From what little I’ve seen of Modern Family actress Julie Bowen, 41, she’s completely won me over. On the George Lopez show earlier this year, she showed a photo of her now 18 month-old twins, John and Gus, breastfeeding as newborns. It took a lot of gumption to share that photo, and I found it really sweet. She also told a story about having to borrow a babywipe from another mother when her three year old needed to poop in the woods. Bowen will poke fun at herself, and she’s quick witted.
People has a new interview with Bowen, in which she makes it perfectly clear that she’s not expanding her family beyond the three boys she already has:
With three sons — Oliver, 3½, as well as twins John and Gus, 18 months — and a television family that seems to keep her in a constant state of exasperation, it comes as no surprise that the Emmy-nominated actress was compelled to draw a line in the sand.
What is surprising is just how harsh that line is.
“Oh God, no! No more children,” Bowen, 41, deadpans to PEOPLE at the March of Dimes Fifth Annual Celebration of Babies.
“Seriously, I gave my husband [Scott Phillips] a vasectomy with a rusty fork — it’s done.”
Corroded utensils and veiled threats aside, Bowen has come to terms with her transformation into a full-fledged matriarch.
“I’m late to everything whereas I used to be on time to everything,” the Modern Family star says with a sigh. “But now I am late and unwashed. Thank God for perfume and hairspray.”
At the very least, the little ones at home play an integral role in the actress’ unflinchingly honest assessment of her fitness regimen.
“I lift children for the upper body,” Bowen explains. “I run for the lower body, and for the middle I wear Spanx. That’s it — that’s my three-part system.”
[From People]
She’s being modest about her fitness as she’s incredibly buff. Running will probably do that for you, though, and it’s not like she’s claiming that she only “runs after her kids.” I’m not a huge Modern Family fan as I’ve tried to watch it mid-season and couldn’t get into it. It’s a very popular show though and Kaiser loves it. Are any of you fans and is Bowen as great on screen as she seems in interviews?
Photos are from 10/13, 11/7 and 11/13. Credit: WENN.com
Modern Family is the BEST show on TV!!! It’s hilarious!!!
She is awesome! Saw her on Conan and she was incredibly sweet and modest. She was making fun of her twins, and it was just so obvious as to what a great mom she is! LOVE her!
if she needs spanx then i need to eat more and become fatter…no wonder why young girls starve themselves, its because of twits that use statements like that.
Love that “rusty fork” line! I haven’t watched Modern Family, but if I’m not mistaken, she also played Jack’s former wife on early season(s) of Lost.
“I lift children for the upper body,” Bowen explains. “I run for the lower body, and for the middle I wear Spanx. That’s it — that’s my three-part system.”
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LOL That makes me laugh. That was cute. I don’t watch any shows on ABC and CBS so I couldn’t tell you if its a good show or not.
We love Modern Family! We love all the characters! the show is histerical and is a refreshing break from all the reality tv out there. Thank you ABC for putting out good shows.
I think she’s great on Modern Family. Modern Family and the Middle are the only shows I watch on Wednesday. Hysterical.
Loved her in “Ed”, love her on Modern Family. She seems authentic, smart, and anyone affiliated with that show knows how good they’ve got it, and seem to value that. As to the Spanx thing, how is that a bad comment? Love the honesty!
She is awesome
Love Modern Family, it’s the funniest show on TV right now! And of course Julie Bowen is so awesome — she’s from Baltimore!
i fucking LOVE her and the show
madonna, take note THAT is how you stay fit without looking like a vascular freakshow!!
She and Modern Family are great!
She runs every morning- her costar Sofia Vergara told a story about she decided that she would start exercising with Julie Bowen until she found out that Julie runs several miles really early every morning, and she was like, “Not going to happen.”
CB, you are probably right about the reasons you do not like the show as much. The past couple of weeks I have tried to watch Community because you have written so highly of it and I do love Joel McHale. But I cannot get into it at all. I will watch about 10 minutes and then have to turn it. I think it is because I haven’t seen it from the beginning. I love love love Modern Family though. It is as funny as Will and Grace I think.
BEST SHOW EVER!! its hilarious
I wish she would stop messing with her face. She is starting to look like Nicole Kidman…..
Love Modern Family! There are lines and scenes when the husband and I look at each other
and say, “it’s like they’re secretly filming us for material!”. But that’s the beauty of the show: everyone can relate in some way.
And Julie is major buff. She may have used spanx in the days post-babies but she sure doesn’t now. But from what I’ve seen she’s
super funny and self deprecating so I’d take most of what she says with a grain of salt. But love her, love the show!
“Are any of you fans and is Bowen as great on screen as she seems in interviews? ”
@Celebitchy Yes, yes she is. My favorite part of Modern Family is the amazing cast. There isn’t a weak link. The writing last season was top notch and IMHO it’s slipped a little this year. But the cast is still amazing. Julie Bowen’s comedic chops are fantastic. She doesn’t get the showy stuff as much on that show but she really brings dimension to the harried housewife/mom stereotype.
Her interview with Conan from last week was so bizarre. I don’t know if she mainlines caffeine or cocaine, but she was spinning like a top. She was shocking the whole gang there with her talk about her “smart” twin and “fat” twin stories. It was pretty funny.
Modern Family is hilarious. I started watching it because since it beat Glee for the “Best Comedy” Emmy, and I think Glee is hilarious, I figured it must be damn funny, which it is. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite character, they’re all so funny.
I think she is very much like her character on Modern Family. Other shows I’ve seen her in and a couple of talk shows she always seems the same as her character.
Best show on television. However (and I know people are going to be up my ASS for this) while she may be very fit and healthy, her figure is AWFUL.
i LOVE that silver blouse she is wearing with the black skirt. but i agree that her figure is kind of meh. too masculine, IMO.
@Sandy – I think CB actually was asking because she said she doesn’t watch the show, not to prompt discussion.
It’s the the best cast show on tv right now and so well written. Love it. i was in AU earlier this month and they love it there too, so it really has a wide appeal.
@Kbomb: I kind of agree. She looks haggard when she doesn’t have makeup on and I think a little extra weight would help with that.
I love her and I love Modern Family too. She seems so real and its very refreshing.
And Riley, I DID watch Community from the beginning as I am a big Joel McHale fan. I got through 1.5 episodes before I decided I wasn’t going to watch anymore. Just not funny to me.
I watched Community in the beginning but also could not get into it. Love Modern Family, The Good Wife, Parenthood, Vampire Diaries and some others.
Thanks for the recommendations, I will give Modern Family a chance!
@Riley – Maybe I can find earlier episodes and start from the beginning as that might help me get into it more and get to know the characters. It does seem fun. Community can be a lot to take in at first as it’s very fast paced. It takes getting used to.
She is very funny, as is the show but she totally needs to put on weight. Far too thin (and that’s on camera, imagine her in person) There was an episode in Hawaii were she was in a bikini and her chest/collarbone area looked emanciated.
For the above poster who abandonned community after 1.5 viewings — try again. It’s a show that grows on you and it has become my favorite of the Thursday night lineup.
She is super pretty and hilarious. I don’t think her face looks jacked at all! Perhaps she’s super thin, but I don’t get the impression that she has some kind of disorder…a lot of runners out there end up with that kind of physique. I LOVE her.
I didn’t read the previous comments so forgive me if I repeat, but if there’s ever a show to give a second chance, Celebitchy – it’s Modern Family. I love it. Maybe starting from the beginning would help you get into it? It’s a great ensemble comedy, and Bowen is great on it. She was also fun/funny on Boston Legal and Ed. I enjoy her work.
I dont’ watch the show but I don’t find the picture offensive, it’s cute.
I like her and think she’s smart and funny, but agree she should put on some weight. Also – a vasectomy? I assumed that since she had twins she had IVF or fertility drugs or something. Thus, no vasectomy required.
“I’m late to everything whereas I used to be on time to everything,” the Modern Family star says with a sigh. “But now I am late and unwashed. Thank God for perfume and hairspray.”
Story of my life.
She is a great interview, lots of fun. No-one has her body without a fairly strict diet and regular exercise. But she’s not shoving it down our throats by going into detail or denying anything.
She’s so full of shit… look at how muscular her upper body is… why dispense such nonesense??
Loved her in interviews, hated her on Lost (SO.MUCH). Condundrum…
She is frickin’ awesome.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Modern Family, would highly recommend it to anyone. The whole cast and the writing are perfection.
She is REALLY skinny, I notice it during the show all the time. But agree it’s not gristly like Madonna’s, just very lean. She must run a lot. In dresses and stuff she looks good, but in jeans and casual clothes she has a sort of boyish figure.
I’d also recommend trying to watch the full first season of Community – it took a few episodes to get into its groove, and once it did, it’s hilarious too.
Modern Family is AWESOME. Phil Dumphy is one of the best characters ever. And I’ve seen Bowen do interviews and she’s hilarious! Def. won me over.