15 Things You Didn't Know About The First Episode

Watching the Dunphys, Pritchett-Delgados, and Tucker-Pritchetts grow over 11 years made for transformative television, but there is quite a bit fans might not know about the Modern Family pilot episode. Before Modern Family premiered in 2009, there wasn't any show like it on TV. Watching three very different households grow and fight with each other on-screen normalized many families at home.

The award-winning TV series released its first episode in September 2009 with rave reviews and introduced the Dunphy, Delgado-Pritchett, and Tucker-Pritchetts. Fans learned that Jay Pritchett is the patriarch of the family and the father of Claire and Mitchell. The two then went on to have their own families, creating their own little modern family. The pilot does a quick introduction of each family's dynamic, introducing everyone to a new baby, growing teenagers, and a new marriage. But with it being over a decade since the first episode aired, there are several things that fans don't know about the Modern Family pilot.

The Dunphy Family Could Have Been A Friends Reunion

It’s no secret that a lot of actors are considered for a single role when it comes to making a television show. There were a lot of other potential actors with a proven track record in comedy who were considered for roles in the first episode of Modern Family. Two of those actors had a history together - Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow, who both appeared in the incredibly successful series Friends.

LeBlanc was considered for the role of Phil Dunphy while Kudrow was considered for the role of Claire Dunphy. LeBlanc was offered the role through his agent but didn’t think he was a right fit for the part (via USA Today). Kudrow revealed she passed because, after reading the script, she didn’t know how she would make the role her own (via AcessOnline). Ultimately, it worked out as the Dunphys have become Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen’s best-known roles.

Lily’s Adoption Was Legally Impossible

In the Modern Family pilot episode, one of the major storylines is that Mitchell and Cam are bringing their new baby home from adopting her in Vietnam. A big deal is made about the fact that Mitchell hasn’t told the rest of his family that they’re adopting yet. However, a bigger deal should probably have been made about the adoption not being strictly legal at the time.

In 2009 when the episode aired, not only was it illegal for same-gender couples to adopt children in Vietnam, but it was also illegal for single parents to adopt in Vietnam. Cam and Mitchell wouldn’t have been able to go through legal channels to adopt Lily in the real world.

Modern Family’s Leading Actors Made An Award Show Pact

From the very first episode, it’s made clear that Modern Family is an ensemble show. It thrives by allowing all the extended family members to play a part in the storylines. Because it functions best as an ensemble, the original adult actors in Modern Family all made an agreement: none of them would submit themselves for award consideration as a lead but as a supporting actor. The idea was that all the cast members were supporting one another in the large ensemble, allowing them to work on an even playing field, and allowing everyone to be seen as a valued member of the team.

While it’s unknown exactly when the group made the pact, it’s clear that it was in effect from the very first season of the show. All the acting nominations that relied on submissions from the actors themselves, like the Primetime Emmys and the Golden Globes, placed all the adults in the series in Supporting Actor categories. Over the course of the show, Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Ed O’Neil, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson all received acting nominations from ceremonies like the Critics Choice Awards, the Emmys, and the Golden Globes.

Julie Bowen Was Eight-And-A-Half Months Pregnant In The Pilot

Fans can't help but ask themselves one resounding question when rewatching the pilot: was Julie Bowen (Claire Dunphy) pregnant in season 1? Claire wears more sweaters and shirts that don't suit her usual style in later seasons, and she hid her belly in most scenes. In the Modern Family pilot episode Claire often has cereal boxes, pillows, laundry baskets, or even another person right in front of her.

As it turns out, CheatSheet noted that Julie Bowen was pregnant with twins while filming the show's pilot. At eight-and-a-half months pregnant, Bowen auditioned for the part of Claire multiple times and wanted it so bad that she cried. According to People, Bowen didn't think she'd get the part because of her belly, but eventually, she did.

An Alternate Perspective

With the families being aware that they're constantly filmed, fans were wondering if the reason for this documentary of their lives was going to be announced in the 11th season — but it never happened. That's because the mockumentary style that began in the Modern Family pilot was a hold-over from the original series concept.

According to New Jersey.com, the original purpose of the documentary was that a man named Geert Floorjte lived with Jay as a teenaged filmmaking exchange student and began filming everyone. Over time, Geert began having romantic feelings for the very likable Claire Dunphy, which is why he hung around for so long. He and Manny were supposed to develop a friendship, bonding over the documentary. But as longtime fans know, writers scrapped the Geert storyline.

Jay Could Have Been Totally Different

It's hard to imagine anyone replacing Ed O'Neil as Jay Pritchett. O'Neil plays Jay with such confidence and strength that he's a pillar on the show. However, Page Six noted that it wasn't O'Neil who was originally offered the role — it was Craig T. Nelson.

According to the source, Nelson was offered the role but asked for a higher salary than producers were willing to give at the start of the series. Considering no one knew how well the show would do, they couldn't offer him the number he was looking for. Nelson left the show and O'Neil later joined. The next year, Nelson went on to play the patriarch of the Braverman family for Parenthood.

This Episode Is An Emmy Winner

The pilot of Modern Family was directed by Jason Winer and written by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. Viewers met all three families in a mockumentary style in separate stories before it was revealed that they were all extended family members, making it feel more realistic.

The Modern Family pilot won two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing in a Series. The actors that fans grew to love went on to sweep multiple awards shows afterward.

Baby Lily Was Portrayed By Twin Siblings

Most cinema buffs know that filming with a baby can be incredibly hard. There are entertainment labor laws from The US Department of Labor that limits the number of hours a child can work in a day. It's become a fairly common practice in film and television to have twins or triplets play toddlers and infants. Since babies can be fussy, Modern Family hired twin babies Jaden and Ella Hiller for the role of Lily.

But by the third season, the twins' parents decided that if their children weren't enjoying their time on set, they shouldn't have to be there. They were replaced by the actress Aubrey Anderson-Emmons. It was fun for fans to watch Lily transform over the years, as Anderson-Emmons continued playing Lilly from season 3 through the end.

Two Networks Turned Down The Pilot

After winning two Primetime Emmys for the pilot, it's surprising to think there were networks that weren't interested in Modern Family. With the screenplay in hand, the creators of Modern Family pitched the sitcom to NBC, CBS, and ABC.

According to IMDb, NBC passed because the network already had The Office and Parks and Recreation, two mockumentary-style shows. Fandom noted that CBS turned down the pilot because they reportedly weren't ready for the series, so next up was ABC. Luckily for them, the sitcom was a winner.

Haley And Phil’s On-Screen Connection

After the creators hired Sarah Hyland and Ty Burrell as Haley and Phil Dunphy, they did a screen test at Steven Levitan’s home. The studio had been worried about casting Burrell in an earlier project for Levitan because he wasn't a big name. He'd been a stage actor in New York and had come to Los Angeles for a project, but decided to stay for pilot season. By the time Levitan and Lloyd wrote the pilot for Modern Family, they had Burrell in mind for Phil, but weren't sure if the network would let them hire him.

According to EW, the on-camera test that Levitan and Lloyd set up was like a low-budget filming of the pilot. The scenes that Burrell filmed allowed him to really play the character like he would in the sitcom instead of on stage in an audition room. The connection between Burrell and Hyland was strong and their chemistry allowed network executives and producers to see why Burrell and Hyland were perfect for the roles. Burrell did such a good job of portraying Phil's funny Phil'sosophies on Modern Family that he became everyone's favorite TV dad.

There's A Cosmic Twist To An Episode In Season 4

In the pilot episode, Haley tells Phil and Claire that her new boyfriend Dylan is coming over. The only problem was that Dylan was a senior while she was a freshman. As the over-protective and controlling mom, Claire had a huge issue with this and wanted to meet Dylan before welcoming him into their home. After the introductions were done, the two went up to Haley's bedroom.

Claire panicked and used Haley's laundry as an excuse to barge into her room and keep the door open. Funny enough, in season 4, Haley's story arc broadens when she has a mirroring moment when she felt the need to barge into Luke's room when he has a girl over for New Year's Eve. It's one of the many season 1 moments homaged later in the show.

The Dunphy And Pritchett Households Looked A Little Different In The Pilot

Diehard fans noticed something a little different in the Dunphy household after the Modern Family pilot episode. In every episode but the pilot, there's an office to the right of the door, next to the stairway. But in the pilot, there's a solid wall. Before Haley dated the likes of Andy, Dylan was the apple of Haley's eye and was walking up to her bedroom, where fans can clearly see the solid wall.

Another household that looks different is Jay and Gloria's. In their interview, the stairs are different and so is their living room furniture. After the pilot was released, the set design teams altered the homes to make them easier to work in regard to camera movement. Most pilots are filmed on location with sets only built for the show after the series is picked up.

A Camera Man Makes An Appearance

The pilot is one episode fans don't want to skip because it's a fun reminder of how much the family has changed over 11 seasons. It's also, however, an episode shot that's meant to sell the show to a network, and sometimes, mistakes don't get caught while editing the show to present it.

With Modern Family being shot in a mockumentary style, the families are constantly being followed around and filmed going about their normal lives. But just like every TV show, there are a few goofs throughout the series. In the pilot, there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it-moment where viewers can catch a glimpse of a cameraman in the mirror next to the Dunphys' staircase. No one else in that scene was wearing what the man in the mirror was, proving he was someone behind the scenes.

Eagle-Eyed Viewers Noticed Which Airline Mitchell And Cam Were On

At the start, fans didn't know Mitch and Cam were a couple until Cam joined Mitchell on the plane. The couple was coming back from Vietnam after adopting their baby Lily. As an openly gay couple who just adopted a baby, Mitchell felt like people on the plane were judging them and making derogatory comments. He later stands up and gives a speech to the plane about love and acceptance, but it backfires because nobody was being homophobic in the first place.

During this scene, one fan tweeted that the markings on the plane appear to be for the airline WestJet, which the airline confirmed on Twitter. WestJet is an airline based in the US that flies around the world. In 2023, the only Asian destination on their website, however, is Japan.

The Show Was Almost Called My American Family

When writers pitched the pilot episode to NBC, the show was originally called My American Family, according to USA Today. This series was supposed to have a connection between the families and the camera crew. Documentary filmmaker Geert Floorjte was supposed to consider the Pritchett-Tucker-Dunphy-Delgado extended family his own "American family," hence the title.

However, as development went on, that documentary filmmaker was scrapped and the title was changed to Modern Family. Modern Family never revealed who was filming the family as a result. The personalities and relationships between the characters are what made the show such a standout success, so it was right to keep the focus on them, and Modern Family as a title reflects that as well.