How The Modern Family Women Totally Transformed Their Looks With Their Hair Styles

Way back in 2009, when "Modern Family" premiered for the first time, there was no way for the ensemble cast to predict how dramatically the sitcom would transform all of their lives. For 11 seasons, the beloved, quirky characters graced millions of television screens, leading the show to Emmy after Emmy before ultimately wrapping up in 2020. Aside from the impressive cash the "Modern Family" cast made per episode, the actors became household names, with many going on to continue their impressive careers after the show's finale.

In particular, the "Modern Family" women became very recognized for their on-screen personas, including their characters' signature looks. So, anytime Julie Bowen with her blond bob, Ariel Winter's dark locks, Sofía Vergara and her gorgeous brown waves, Sarah Hyland's straight hair, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons' curls, or Elizabeth Banks' iconic blond style changed in any way, the world was quick to notice. Needless to say, the actors have experimented their aesthetics a number of times over the years, be it with a different haircut or fun, new color. Here are the many eye-catching times that the women of "Modern Family" totally transformed their looks with their hair styles, leaving us all in awe.

"Happy Gilmore" is a beloved classic. Whether you just recently rewatched it ahead of the sequel's release or haven't seen it in a long time, it's easy to miss a certain up-and-coming "Modern Family" star's appearance in the movie. Julie Bowen had only been acting for a few years when she landed the role of Virginia, Adam Sandler's character's love interest in the film. Looking back, though, it's easy to see why many viewers would have missed her, seeing as how her hair was styled in an uncharacteristic '90s bixie (the combination between a bob and a pixie cut).

During a conversation with Us Weekly back in April 2018, Bowen discussed what life was like with her three sons after filing for divorce. The "Modern Family" star explained that they've been keeping her busy, stating, "They're like a crash course in being in the now." Despite the tough time she was going through, it seemed her main concern of late had been keeping her kids from discovering her role in the Sandler flick. "The other day one of them was like, 'Can we watch Happy Gilmore?'" she remarked, adding that she had immediately shut down the suggestion. "It's my hair that I'm most afraid of them seeing, not me in lingerie making out with strangers," Bowen quipped. "It's the hair. I don't want them to be traumatized by my hair."

Before Sofía Vergara made her way to the United States in the late '90s, she was a successful model in her native Colombia. She maneuvered into acting, eventually relocating to Miami where she struggled to land a big-time role. According to Vergara during her conversation with People in January 2024, it had a lot to do with her hair, as the natural blond was still sporting lighter locks at the time.

"The way that I looked was not the way that Hollywood really saw Latina women. They were expecting a more dark-haired woman." the "Modern Family" star revealed. "It was difficult because they were a little confused, like, 'This woman sounds like a Latin woman but she's blonde.'" Of course, having seen Vergara portray Gloria Delgado-Pritchett for the first three seasons as a brunette, it's obvious what she did next. "I made the decision to change my hair color to dark, and that's how I started working," she said, noting that, despite it being a "hard decision," it was ultimately "worth the risk," because she landed "Modern Family" shortly after.

Eventually, a few years into landing her big break on the sitcom, Vergara decided to go back to her natural hue. "I thought, 'Maybe now that everybody knows Gloria is Latin and they know me, I could go back to my more natural hair color,'" the actor explained. "So I did little by little and it was fine."

Those aware of Ariel Winter's traumatic childhood story know she's a prime example of the tragic details that have impacted the cast of "Modern Family." Sadly, having been entered into the entertainment industry by her mother at just 4 years old, the actor rarely got to make many decisions for herself. "I love what I do, but I don't know if it's a choice I would have made on my own," Winter explained to People (via Seventeen) in January 2016. It also sounds like she probably wouldn't have chosen to begin dyeing her hair black when she was 7 years old, but evidently, she was told that the hair color change would boost her career.

Winter was just 11 when she landed her role as Alex Dunphy in "Modern Family." Unlike her on-screen counterpart Sarah Hyland, Winter's character rarely experimented with her hair, meaning she spent the remainder of her childhood and the beginning of her adult years hiding her natural hair. "People never guess, but my natural hair color is dirty blonde," she told People in July 2019. "I've dyed it so many times in the past so really the most important thing for me with my hair now is trying to keep my hair healthy." Understandably, when the sitcom finally ended, Winter was eager to finally be allowed to change things up from the ultra-dark shade it had been for over a decade.

Out of all the "Modern Family" women, Sarah Hyland probably got to experiment with her hair the most while filming the show as Haley Dunphy. She went from long, brunette waves to blond highlights and even sported a bob for a while. However, for the majority of the show, Hyland wore extensions to hide hair loss caused by her endometriosis and lifelong battle with kidney dysplasia. "With medications and stuff, it can make your hair fall out," the actor told Refinery29 in April 2019. "So I had extensions put in for Haley to hide any of that loss."

After Hyland left "Modern Family," she found that her hair had taken on a very different texture. Despite having curly hair from a young age, "My hair that's growing back now is much curlier than what it used to be," she remarked. "It's like I'm four years old now, I guess." Hyland revealed that she's struggled to learn how to style her curls, but has fortunately found a few products that help. In a September 2020 Instagram post, the "Modern Family" star shared a hilarious snap of her ultra-frizzy hair, writing, "Rubeus Hagrid's daughter. This is what happens when you brush #curlyhair." Dozens of comments echoed that they, too, have dealt with the same issue. Hyland still experiments with her hair, often changing its color, cut, or style, but fans seem to be especially in love with her curly locks.

We knew Julie Bowen as a blond long before "Modern Family," and in subsequent projects like "Totally Killer" and "Happy Gilmore 2," she's continued to appear as a blond. While she's dabbled in varying styles, from shoulder-length tresses to her signature wavy bob, it seems like Bowen is a real-life Claire Dunphy, often opting for a natural look. However, there was one point where the "Modern Family" star ventured away from her iconic look that left fans gushing over her new aesthetic.

"Hair is brown for a job," Bowen informed her followers in a February 2021 Instagram selfie, alongside one of her sons. "Gus is still a cute blonde." In the picture, the actor's hair was straightened and shoulder-length, but several shades darker than usual. The job in question was a role as a young grandma in Netflix's "Mixtape," which gave Bowen a chance to branch out from her "Modern Family" role in more ways than one.

In a December 2021 interview with The Momma Diaries, she explained, "I had the good fortune to play one character for 11 years, and I do love Claire Dunphy. ... [But] it's been a long time since I got to do something really different." When Bowen initially wanted to become an actor, it was because she wanted to explore a wide range of roles, and this project allowed her to do so — and this time, as a brunette.

With so many members of the cast changing up their looks over the years, it's been interesting to see what the "Modern Family" women look like with their natural hair colors, compared to their more experimental ones. For instance, Sarah Hyland donned a couple colors during her tenure on the sitcom, including deep brown tresses and blond highlights. However, she likely wouldn't have gotten the go-ahead from the showrunners to do something dramatic with her hair like, say, a brilliant red. Perhaps that's why Hyland waited until "Modern Family" ended to become a fiery redhead.

In February 2021, the actor showed off her colorful transformation in an Instagram post. In the photos, she wore a vibrant red dress at the Golden Globes, which perfectly paired with her locks and the red carpet beneath her. A few months later, Hyland shared an Instagram update on her red mane, this time showing it off with curls and some extra length. "Ok. Stay with me. Merida dressed up as Tarzan," she captioned the post.

"I used Russian virgin curly extensions using microbeaded individuals, which is a non-damaging technique using no heat or glue," hairstylist Violet Teriti, who was responsible for the actor's style, shared with Allure in June 2021. "It can stay in her hair for up to three months, she can wear her hair up easily, she can wash and leave it air-dried, and it will curl exactly as the hair is naturally."

Many have wondered what happened to Ariel Winter after "Modern Family" ended, with the child star stepping away from Los Angeles following the sitcom's finale. As it turns out, she's been having a blast experimenting with a range of new looks. After appearing on television for over a decade as a dark-haired Dunphy, it's hard to picture Winter with anything but dark waves, but she's been trying out some vibrant hues over the years.

It took Tabitha Dueñas, Nine Zero One master stylist, seven hours to transform the actor's dark locks into a stunning strawberry blond color. "With 'Modern Family's long run ending, Ariel is finally free to have the hair color she wants," Dueñas told People in February 2020. "She wanted to strip out the black and go back to her strawberry golden blonde look we had done previously when she was on break from filming. She said she never wants to go back to black again."

Over the course of four years, Winter had also tried out platinum blond, a pale pink, and a vibrant orange-red before eventually returning to her darker roots. In her first Instagram post showcasing the return of her dark hair in July 2024, her followers were ecstatic about the actor's transformation. "Yay the black hair is back! It totally suits you so much and brings back that Alex look," one fan commented.

After spending practically her entire childhood in front of the cameras on "Modern Family" as Lily Tucker-Pritchett, it's official: Aubrey Anderson-Emmons has grown up. And, undoubtedly, she has been enjoying her teenage years in total freedom. While the child star has continued acting, she's also delved into making music, with her catchy debut single "Don't Forget Me" dropping in June 2025.

In addition to her creative pursuits on screen and musically, Anderson-Emmons has also expressed herself by changing up her hair. In an October 2022 Instagram post, the "Modern Family" star debuted her new two-toned hair, with her hair split between blond and brunette. "The split dye is GIVING," one follower commented. In a second post shared the following month, Anderson-Emmons' fans wondered if her hair dye was inspired by pop star Melanie Martinez, while others lovingly compared the look to Cruella de Vil's iconic hairstyle. It was quite the departure from the style fans were used to seeing on her while she was on "Modern Family," but she pulled it off. Anderson-Emmons has since reverted back to her natural color, but not before trying out a handful of other looks, like highlights, a red hue, and fun, shorter cuts.

If there's one thing Sofía Vergara has kept consistent, even after leaving "Modern Family," it's her gorgeous, voluminous locks. She's dyed it over the years, but it's remained long and totally enviable for decades. That is, until Vergara took on a role that required the star to dramatically tone down her signature glamor: Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco in the Netflix series "Griselda." It was a welcome departure from the role she had played on television for over a decade.

According to production notes provided to Business Insider in January 2024, it took a decent amount of work to transform the "Modern Family" star. "Getting the look correct was very important to me because I needed to disappear," Vergara said. "I wanted no one to think of me or my last role as Gloria Pritchett. I wanted to get inside Griselda's head and really understand her mentality, where she was coming from." This meant a prosthetic nose, yellowed teeth, and short, curly, very flat hair were needed to give her the right look while masking some of her signature features.

Netflix shared a first look at Vergara as Blanco on X in January 2022, and fans couldn't believe it was her. "Did not recognize her at all!" one person commented. "Wow! It's a totally different Gloria," another added. This proved that even an actor as beautiful and iconic as Vergara can completely transform their look with a different hairstyle — and maybe a couple prosthetics, too.

Even though she only appeared in seven episodes, Elizabeth Banks as Cam and Mitchell's friend Sal on "Modern Family" is truly iconic. Her blond waves she wore on the show were just as classic, giving off cool-girl vibes. According to the movie star, she never repeats herself, as she told Allure in May 2015, "I have a friend who once said to me, 'I've known you for eight years, and I've never seen you wear the same hairstyle twice,' and he's not wrong. It's because my hair is all over the map." Banks explained that her hair used to be "super curly," but now that she dyes it and lives in a dry area, it's lost some of its natural texture.

It seems to be true that we rarely see the "Love & Mercy" star showcase the same hairstyle twice. In February 2024, Banks attended the Film Independent Spirit Awards in a vibrant red dress, sunglasses, and a new look. "Bangs. Fringe. What have you," she captioned her Instagram post at the time, showing off the face-framing cut that was certainly a new look for her. Banks' followers seemed to love her transformation, with one commenting, "Now that's a sexy haircut." Several others enthused that the bangs were a good look for the actor, but we've sadly yet to see the hairstyle make a reappearance, and based on Banks' own admission, we likely won't see it again.