Julie Bowen has been gracing the screens with outstanding performance since 1992, having gained recognition years later with Happy Gilmore (1996) and Ed (2000-2004). But perhaps her most recognizable part to date and the very one that made her a household name in Hollywood was none other than her role as Claire Dunphy in Modern Family.
One of the most prominent characters on the sitcom, Dunphy is Phil’s wife and the mother of Haley, Alex, and Luke, though she wasn’t counted among the most likable characters of the saga throughout the time the series aired. And yet, the show earned her only so much fame, considering her brutal confession about being a “B-level TV person” even after all this time.
Modern Family fame couldn’t make Julie Bowen more than a “B-level TV person”
For eleven seasons spread across the course of more than a decade, Modern Family raged on the screens and Julie Bowen was one of the characters at the very center of it. Though a loving and dedicated mother and wife with a strong work ethic, her overachieving tendencies and need for control made her among the lesser-liked characters of the saga.
But while that very role made her a household name in the entertainment industry, it only got her so much fame in return in a big city like Los Angeles. As the actress confessed during a 2014 interview with The Independent, while her fame did create a circus in her kids’ lives, it was still much less as compared to other major stars’ kids.
Revealing how her kids got treated despite her fame, Bowen said:
If I was raising my kids in Oklahoma, I would be a big, huge star but, in LA, I’m just this B-level TV person. They go to school with Gwen Stefani’s kids and Dave Grohl’s kids and, let me tell you, no-one gives a rat’s a** about my kids when those kids are around.
Well, the children of other greater stars like singer-songwriter cum fashion designer Gwen Stefani and musician Dave Grohl stealing the limelight from the Boston Legal actress’ kid doesn’t really sound like the best thing, but it is what it is. But while Bowen came clean about this behavior, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a fan group at all.
Julie Bowen’s fans were “usually girls around 12 to 14”
While being a “B-level” television personality despite having starred in one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time was one thing—in her own words, Bowen also admitted at the same time that she did have a significant fan group. However, this one mostly comprised “usually girls around 12 to 14” years of age, when “they’re at their most dangerous and feral.”
It’s usually girls around 12 to 14, which is an age where girls travel in packs so they’re at their most dangerous and feral. That’s why The Beatles’ bus was almost flipped over. I am certainly not The Beatles. I have experienced a crumb of that and have been terrified. They start screeching and circling like wasps. But they’re always lovely, not mean and they’re not stalking me at my house.
All in all, Julie Bowen’s candid confession about her level of fame serves as the perfect reminder that even household names can feel overshadowed in the city of stars. Despite her iconic role in Modern Family, Bowen’s experience highlights the fleeting nature of fame and the hierarchy of celebrity status in Los Angeles, but what more could be expected?
Modern Family can currently be streamed on Hulu.
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