Judy Greer reveals why she turned down Modern Family audition

Judy Greer has revealed why she turned down the opportunity to audition for TV sitcom Modern Family.

The 13 Going on 30 star revealed to Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson that she didn’t want to audition for the role of Dunphy family matriarch Claire because she didn’t want to be forever known as “America’s mom”.

“In a movie, people kind of see it and then they forget. In a TV show, it’s just like, you’re a mom. That’s it,” he said on Ferguson’s Dinner’s On Me podcast.

“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 noted that being a mother “was not even on the table” for her in real life at the time and admitted that the role felt “so limiting” compared to her varied film characters.

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

Although she turned down the audition, Greer, who has two stepchildren, later made a guest appearance in the show’s first season as Phil Dunphy’s ex-girlfriend Denise.

Claire Dunphy was portrayed by Julie Bowen between 2009 and 2020. She won two Primetime Emmys for her performance during the run.