'Modern Family' Child Actress Shares Reality of Life After Growing Up on TV
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Modern Family child star has opened up about what it was like growing up on one of America's most-beloved sitcoms.
Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, now 17, who played Lily Tucker-Pritchett, has spoken candidly in a recent TikTok, which garnered more than 153,600 likes and over 1.2 million views. She revealed the realities of growing up from the ages of 4 to 12 on the little screen and her hopes for the future.
The teen explained, while creating a vision board, that she is often asked how she knew what she wanted to do at 4, and she said she did not, but also did not know any different.
"I was not forced into anything. Like my mom wasn't like, 'You're gonna do this.' Like, it was not like that, and I was not abused on set or anything like that. Like, I swear to God.
"But, it's true. You don't know what you're getting yourself into as a 4-year-old when, like, you sign a contract to be on a show," the star shared. Newsweek reached out to Aubrey Anderson-Emmons for comment via social media.
File photo: Aubrey Anderson-Emmons attends the opening night of "Life Of Pi" at Ahmanson Theatre on May 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
File photo: Aubrey Anderson-Emmons attends the opening night of "Life Of Pi" at Ahmanson Theatre on May 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Paul Archuleta / Contributor/Getty Images Entertainment
Modern Family, created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, aired from 2009 to 2020. The mockumentary-style series follows the lives of the diverse Tucker-Pritchett-Dunphy clan in suburban Los Angeles, offering a humorous take on familial dynamics.
Anderson-Emmons joined the cast of Modern Family in season three when she was just 4 years old, portraying the adopted daughter of Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker.
Still, being in the public eye from such a young age wasn't always easy. Anderson-Emmons recalled the challenges of receiving criticism for her acting while she was still a child.
"People really took a dig on my acting choices or thought I was a bad actor," she said.
The scrutiny took a toll, especially as she began auditioning again after Modern Family. Having not auditioned regularly as a child, she found herself unprepared for rejection.
As a result, Anderson-Emmons took a break from acting for a few years. It wasn't until she joined her high school's theater program that she rediscovered her love for performing and has resumed auditioning seriously.
Now 17, the actress is opening a new chapter in her life, one that includes a return to acting—and a surprising new venture into music.
Anderson-Emmons has been writing original songs for the past three years and is now preparing to release her debut single, "Telephones and Traffic," on May 23.
"I am grateful for all the Modern Family has given me and all of you wonderful people, and it's time to move on to another chapter of my life," she added.
The reaction online has been overwhelmingly supportive. TikTok users flooded the comments with admiration and nostalgia.
"Bad actor? GIRL YOU ARE THE REASON I STARTED TO WATCH MODERN FAMILY," shared one user.
"A bad actor?? you were fantastic and so funny. I'm literally watching you give Mitch and Cam sass right now," said another.
"I quote ARE WE POOR on the daily. You were AMAZING," posted Brittany.
"My family LOVES Modern Family. We watched it from the start and now it's a comfort show that we all watch regularly. Doesn't matter how many times I watch it I still laugh. You were SO good! I hope you get to do whatever makes you happy," read one comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
22 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Millennial Man Can't Cope With How Gen Z Answers the Phone: 'Can't Be Real'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. There are many things that Gen Zers do that leave millennials perplexed, but their latest habit to leave internet users stunned is their phone etiquette. Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) have a lot to say about their younger counterparts, from their fashion sense to their quirky behavior. We have had to accept many things about Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) ultimately, but one millennial man can't hide his shock any longer, and he has taken to social media to share his thoughts. Josh Levesque from Long Beach, California, shared a video on TikTok (@joshblevesque) to criticize Gen Z's questionable phone etiquette. He highlighted the idea that Gen Zers will supposedly answer the phone without uttering a word, just staying silent until the caller speaks to them. The idea of not greeting someone when they call is "insane" behavior for Levesque to comprehend. He even wondered if it is a weird prank that Gen Z are playing because it seems too absurd to be true. Josh Levesque talking about the Gen Z phone habit. Josh Levesque talking about the Gen Z phone habit. @joshblevesque / TikTok After taking to TikTok to share his thoughts on Gen Z not saying hello when answering the phone, the video has gone viral with more than 917,800 views and over 55,700 likes at the time of writing. Newsweek has contacted Levesque via Instagram for comment. We could not verify the details of the video. During the clip, Levesque said: "I'm not asking you to fully initiate conversation with like a prepared monologue. I don't need you to recite a f****** poem; I need, 'Hello, this is Josh.' Just something. That's phones, that's how phones work." Given how tech-savvy Gen Z are, you would think they'd understand simple phone etiquette—but apparently not. Levesque even weighs up several of the Gen Z arguments for why they don't speak first during a call. This includes the idea of it being a potential scam call, or the idea that the caller has come into their space so it is on them to introduce themselves. Neither of these points seems sufficient for Levesque, who says, "This can't be real." He adds in the video that he was introduced to this behavior by a recruiter who claims that Gen Zers often remain silent when answering his scheduled calls for a phone interview. While Levesque says that he doesn't have to call any young people so he hasn't experienced this himself, he saw a lot of commenters and social-media users unashamedly stating that this is something they do. The TikTok caption alongside the video reads: "I refuse to believe this is a thing that is actually happening. Please tell me you at least say hello … like everyone who's ever answered a phone in the history of telecommunications." Since the clip was shared online on July 12, it has certainly captured plenty of attention and generated discussion about this latest Gen Z habit. Many TikTok users have taken to the comments section to share their thoughts, leading to more than 8,300 comments on the viral video so far. One comment reads: "So they basically just Gen Z Stare when they answer the phone?" Another TikTok user wrote: "I call you and I don't hear confirmation that the call went through, I'm hanging up." A third person replied: "Instantly, throwing away the application and not hiring that person." But not everyone agrees, as one commenter added: "nah you called me. introduce yourself, explain yourself and maybe ill respond." Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
Cosmopolitan
24 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
Love Island spoiler: Shakira's mum's awkward run-in with Harry after she slammed his behaviour in tense video
Things are about to get a little awks on tonight's episode of Love Island, particularly for Harry Cooksley. Harry recoupled with Shakira Khan on Sunday night's episode after weeks of being with Helena Ford, and now the family and friends are on the way to the villa and Shakira's mum isn't happy. In a recent TikTok video, Shakira's mother Sukina went off on the 30-year-old footballer, calling him a "d***head". She said: "When I think of the villa I just think of a cesspit, it is just a cesspit and she is surrounded by snakes. Sukina, who owns an online tarot reading business, continued: "She will be getting a deep spiritual cleanse when she comes home and I am just going to add this - Harry needs to shut the f*** up about Shakira. "Seriously, the only person that's trying to give life to that little situation is that d***head. There, my love and light slipped for a about as negative as I got, d***head." Ouch! A teaser at the end of Sunday night's show revealed that Monday night's episode (28th July) will see the family and friends visiting. In the clip, Toni's mum could seen entering the villa along with Cach's family as she called out: "Is Toni here?" causing a very surprised Toni to scream from the terrace: "Mum!" as Cach uttered: "Oh s**!" It's now been confirmed that Shakira's mother Sukina is one of the relatives who'll be visiting Shakira in the villa, and judging by that video we're sure she'll have some choice words for Harry. Last week, Harry revealed he wasn't completely over Shakira and wanted to revisit things after weeks of being in a couple with Helena and going exclusive. Helena then learned of his true feelings during The Grafties as his behaviour was broadcast on the screen for all the Love Island 2025 cast to see. As a result, she decided to call things off, and Harry chatted to Shakira about rekindling their relationship. While Shakira wasn't convinced, a daytime recoupling on Sunday's episode saw the boys having to choose who they wanted to couple up with and Harry picked Shakira, saying: "I'd like to couple up with this girl because she possesses qualities I see in a longterm partner. I think I've sat on a lot of feelings and buried a lot of my emotions recently and two conversations brought that back to the surface. I think I've disappointed myself, I've disappointed people in here. "I know I'm not perfect, I'll never pretend to be, but I wanna be a better person for myself and for this girl. I know she doesn't believe a word that I say right now, but I want her to know that the feelings have always been there, I was just trying to ignore them. As I said to this girl yesterday, I'm either leaving here alone or I'm leaving with her." Well if Shakira's mum has anything to do with it, Harry, you, could very well be leaving the villa alone... New episodes of Love Island air on ITV2 weekdays and Sundays.
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
Bombshell alert! Maya Jama debuts a 90s style preppy 'lob' cut, bringing back her short hair
Move over, long locks! Maya Jama just made a major case for the return of her 'lob', and considering the recent bob renaissance, you best believe we're all for it. In a recent Instagram Story that's already setting beauty feeds ablaze, the Love Island presenter and certified glam Queen debuted a sleek, glossy long bob (aka lob), and it's one that's giving serious 90s prep vibes – power suit 'n' all. "Okay, bobby bitch is ready to host the show. Make sure you tune in, it's at 10pm right after the main show, and I'm a Clueless c*nt today," Maya says in the IG video, referring to Sunday night's Love Island Aftersun. For those unfamiliar with this hairstyle, a lob is the slightly grown-out cousin of the classic bob, usually landing anywhere from the chin to the shoulders. And Maya's, for reference, hits just past the collarbone, sitting at the longer end of the lob spectrum. As shown above, this version of the cut is textbook perfection: bouncy ends, sharp parting, and a volume that demands attention. The look pairs flawlessly with Maya's tailored lilac-and-navy plaid blazer, cinched with a peplum silhouette to highlight her waist and channelling unmistakable 90s Clueless energy (Cher Horowitz, eat your heart out). Add in the radiant smile and that glowing glam, and you've got a full-on beauty moment. *Chef's kiss* Could this be a new hair era for Maya? Possibly. But before we all book the salon appointment, let's not forget – this might just be a very convincing wig. Still, real or not, it's giving #LobGoals. And we're here for every sharp, swishy second of it. Follow Lia on Instagram. Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from viral celebrity hair and makeup news to the latest trend predictions, she's an expert in recognising the season's next big beauty look (before it ends up all over your social media feeds). You'll usually find her putting TikTok's recent beauty hacks to the Hype Test, challenging the gender-makeup binary and social stereotypes, or fangirling over the time Kourtney Kardashian viewed her Instagram Story (yes, it's true). Find her also on LinkedIn.
