Modern Family ended its run after 11 successful seasons. The showconsistently brought the laughs all the way until the end. The sitcom was about, well, amodern family, that includes an extended family that better represents what family units look like today versus the antiquated concept ofthe "nuclear family."
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Patriarch Jay is married to his second, much younger wife Gloria, and they live with her son from a previous marriage, Manny, and their new son, Joe, whom Jayfathered late in life. Then there's Jay's daughter Claire, her goofy husband Phil, and their three kids. Jay's son Mitchell has his husband Cameron, and their adopted kids Lily and Rexford. While all of the characters in the ensemble cast make the show as funny as it is, they each stand out for different reasons. So, which one is the most likable?
Updated on June 3rd, 2021, by Lynn Gibbs:It's been a year since ABC'sModern Family wrapped up, closing the stories of the Delgado-Pritchetts, Dunphys, and Tucker-Pritchetts. Since the show's ending, fans were hoping for a spinoff of sorts, hopefully following the new lives of the Tucker-Pritchett family as they ventured to the Midwest from Los Angeles. As fans wait hopefully, rewatching the series on streaming services is the best way to become reacquainted with the characters. During each rewatch, different characters stand out in ways they didn't before, some more likable than the last. Despite each character's downfalls or flaws, they each have their endearing moments. Even the most obnoxious character makes it hard to loathe them entirely because of their sweet moments. Nevertheless, Modern Family has some of the best characters on TV.
Haley Dunphy
Haley Dunphywas a typical self-absorbed, rebellious teenager who grew up to become, well, a self-absorbed young adult. The aimless, ditzy party girl, Haley struggled to find her footing in life. And she was totally obsessed with herself.
Sure, she had some shining moments, and as much as she mocked her sister Alex, she truly loved her. Haleyalso changed somewhat once she found a steady job and became a mom. But she was still the least likable of the bunch.
Mitchell Pritchett
Mitchell was uptight, insecure, and seemingly always wound up about something. He needed Cam to ground him or he might have simply spun himself into a tizzy half the time.
He also had a chip on his shoulder thanks to his father being absent for much of his childhood and initially not accepting his sexuality. A seemingly successful lawyer,Mitchell sometimes seemed out of his league at work.Nevertheless, Mitchell had hislovable moments as a dedicated father, partner, and brother.
Luke Dunphy
While Luke was a sweet boy who grew into a young man over the course of the show, there was little substance to the character. He was the youngest Dunphy child and the one Claire and Phil felt would never amount to anything, which is pretty sad.
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He was more interested in pulling pranksand being a mischievous kidthan studying at school. By season 11, Luke got his act together and was leaving the nest for the University of Oregon. It would have been nice for fans to see the new, more mature Luke but because they never did, his lack of substance made him unlikeable at times.
Manny Delgado
Sometimes, Manny could be downright insufferable. Jay could only take so much of him.Manny was arguably smarter than a lot of the rest of the family but also had his quirks. He never was much of a kid and always acted like a middle-aged man (which was what Jay appreciated the most about him).
Manny got more annoying as he got older and became obsessed with theater and his ex-girlfriend. And while he had his redeeming moments, he was never really a typical kid.
Alex Dunphy
Sure, Alex was snarky and had a holier-than-thou attitude because she was smarter than everyone in the family. (Yes, her parents included.) But there was something likable about Alex. She was the ultra-smartgirl and middle child who lived in the shadow of her popular, attractive older sister and her attention-seeking younger brother, so she rarely got noticed because she was able to hack it on her own.
She lived for sarcasm and often made fun of her entire family — even if none of them ever got the jokes. But as she got older, Alex came into her own and became far more confident in herself (and more likable).
Jay Pritchett
A surly older man, Jay was essentially starting over with a new family after working himself to the bone as a young father and thus never being around his kids. Now retired, he has an attractive younger wife, a new son, a stepson, and grandkids who visited all the time.
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WhenJay really just wanted to go play golf with his friends or relax in front of the TV watching football with a glass of scotch, he had to deal with his crazy family. But there was something endearing about Jay, despite the fact that he acted constantly annoyed. He would do anything for his family and missed them when they weren't around.
Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
A fierce woman who is proud of her Colombian heritage and wasn't born with a silver spoon, Gloria didn't take crap from anyone. And while she initially appeared like a stereotypical gold digger, it turned out she was anything but and really did love Jay and his family.
She kept him in check, smothered Manny, and was there for the family whenever they needed her. Her blunt and stubborn attitude made her a force to be reckoned with— and a hilarious addition to the show.
Cameron Tucker
Cam was overly dramatic, super emotional, and so focused on what other people thought of him.But he was hilarious and fun to be around. He would be the friend viewers would want to hang out with, though he would also be the one most likely to talk behind someone's back.
But Camalso helped Mitchell see the lighter side of situations and let loose a bit. And while some may say his flamboyance is a stereotype, he was not afraid to put on a pair of overalls and milk a cow— and had a deep passion for football.
Claire Dunphy
While she was just as uptight and wound up as her younger brother, Claire was also the glue that held the family together. Giving up her career options to start a family after she got pregnant in college, she ran the Dunphy household like a business.
But Claire also made time for herself, doing yoga, drinking wine, and finally taking over her father's business for a short period of time once the kids were grown. She was a strong female who tried to do it all. By season 11, she left the family business and was branching out with a new company as a passion project.
Phil Dunphy
Phil was hands-down the best character on the show and also the most likable. He was goofy and cheesy, told the lamest dad jokes, loved magic, embarrassed his kids at every turn, and made Jay roll his eyes constantly at his daughter's choice in a husband.
But the kids secretly loved that their dad was so lame, and deep down, Jay knew that Claire picked a good man. Phil knew how to make every situation fun and light-hearted. And his constant unintended double entendreswere too hilarious for words. RankingModern Family characters seems hard to do, but Phil will always come out on top.
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