List of Modern Family characters

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The opening screen depicts the three families that make up the larger Pritchett clan (from left to right): Gloria, Manny, and Jay; Luke, Alex, Claire, Haley, and Phil; and Lily, Mitchell, and Cam. This title screen was used from seasons 1–2.

Modern Family revolves around three families that are interrelated through Jay Pritchett, his son Mitchell Pritchett and his daughter Claire Dunphy. The families meet for family functions, around the neighborhood, and cross-family bonding.

Family Tree

The characters in green have regular roles on the show. Dotted lines indicate a parental relationship through adoption or marriage, and dashed lines indicate a divorce between characters.

Javier Delgado

Gloria Pritchett

Jay Pritchett

DeDe Pritchett

Sarah Dunphy

Frank Dunphy

Manny Delgado

Cameron Tucker

Mitchell Pritchett

Claire Dunphy

Phil Dunphy

Lily Tucker Pritchett

Haley Dunphy

Alex Dunphy

Luke Dunphy

The Dunphy Family

Phil Dunphy

Philip Dunphy
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Ty Burrell
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Real Estate Agent
Spouse	Claire Dunphy (1993—)
Children	Haley Dunphy Alex Dunphy Luke Dunphy

Philip "Phil" Dunphy (Ty Burrell) is Claire's husband for 18 years who sees himself as the "cool dad." He dotes on his wife Claire and constantly tries to find ways to bond with his three kids. He is seen as very competitive, one example being his nature of always beating his son at basketball. He has a very juvenile attitude, and is referred to by Claire as the "kid [she's] married to." He uses a parenting method that he calls "peerenting", which is a combination of talking like a peer but acting like a parent. He is a real estate agent who is very confident in his work, once saying "I could sell a fur coat to an Eskimo." Phil has a severe case of Coulrophobia, which is first revealed when despite his objection, Cameron comes to Luke's party dressed as a clown. This may stem from the fact that Phil found a dead clown in the woods when he was a kid. Phil appears to love home repair yet never seems to get around to any of the jobs requested by Claire. Throughout Season 1, his ongoing project is fixing the step. He at times shows a sort of crush-like affection for Gloria. He says, however, he "would never stray from Claire," although Gloria did kiss him during a kisscam at a basketball game in the final episode of season 1, Family Portrait. In college he was a cheerleader at Fresno State and his birthday is on April 3. He seems oblivious as to what he says by miscalculating (if at all) the consequences of his expressions, such as "Phil Dunphy is no straight guy," or "If you are not white, you ain't right." He is often looking for approval from Jay, because it has been said that Jay does not think very highly of him. Phil is always reminding Jay of when he fixed his wireless printer, trying to show Jay that he can be manly. It is revealed in Tableau Vivant that Phil had once tried to break up with Claire, but didn't have the courage to do so.

A running gag in the show is when Phil is running up the stairs (often with an objective), he trips on a loose step, which causes him to say quickly and hastily, "gotta fix that step!"

Critical reception

Ty Burrell had received many positive reviews for his performance. Hank Stuever from the Washington Post wrote, "A standout performance from Ty Burrell's new twist on the doofus-dad stereotype." Paige Wiser, a reporter for the Chicago Sun Times, wrote, "Ty Burrell is a genius as a dad who stays hip by keeping up with the numbers from High School Musical." Robert Canning of IGN in a review of the season loved Ty Burrell's performance of Phil Dunphy and named him one of two characters that stood out to him saying "Actor Ty Burrell owned this part, and his well-intended faux pas throughout the season were stellar.". Burrell received a Television Critics Association Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Comedy. On September 18, 2011, Burrell won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; he submitted the episode "Good Cop Bad Dog".

Claire Dunphy

Claire Dunphy
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Julie Bowen
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Housewife
Spouse	Phil Dunphy (1993—)
Children	Haley Dunphy Alex Dunphy Luke Dunphy

Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen), née Pritchett, is the daughter of Jay, Mitchell's older sister, and the overprotective mother of the Dunphy family and its three very different kids. She was once a wild-child who made a lot of mistakes over the years, and she is fearful that her children could make the same mistakes, especially her oldest daughter, Haley. She is often exhausted from stress created by her family but is still a loving mother. When it comes to her kids she has difficulty controlling Haley's independence and irresponsibility, Alex's manipulative nature, and Luke's lack of common sense. She also gets annoyed with her husband, Phil, constantly. Claire is a very competitive person, much like her husband, and is portrayed with a personality that causes her to freak out easily, and get angry. She is very strict about a clean house. She is seen as an experienced parent by Cameron and Mitchell, so she is called upon for her parenting advice. She enjoys running and reading. Claire is also the most active family member when organizing family get-togethers. When a former co-worker (Minnie Driver) visits, it is revealed that Claire had a successful job in hospitality management but left her job and married Phil a few months after she became pregnant with Haley. She shows resentment towards the abandonment of her working career due to seeing the success of one of her former peers, but later realizes her family is more important.

Claire is a perfectionist; according to Phil, "when everybody else sees something beautiful, all she sees is the teeny-tiny flaw."

She is also terrible at giving gifts. As her husband Phil once bought her a bracelet for their anniversary, she made him coupons for five free hugs. Claire will be receiving another sibling thanks to Gloria's pregnancy with Jay's child. Her step-brother is Manny Delgado.

Critical reception

Julie Bowen's performance was praised by Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly who said, "Bowen’s Claire could have been a blank blonde cipher. Far from it: Bowen’s wide array of silent gazes at the camera, her slow-burns at her clan’s bad behavior, and her ability to freak out without seeming nutso crazy makes her an essential, stand-out part of TV’s best freshman ensemble cast." For the role of Claire, Bowen won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, for the episode "Strangers on a Treadmill". Bowen has also been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and a Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She is currently nominated for Quick Change Artist: Impressive Acting Range at the TV.com Now Awards for changing from Ed, an NBC drama, to Modern Family, an ABC sitcom.

Haley Dunphy

Haley Dunphy
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Sarah Hyland
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Student

Haley Gwendolyn Dunphy (Sarah Hyland) is the daughter of Claire and Phil, who is portrayed as the stereotypical teenager. Haley is 15 at the beginning of the series, and is a senior in high school as of Season 3. Haley is depicted as being a bit of a bimbo, who focuses more on social status than studies. She is a little naive especially when it comes to arguing with her parents. However she is at times surprisingly cunning, such as when she carves a cell phone out of soap to win a contest of who can go the longest without using technology. Haley is embarrassed by her dad, especially when he tries to be friends with her boyfriend Dylan (to whom she lost her virginity, as revealed in season 3). She is concerned about her popularity at school, which contributes to her being embarrassed by her parents. She is just starting to drive and talks to or texts her friends on her cell phone all the time. Haley also contemplated moving in with Dylan, before learning that she got into college, in the final episode of the third season.

Alex Dunphy

Alex Dunphy
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Ariel Winter
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Student

Alexandria "Alex" Dunphy (Ariel Winter) is the 14 year old daughter of Claire and Phil, and also the most erudite and intelligent of the three siblings. As the middle child to a shallow big sister and a goofy younger brother, she enjoys messing with them when they are rude to her, which is fairly often. Often taking advantage of their naïveté by fooling them into believing unrealistic things, she at one time convinced Haley and Luke that they could charge electronics by rubbing the battery on their head (Haley) and putting it in your mouth (Luke). She, as a stereotypical precocious kid, displays a sense of superiority because of her erudition, constantly putting her accomplishments on display and demanding recognition for them. An overachiever, she plays the cello and practices lacrosse; she chose to play the cello because she would have a better chance at being in a university orchestra than if she played the violin, as cellos are more in demand. Judging by the constant remarks from her sister, Alex is shown as being very socially awkward, with difficulty in making friends and in being able to find a boy that likes her. As of season 3, she has a long-distance relationship with a boy she met in Wyoming, but did go to her prom with a classmate who everyone but himself knows is gay. It has been established recently in the episode Tableau Vivant that Alex is a light sleeper, as she was surprisingly energetic when staying awake nearly a whole night thinking about her upcoming art project. In the episode Planes, Trains and Cars, it appears Alex is bilingual, as she spoke to Haley "Time to get a new boyfriend" in what appeared to have been Chinese. She is one of the 'proud' children in the dunphy family, but she yet has every need to be seeing as she is the smartest.

Luke Dunphy

Luke Dunphy
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Nolan Gould
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student

Lucas "Luke" Dunphy (Nolan Gould) is Claire and Phil's rambunctious, 13-year-old son, who is often doing his own thing. He was named after his great-grandfather, Lucas (the father of Dee-Dee). At times, he can be a troublemaker, once shooting his sister with a toy gun and getting into a fight with Manny at school. Luke is playful, very innocent and does not always understand the repercussions of his actions, like most children; he once announced at a family gathering that his mom thought her dad's new wife was a "gold digger", although he misheard it as "coal digger". He is also thought to be a bit vacuous because of many questionable actions, such as getting his head stuck in the banister and jumping on the trampoline wearing only underwear and a box on his head. Both parents agree that they "dropped the ball" with regards to raising Luke; Phil once tells Claire that he considers Luke to be their dumbest child (although he conceded to Claire's assertion that Haley was, in fact, dumber than Luke). A psychologist who evaluated him said his type of behavior was normal for someone with above-average intelligence; afterwards, Phil and Claire accidentally left a wandering Luke behind when they left the psychologist's office, but they ended up being impressed by how calmly he made his way back home (in a limo) and decided he would do just fine in life.

The Pritchett-Delgado Family

Jay Pritchett

Jay Pritchett
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Ed O'Neill
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Owner of a construction supply warehouse
Spouse	DeDe Pritchett (1968–2003) Gloria Pritchett (2009—)
Children	Claire Dunphy Mitchell Pritchett Unborn child (currently expecting)

Jay Francis Pritchett (Ed O'Neill)- Jay is the father of Claire and Mitchell, husband of Gloria, grandfather of Lily, Luke, Alex, and Haley, and the stepfather of Manny. He is the owner of a construction firm and is presumably the wealthiest family member. Jay has a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. Like both his son and daughter, Jay is generally more realistic, mild mannered, and sensible than his partner, Gloria, who is unashamed of the fact Jay is many years her senior. A recurring plot involves Jay's relationship with his son Mitchell, which became more complicated due to Jay's reaction to Mitchell's sexual orientation. Humor and plot points are also derived from Jay's relationship with his son in law Phil; Jay often mistreats and antagonizes Phil despite his constant attempts to gain Jay's approval. Jay has several masculine character attributes including fondness for sports and model airplanes. Jay is shown also to occasionally be compassionate, showing affection for members of the extended family particularly to Manny, his stepson; their relationship seems to become more positive as the series progresses, eventually becoming a typical father-son relationship.

Reception

Ed O'Neill has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.

Gloria Pritchett

Gloria Pritchett
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Sofía Vergara
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Housewife
Spouse	Javier Delgado (div.) Jay Pritchett (2009—)
Children	Manny Delgado Claire Dunphy (stepdaughter) Mitchell Pritchett (stepson), Unborn child with Jay Pritchett.
Religion	Roman Catholic
Nationality	Colombian

Gloria Pritchett (Sofía Vergara), (formerly Delgado), is Jay's wife and Manny's mother. She is a Colombian native from a small village, which also happens to be the murder capital of the country. She is much younger than Jay which does not matter to her; she is a very loving wife and mother despite the age difference between her and her husband. Her voluptuous figure and overall beauty is often remarked or noticed by other characters on the show. One of her most distinctive traits is her very thick Colombian accent, which sometimes leads her to mispronounce English words, such as "ultimatum" as "old-tomato" and "earrings" as "hair-rings". (Sofia Vergara has mentioned that her character's mispronuciations tend to be ad-libbed.) She often supports Manny when Jay tries to tell him to be less sensitive or hide his cultural background. She is a horrible driver, though she is oblivious to this. She is also very comfortable with death (on one occasion killing and beheading a rat with a shovel right before she left for church and leaving the head "as a warning to the other rats"), on account of a couple of her relatives being butchers. She claims that, because she is from Colombia, the "murder capital of the world", she can instantly spot a fake crime scene, and tends to view murders as common occurrences, even claiming that the judge who presided over her marriage to her ex-husband Javier was assassinated during the ceremony. She has a very high tolerance for spicy food, and has perhaps the strongest religious views of any member of the family. She loves her family and spends a lot of time with Lilly because of her fixation in having a daughter. Mitchell and Cameron asked her and Jay to become guardians of Lily if anything were to happen to them. Gloria has something of a shady past. She mentions that some of her closest relatives were butchers, and that during her fifteenth birthday, while dancing with her father, "there was not a dry eye in the cartel." Doubts have also been raised as to her income: her only mentioned employment was as a hairdresser (and later as a taxi driver), and Claire originally labeled her a "gold-digger" for marrying her wealthy father. It seems likely that Jay is her major source of income. In the final episode of Season 3, it is revealed that she is pregnant, but Jay does not know yet. In the episode Fifteen Percent she reveals that she comes from a neighbourhood of prostitutes after she said her neighbourhood had a saying that "Love is just around the corner".

Reception

Sofía Vergara has been nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Manny Delgado

Manny Delgado
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Rico Rodriguez
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student
Nationality	Colombian

Manuel "Manny" Alberto Delgado (Rico Rodriguez), Gloria's 13 year old son from her first marriage, is very outgoing and not the least bit self-conscious. He is very intelligent, mature and intuitive for his age and is often shown doing adult-like things, such as having conversations with Claire about her marriage and kids, and drinking coffee. He has inherited his mother's passion for life (although he is terrified of butterflies), though Gloria has also said, "Manny is passionate, just like his father." This causes Manny to be very romantic. Manny is not afraid to take chances, leading him to ask out older girls, and develop a crush on Haley. He idolizes his absentee father, often speaking about him in a positive light, even after being repeatedly disappointed by his father's broken promises. He plays for a soccer team, fences, and is a skilled chess player. He is often seen wearing or intending to wear his "burgundy dinner jacket."

Stella

Stella
First appearance	"Good Cop Bad Dog"
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Pritchett family's pet

Stella is the dog of the Pritchett-Delgado family, introduced in the second season. She was the dog of a man named Guillermo (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who used to present an invention for dogs, but Jay convinced him to leave the idea, and Guillermo gave Stella to the family. She is very problematic, and often destroys things, mostly Gloria's things, and therefore Gloria hates Stella. However, Jay has a great affection for her.

The Tucker-Pritchett Family

Mitchell Pritchett

Mitchell Pritchett
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Jesse Tyler Ferguson
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Lawyer
Children	Lily Tucker-Pritchett (adoptive daughter)

Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) is Jay's son, Claire's younger brother, Luke, Alex and Haley's uncle, one of Lily's fathers, and partner of five years to Cameron. He is a low-key, mild-mannered person. At most times he is the exact opposite of Cameron which usually causes disagreements. Cameron acts as a counterbalance to Mitchell's uptight, worrying ways. He has an extreme love for Costco. He usually responds to homophobia (whether real or perceived) by giving "speeches." Because of his mild-mannered, uptight nature, he is sometimes embarrassed by Cameron's flamboyance. Mitchell and his older sister Claire are a little competitive and his father Jay isn't completely comfortable with the fact that he's gay, which most likely contributed to him becoming a momma's boy. He was initially scared to let his family meet Lily, although she was welcomed with open arms. He is an overprotective and cautious father. He is an attorney and a graduate of both Cornell University and Columbia University Law School. He also enjoys musical theater and loved ice skating as a kid, though he admitted in the one episode this was mentioned in that he preferred the fact that he and his sister were working as a team to the ice skating itself. He fancies himself an expert at building things when in truth, everyone is in terror of him using tools. As seen in the season one finale "Family Portrait" and the season two premiere "The Old Wagon," Mitchell has intense ornithophobia (fear of birds).

Reception

TV.com has named Mitchell and Cameron one of the 5 best TV dads, saying, "Cam and Mitchell adopted baby Lily from Vietnam way back in Modern Family's pilot episode, and have been inadvertently Americanizing her ever since."

Jesse Tyler Ferguson was nominated twice for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Cameron Tucker

Cameron Tucker
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Eric Stonestreet
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Stay-at-home dad (former music teacher)
Children	Lily Tucker-Pritchett    (adoptive daughter)
Nationality	American

Cameron Scott Tucker (Eric Stonestreet), also referred to as Cam, is Mitchell's partner of eight years, and one of Lily's fathers, who has a very big dramatic personality. His bubbly outgoing personality contrasts to Mitchell's uptight manner, which causes them to have opposing character traits. Cameron was born on February 29, 1972 and grew up on a farm in Missouri. He was a starting center for the University of Illinois football team (which he and Jay bond over, much to Mitchell's envy) and is a very big sports fan. Cameron also fosters many unusual hobbies such as collecting antique fountain pens, being adept in Japanese flower arrangement, filming home movies, and is a classically trained Auguste clown named Fizbo. Currently, he acts as a stay-at-home dad to Lily, though it is mentioned that he had taught music prior to this. Cameron is also an experienced rock drummer and as a result was brought in at the last minute to play in Dylan's band when they needed a replacement percussionist. It is also mentioned that Cameron was considerably thinner and in better shape when he first started dating Mitchell. For the first few episodes, his relationship with Mitchell was somewhat strained (being that they disagreed on almost everything and showed very different parenting techniques). But in more recent episodes the relationship is much happier. Cameron and Mitchell met one another at one of Pepper Saltzman's "legendary" soirees, where during a game of charades, Cameron was able to immediately know the answer, "Casablanca," to a subtle gesture Mitchell made with his hands. They formed a relationship from having common interests, like art, and Mitchell being impressed by Cameron's quirks, such as speaking French, to which he replies, "Un peu." At the beginning of season two, Cameron tells Jay that he and Mitchell met at an orgy but follows it with "come on" in response to Jay's reaction, likely indicating sarcasm. This has led to some confusion among fans.

Reception

Cameron and Eric Stonestreet have received positive reviews for their characters. In a review of the first season, Robert Canning of IGN named Cameron Tucker the best character of the season saying, "Cameron's many talents and passions revealed over the course of this first year became an ever-building running gag. But it will be hard to top the sheer joy that was 'Fizbo'." He also called Fizbo, the episode and the clown, the highlight of the season. Along with Ty Burrell, Stonestreet received a Television Critics Association Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Comedy. He also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The reception of Cameron and Mitchell has led to the idea of a spin-off of the two titled Mitchell and Cam.

Lily Tucker-Pritchett

Lily Tucker-Pritchett
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Jayden and Ella Hiller (2009–11) Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (2011—)
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Student

Lily Tucker-Pritchett (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) is the adopted Vietnamese daughter of Cameron and Mitchell. When she was introduced to the family, they accepted her with open arms, although Mitchell originally wanted to wait to tell them about her. She is at times doing activities with both of her fathers but remains with Cam at home while Mitchell works. Cameron often dresses her up as famous people, such as Diana Ross, Olivia Newton-John, Madonna, and Stevie Wonder for the purpose of taking photographs. Cameron and Mitchell are currently practicing the Ferber method on Lily but Cameron can't always resist catering to her during the night, sometimes even watching movies such as Scarface, which Cam claims she likes possibly because of the bright colors, particularly the club shooting scene. Lily did not speak for the first two seasons and was portrayed by twins Ella Hiller and Jaden Hiller. For season three, the twins "retired", their mother claiming they did not enjoy acting. The role was recast to Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, who is older, and had lines.

Recurring characters

Dylan

Dylan
First appearance	"Pilot" 1x01, September 23, 2009
Portrayed by	Reid Ewing
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Musician, Cowboy

Dylan (Reid Ewing), also known as "D-Money," is Haley's on-again/off-again boyfriend, a senior in high school who plays guitar in a band. He has no plans for college and wants to remain a guitarist in a rock band. He is often put into awkward situations by Phil, who wishes for the two to be friends. He has diverse interests that are often surprising, such as his love of old western films. He also sometimes reveals a sort-of attraction to Claire (who dislikes him), when he gives her a rose on Valentine's Day, saying that "every mom should look as tasty as you when they're old." He loves the confidence Haley gets from being part of such a loving family and does not mind hanging around during family get togethers. He wrote a song, "In The Moonlight, (Do Me)," for Haley and performed it for her extended family. The song was about sex and most of the family were surprised by the suggestive lyrics, but it became stuck in all of their heads the next day. Claire's dislike of Dylan is something of a parallel to Jay, Claire's father's, dislike of Phil. He is also a hockey player and finds inspiration for his music from Bob Dylan, Sum 41, Blink 182, and New Kids on the Block. Dylan temporarily leaves the cast to work on a ranch after Haley rejects his marriage proposal in the first episode of season three, "Dude Ranch". In the episode Virgin Territory Alex reveals that Haley had lost her virginity to Dylan before they broke up; she told Claire three months earlier, but not Phil. In the episode "Disneyland," Dylan reveals he lost his job on the ranch and moved back to California, taking a job at Disneyland. He and Haley get back together to Claire's dismay. The relationship seems to come to an end in the Season Finale, "Baby on Board," when Haley discovers she was accepted to college.

DeDe Pritchett

DeDe Pritchett
First appearance	"The Incident" 1x04, October 14, 2009
Portrayed by	Shelley Long
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Spouse	Jay Pritchett (1968–2003)
Children	Claire Dunphy Mitchell Pritchett

DeDe Pritchett (Shelley Long) is Mitchell and Claire's biological mother and Jay's ex-wife who it has been heavily implied may be mentally ill due to her somewhat manipulative and sometimes aggressive ways. It is implied that she was initially more accepting of Mitchell's sexual orientation than Jay was when he first came out. She often uses her close relationship with Mitchell to get him to do things he does not want to. She is still bitter over Jay's re-marriage to Gloria and even attempted to ruin their wedding, which she convinced Mitchell to talk Jay and Gloria into inviting her, which they did, but DeDe ruined the occasion by getting drunk and making rude and inappropriate toasts, and eventually had to be dragged out of the reception, in the process ruining the wedding cake. She is very aggressive towards Gloria, often trying to physically attack her. DeDe is also passive aggressive toward Cameron about his weight, and is often critical of Claire, especially her appearance.

Frank Dunphy

Frank Dunphy
First appearance	"Undeck the Halls" 1x10, December 9, 2009
Portrayed by	Fred Willard
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Children	Phil Dunphy

Frank Dunphy (Fred Willard) is Phil's father and Haley, Alex, and Luke's grandfather. On Christmas, the family shared a webcam chat with him.

Frank returns in "Travels with Scout" when he travels cross country without Phil's mother and shows up with a dog that he says she has allergies to. He ends up taking the dog back with him.

Fred Willard was nominated for an Emmy for Best Guest Actor.

Javier Delgado

Javier Delgado
First appearance	"Up All Night" 1x11, January 6, 2010
Portrayed by	Benjamin Bratt
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Spouse	Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (div.)
Children	Manny Delgado
Nationality	Colombian

Javier Delgado (Benjamin Bratt) is Manny's biological father and Gloria's ex-husband. He and Gloria were divorced; in the pilot, Gloria says all they did was "fight and make love," at one point leading them to fall out of a window. Manny looks up to him, but Javier always lets him down.

Javier was formerly a Triple-A Baseball player and played alongside such baseball greats as Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. He is wealthy and has many connections to matadors and baseball players. He and Jay became close, but in the end Javier lets Jay down just as he does to Manny.

Critical reception

Benjamin Bratt received positive reviews for his performance from TV.com writer Tim Surette saying, "Benjamin Bratt played Manny's absentee father and did a fantastic job of being a well-mannered guest (star); he never tried to steal a scene or overplay his Latin-lover stereotype. He's also nicely set up to recur, and his character was given enough backstory in prior episodes to really flesh out the role. We learned that Javier is not just an irresponsible parent, but that he's also a charming man with endless connections and a shady past."

Barb Tucker

Barb Tucker
First appearance	"Mother Tucker" 2x09, November 24, 2010
Portrayed by	Celia Weston
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Children	Cameron Tucker

Barb Tucker (Celia Weston) is Cameron's mother. She first appeared in the episode "Mother Tucker." In that episode, she visits Cameron and Mitchell. While Cameron earnestly declares that his mother is wonderful, Mitchell is less sure because she has a habit of touching Mitchell inappropriately. When Mitchell finally tells Cameron about this, Barb happens to walk in on them and hears his complaints. Later, she apologizes to Mitchell. Unfortunately, she does this while he is in the bathtub.

Merle Tucker

Merle Tucker
First appearance	"The Last Walt" 2x9, April 18, 2012
Portrayed by	Barry Corbin
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Children	Cameron Tucker

Merle Tucker (Barry Corbin) is Cameron's father. He first appeared in the episode "The Last Walt." In that episode, he visits Cameron and Mitchell. Later in the episode, it is revealed that Jay, Mitchell's father, and Merle dislike each other. Cameron and Mitchell each believe that their father is the stronger of the two. It is made known that Merle wishes that the man his son lives with was, "A little bit of a woman." Jay and Merle overcome their differences and bond while fixing the bed frame that Cameron had purchased and attempted to put together.

Guest Stars

Season 1

• Edward Norton as Izzy LaFontaine
• Elizabeth Banks as Sal
• Chazz Palminteri as Shorty
• Kristen Schaal as Whitney
• Minnie Driver as Valerie
• David Brenner as Himself
• Judy Greer as Denise
• Bruce Altman as Mr. Jennings
• Justin Kirk as Charlie Bingham
• Kobe Bryant as Himself

Season 2

• Nathan Lane as Pepper Saltzman
• Kevin Daniels as Longines
• James Marsden as Barry
• Mary Lynn Rajskub as Tracy
• Rachael Harris as Amelia
• Jeremy Rowley as Broderick
• Matt Dillon as Robbie Sullivan
• Philip Baker Hall as Walt Kleezak
• Jonathan Banks as Donnie Pritchett
• Lin-Manuel Miranda as Guillermo
• Rob Huebel as Glen Whipple

Season 3

• Tim Blake Nelson as Hank
• David Cross as Duane Bailey
• Jennifer Tilly as Darlene
• Leslie Mann as Katie
• Kevin Hart as Andre
• Don Lake as Dr. Sendroff
• Greg Kinnear as Tad
• Bobby Cannavale as Lewis
• Ellen Barkin as Mitzi Roth
• Barry Corbin as Merle Tucker
• Matt Prokop as Ethan

External links

• Official website
• List of Modern Family characters at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com
• "List of Modern Family Episodes". TVGuide.
• Bringing "The Office" Home With You | Review Fix