‘Modern Family’ celebrated its 17th anniversary on Sept. 23

NEED TO KNOW

• Julie Bowen reveals the Modern Family cast is “always chatting” in their group chat
• “The group chat is everything, because we’re all spread out,” Bowen tells PEOPLE 
• Modern Family celebrated its 17th anniversary on Sept. 23 and is available to stream on Hulu

The Modern Family cast group chat is alive and well. 

Though the hit ABC sitcom, which followed the everyday lives of three interconnected families, concluded six years ago, the cast is as tight-knit as ever. Speaking to PEOPLE at the Rape Treatment Center and Stuart House Annual Brunch held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27, Julie Bowen shared the key to keeping in touch with her costars. 

“The group chat is everything, because we’re all spread out,” she explained, noting that Eric Stonestreet is currently in Missouri, Ty Burrell is in Utah and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sarah Hyland are both in London. “The group chat is the key.” 

“We’ll just throw things on there, things that crack us up, nice things,” Bowen, 56, continued. “We’re always chatting.” The actress, who stars as Modern Family‘s Claire Dunphy, noted that they most recently discussed Burrell’s episode of Finding Your Roots, hosted by Henry Louis Gates. 

Modern Family celebrated its 17th anniversary on Sept. 23, and Bowen looked back at her time on the show with fondness. “It became home,” she said. 

“It was 11 years. It just became the most comfortable, easy, fun place ever,” the Happy Gilmore star continued. “And maybe I’m just forgetting if there was conflict, but I can’t think of any. It was really lovely.”

Bowen added, “I love to hear that young people have found the show on their own.”

On Aug. 30, Sofía Vergara, who starred as Gloria, and Ferguson, who played Mitchell, shared photos from a reunion with Bowen and Ed O’Neill, who portrayed Jay Pritchett. 

Vergara, 54, wrote in the caption to her post, “With my American family!!! I can’t believe it’s been 6 yrs since the Modern Family finale!!! I miss u guys!!!” On his post, Ferguson, 50, wrote, “I love these people.” 

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The posts featured a rare appearance from O’Neill, 80, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight since the show ended in 2020. In June, Vergara opened up to PEOPLE about her bond with O’Neill, saying, “I miss Ed O’Neill so much.” 

She continued, “I mean, I miss everyone, but … most of my scenes were always with Ed O’Neill. I spent most of the 11 years with him. I miss him so much. He was such a great friend, such a great pillar for me … That was like my first real acting job, so to have someone like Ed O’Neill guiding you and helping you through a show like Modern Family was a dream.”

Vergara noted that the cast stays connected through group chats, though O’Neill usually responds late. “Ed answers like five days later about something, and then we have no clue what he’s answering about.” 

Modern Family is available to stream on Hulu. 

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