonding experiences for cast members.
The talented Colombian opened up about these experiences on Good Morning America, where she revealed that the actors had a lovely time in Lake Tahoe while shooting season nine. In the evenings, the actress explained, they even settled in to watch some television together. Vergara, Bowen and the remaining members of their “modern family” met up to watch a fight that was happening in Las Vegas and otherwise have a good time.
However, even though the cast is made up of fast friends, Vergara is aware that she and Bowen don’t necessarily have the same interests. Much like the differences between their characters in the show, Bowen enjoys outdoor activities quite a bit more than does her gorgeous TV stepmom. “Julie loves sports like bicycling and hiking. She always has time for that,” Vergara divulged. Her own choice activities are totally different. “I do some shopping,” the actress told GMA.
Nonetheless, Bowen and Vergara are fast friends who sometimes even help each other out of sticky situations. When Ellen Degeneres invited Bowen to appear on her talk show, Vergara was so kind as to lend a purple blouse to her TV stepdaughter. The two even shared advice about how to best address sexist “cat fight” rumors about their relationship. It seems that the two can talk out even the most sensitive topics.
Moving Past The Series
Filming has officially wrapped up for one of America’s most hilarious sitcoms, but that hasn’t prevented Vergara and Bowen from having a good time together off-set. The pandemic has slowed things down for both the actresses on a social level, but it hasn’t kept them from seeing each other... using COVID safety measures, of course!
According to a picture on Bowen’s Instagram account, the two recently met up for a mask-wearing porch get together. Using their best social distancing measures, the actresses got a chance to catch up post-filming. They also invited fellow cast-mates Sarah Hyland and Jesse Tyler to their miniature party; Vergara’s partner Joe Manganiello was also in attendance.
Bowen seemed really enthusiastic about having the chance to spend a bit of time with her modern TV family. The caption to her post was super excited, although she did make sure to work in a bit of pandemic safety messaging. “So amazing to see these people again,” she wrote, “and yes, I’ll get a new mask tomorrow.” How adorable!
Bowen, however, is not the only one sharing her fun meet-ups with fans on the ‘gram. Vergara’s social media accounts also include photos of Bowen. On Halloween, for example, the Colombian actress lamented not being able to celebrate the holiday as per usual. But she did share an adorable throwback shot of herself hanging out with Bowen. The picture features the pair all dressed up.
Keeping Things Fresh
While both actresses seem to remember their Modern Family days with fondness, they have also moved on to pursue other projects. Vergara, in particular, has switched gears from television acting to executive film production. Her current project Koati will be an animated film and “gift from Latin America to the world.” According to Vergara’s IMDb, she will also be taking on a significant voice acting role in the movie.
Bowen, on the other hand, will soon be featured in a major film titled The Fallout. According to the actress’ own IMDb account, the movie is currently in post-production, so we may soon get a chance to see her on the big screen!