Why Judy Greer Turned Down Claire Dunphy Role on Modern Family

Judy Greer was in the running to play Claire Dunphy in Modern Family.

She didn’t audition to avoid being typecast as a mom.

[{"selector":"#anim-192d7e3a-9a95-4447-b881-e194bfc5e1d8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7bf1c75a-e502-43ac-88d0-037d299993db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-36d6de33-6a00-466c-890f-dd9ee55721b5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 198.65905%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Greer was worried the role might limit her career.

[{"selector":"#anim-927bac39-f763-492c-a0d0-c09a5ebe23cb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bf1f7d57-5cd8-4872-9ecc-1a7f29048877","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-be68f2db-668c-496f-923f-10492eb3abf4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 243.48665%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

She was in her 30s and didn’t want to be "America’s mom" yet.

[{"selector":"#anim-7d621bf0-8078-4ad6-a5c3-7cef6f0adaa3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba9d34b4-0cc8-48ea-8535-ae689dd63514","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2bfbf9fb-7b23-439e-b328-9390f7366c8b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 243.48665%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

She enjoyed the flexibility of movie roles over a fixed TV show.

[{"selector":"#anim-2e5c4fc0-f451-4a78-a5e2-69e9ba6e4f67 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f39df1fe-2d1f-4140-86b1-7afb5acc3e2a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5877761e-84e4-4b3a-9cd3-fb44799d595f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 243.48665%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

At the time, she didn’t want kids, but now she’s a stepmom.

[{"selector":"#anim-1c036371-c417-48f6-be6b-8feff3b2fede [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-38ec7feb-202e-453b-89eb-2bef53bd59b4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fbec89ca-3551-4d9a-81dc-a17be58c8feb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 243.48665%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Greer valued traveling and diverse roles in films.

[{"selector":"#anim-5c8561f6-7f76-42be-bad8-13e4bb56a97f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c133a6c0-0501-4d0b-914f-4485e6599369","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-44d8d048-6bb0-4304-970f-8beab18c3158","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 243.48665%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Julie Bowen won the Claire Dunphy role and 2 Emmys for it.

[{"selector":"#anim-a862d923-e228-4478-a705-d5a14a278e5c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e3b83dc7-94f6-4ece-8944-27a700a911cf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-24743a07-03d9-4f62-8e12-44ac0ca346de","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 243.48665%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Greer’s career thrived, starring in 13 Going on 30 and more.

[{"selector":"#anim-f0139406-3389-44dd-9193-17352b1ea382 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e22e851-a160-4191-9dcf-569d10960ef1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de3d19c6-2f9a-4ae8-a515-5e80e566723c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 243.48665%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Greer guest-starred in Modern Family as Phil’s ex-girlfriend.

[{"selector":"#anim-59773f6a-5694-410f-bb16-048713958eb7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b61342a4-36f7-45c1-996c-a2c959dced1b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5960b3e-16bd-4714-a018-43b8b6024c78","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 196.93493%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Debbie Nelson, Eminem’s Mom, Passes Away at 69

[{"selector":"#anim-42ea39ee-f9db-4434-ae66-52ef236f6685 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-96300bc5-797f-4602-ae28-57e042575044","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9888982a-751f-4beb-ac4c-aea7e04d0520","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 314.87467%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more