Ariel Winter was only 11-years old when she filmed the pilot and had to grow up on camera and remembered, “I especially hated the year I had braces. I do have to say it was a really awkward year for me, because I also went through puberty that summer so it was braces and then over the summer once we wrapped, I had other things.”
“I definitely think it’s really difficult to grow up in front of people who have an opinion on everything you do and are allowed to say it at any point, or keyboard troll,” she added, referring to the internet commentary Winter received after developing breasts. The actress eventually got a breast reduction surgery in 2015. “It’s definitely difficult but yeah, we have great support in each other.”
Part of Winter’s support system on the show was co-star Sarah Hyland, who was at 18 years old at the start of Modern Family but had her own difficulties dealing with body changes while in front of the camera.
“I have cringeworthy season, not because of puberty, but because of health things, so I cannot stand I think it’s like Season 4 or 5, because I had very bad stretches on face and I gained like 30 pounds,” Hyland revealed, referring to the ime period she was battling kidney dysplasia. “That, for me, was something that Ariel and I were going through around the same time … People really love to show the love to attack women, especially, and I think Ariel is such an amazing woman … I think between the two of us, we really have gone and tackled them with all of our fighting with our might and wit.”