Judy Greer Reveals She Turned Down aModern FamilyAudition — Here’s Who She Almost Played

Mar. 15, 2025

Judy Greer.Photo:Lila Seeley/Getty

Lila Seeley/Getty

Judy Greerhad a very specific reason for turning down an audition forModern Family.

“I was asked to audition for Claire,” Greer said on the podcast, noting that this was at a point in her career when she was beginning to play characters with children.

Judy Greer in 2023.Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

TheArcheralum went on to explain her thought process behind playing a mother on television versus in a movie, stating that the episodic medium stays with audiences for longer.

Greer noted that she “didn’t even want kids” in real life, saying it “was not even on the table for me.”

She continued, “I was like, ‘I think I’m not going to audition for it.’ I was really torn about it, but I ended up obviously not. Who knows if I would have even gotten it anyway? I was just like, ‘I don’t know if I want to be America’s mom yet.’ "

Greer was in her 30s at the time and felt that the role was “so limiting compared to what I was doing already.” She also worried it would crimp her nomadic lifestyle.

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“In addition to just the perception of who you are as an actor, it’s lifestyle too,” she said. “I was like, ‘Well, I like traveling a lot, and I like doing all these movies, and I like going to all these places, and I like meeting all these people.' "

From left: Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen and Judy Greer in ‘Modern Family’.Michael Desmond/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Michael Desmond/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Greer went on to appear in a guest role in the first season ofModern Family, which aired on ABC from 2009 to 2020. In the episode “Truth Be Told,” she played Phil Dunphy’s (Ty Burrell) ex-girlfriend Denise, who tried to come in between him and his wife Claire.

The actress later worked with show creator Steve Levitan on the short-lived Hulu seriesReboot, released in 2022.

“I worship him,” Greer said of Levitan later in the podcast episode.

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In November, theBest Christmas Pageant Everstar took a trip down memory lane with PEOPLEin an exclusive interviewand revealed the prop she “stole” from the set of her 2004 movie13 Going on 30.

She said she swiped a coffee mug with the logo ofPoisemagazine, where her character Lucy worked alongsideJennifer Garner’s Jenna.

“I fully stole it,” she said. “And I love it so much. I used to actually drink coffee out of it, but now I don’t because I’m afraid I’ll break it.”

source: people.com