Julie Bowen Admits She Was 'Terrified' DuringModern Family's First SeasonDue to Imposter Syndrome: 'I Don't Belong'

Mar. 15, 2025

Julie Bowen on ‘Modern Family’.Photo:Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Julie Bowenmayhave won two Emmysfor her portrayal of family matriarchClaire DunphyonModern Family, but behind the scenes, Bowen was dealing with a serious case of imposter syndrome.While candidly recalling her time on the show thataired on ABC for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020, Bowen, 54, opened up about the “enormous amount of pressure” she was dealing with in her personal life.“I had babies, and I was breastfeeding, and I was going to work at 5 AM. I had three kids in diapers, and, you know, you’re going to work every day going, ‘Oh my gosh.’ And you still need to be nice and professional, and you have to look good, and you’re not sleeping at all,” she said on the Aug. 14 episode ofJennie Garth’sI Choose Mepodcast.Julie Bowen at an event on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.Neilson Barnard/GettyDespite the circumstances, the actress described the set as “such a loving atmosphere” and something she was “so lucky” to have been a part of.“I felt like as much as, you know, getting up at 4:30 in the morning to get to work can be a pain, and not being with your kids is awful, I loved being there so much and I felt so much validation, and I felt so good,” she continued.“I spent the first year or year and a half inModern Familybeing terrified because everybody there was so funny and so good at what they did. I’m like, ‘I don’t belong here.’ I mean, how did you feel when you did a sitcom?” Bowen continued, asking Garth. “Suddenly, you were on a set, you were in front of a live audience, having to get the big laughs.“In the series, Bowen, areal-life mom of three, was a mom to kids to Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland),  Alex Dunphy (Ariel Winter) and Luke Dunphy (Nolan Gould).“Modern Family” stars Nolan Gould as Luke Dunphy, Ariel Winter as Alex Dunphy, Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy, Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy and Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy.Robert Ashcroft via GettySpeaking about how the younger cast members grew up in the spotlight, she applauded them for having “so much more composure about who they were in the world.““I was in awe of their composure … they were living out loud and on social media and getting hate on social media,” she said. “And I’m like, ‘Maybe you should just not be on Twitter or Instagram, and maybe you shouldn’t do those things.’ And they were like, ‘We’re fine. We’re fine.'““Modern Family” cast photo.Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via GettyWhile detailing how she dealt with being in the public eye, she alsoopened up about often being pitted against her costar,Sofía Vergara.“It’s this scarcity mindset that only one woman can be happy at a time,” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, no. I love Sofía, and I love how different we are. And I love – she is funny and self-effacing and bawdy, and she loves life, and she loves dancing and eating cake and all these things.'“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Modern Familycan be streamed on Hulu.

Julie Bowenmayhave won two Emmysfor her portrayal of family matriarchClaire DunphyonModern Family, but behind the scenes, Bowen was dealing with a serious case of imposter syndrome.

While candidly recalling her time on the show thataired on ABC for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020, Bowen, 54, opened up about the “enormous amount of pressure” she was dealing with in her personal life.

“I had babies, and I was breastfeeding, and I was going to work at 5 AM. I had three kids in diapers, and, you know, you’re going to work every day going, ‘Oh my gosh.’ And you still need to be nice and professional, and you have to look good, and you’re not sleeping at all,” she said on the Aug. 14 episode ofJennie Garth’sI Choose Mepodcast.

Julie Bowen at an event on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.Neilson Barnard/Getty

Despite the circumstances, the actress described the set as “such a loving atmosphere” and something she was “so lucky” to have been a part of.

“I felt like as much as, you know, getting up at 4:30 in the morning to get to work can be a pain, and not being with your kids is awful, I loved being there so much and I felt so much validation, and I felt so good,” she continued.

“I spent the first year or year and a half inModern Familybeing terrified because everybody there was so funny and so good at what they did. I’m like, ‘I don’t belong here.’ I mean, how did you feel when you did a sitcom?” Bowen continued, asking Garth. “Suddenly, you were on a set, you were in front of a live audience, having to get the big laughs.”

In the series, Bowen, areal-life mom of three, was a mom to kids to Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland),  Alex Dunphy (Ariel Winter) and Luke Dunphy (Nolan Gould).

“Modern Family” stars Nolan Gould as Luke Dunphy, Ariel Winter as Alex Dunphy, Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy, Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy and Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy.Robert Ashcroft via Getty

Robert Ashcroft via Getty

Speaking about how the younger cast members grew up in the spotlight, she applauded them for having “so much more composure about who they were in the world.”

“I was in awe of their composure … they were living out loud and on social media and getting hate on social media,” she said. “And I’m like, ‘Maybe you should just not be on Twitter or Instagram, and maybe you shouldn’t do those things.’ And they were like, ‘We’re fine. We’re fine.'”

“Modern Family” cast photo.Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

While detailing how she dealt with being in the public eye, she alsoopened up about often being pitted against her costar,Sofía Vergara.

“It’s this scarcity mindset that only one woman can be happy at a time,” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, no. I love Sofía, and I love how different we are. And I love – she is funny and self-effacing and bawdy, and she loves life, and she loves dancing and eating cake and all these things.'”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Modern Familycan be streamed on Hulu.

source: people.com