Ranking Greatest 'Modern Family' Characters

by Aprille Hanson
In honor of “Modern Family” wrapping up its 11th and final season tonight, here is a ranking of all the main characters ... 

1. ​Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) 
In a fictional world of TV dads, Phil Dunphy is one of the best. He’s goofy, lovable and hilarious, whether he’s doing magic tricks, talking about his glory days of college cheerleading or wooing his wife with his alter-ego Clive Bixby. Ty Burrell’s slapstick physical comedy combined with his sweet demeanor as Phil really makes him the show’s best character. 

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2. Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) 
Mitchell Pritchett is very much the Andy Taylor to Cameron’s Barney Fife. He’s the straight man to Cameron’s over-the-top comedy and it’s perfection. I’m not sure there’s a character on TV that could really give a better eye roll than Mitchell. While Ty Burrell shines in full-body comedy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson kills with just his facial expressions. What may make his character even more iconic would be he’s never made into a gay caricature and that was so important for this show. 

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3. Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill) 
As the patriarch of this crazy family, Jay Pritchett, founder and CEO of Pritchett's Closets, could have easily been the no-fun dad. The writers did make him a crusty character, but with a lovable side, most notably with his evolving relationship with his stepson Manny. O’Neill is spot on comedy gold with lines like “That was my Vietnam. And I was in Vietnam,” after helping Mitchell build a castle for Lily. 

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4. ​Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vegara) 
While the show could have made Gloria into a gold digger, instead, she’s one of the toughest and funniest characters on the show. With her thick Columbian accent and stories about murder and all sorts of horrible things in her native country, there are some moments where it may cross into caricature territory. But what usually saves it is Sofia Vegara’s impeccable comedic timing and willingness to go over-the-top when necessary. 

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5. Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) 
Cameron Tucker has got to be the most unique character out of the bunch -- A gay farmboy raised in Missouri and former football star who went to clown school to learn how to perfect his clown persona Fizbo. He’s loud, loves to be dramatic and brings that intensity whether it’s dressing up Lily in various outfits for a photoshoot or pushing his football team to victory as a coach. The character has so many layers that Eric Stonestreet plays to perfection. 

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6. Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen)
When you have loud & lovable comedic actors like Vegara and Stonestreet, the subtle humor can be missed. Like siblings, Claire Dunphy mirrors brother Mitchell when it comes to hilarious expressions and dry wit. However, Julie Bowen also brings this physical humor to her character, which really makes her a triple threat. She’s a pretty typical mom but is never pigeonholed into a stereotype. When you can laugh hysterically at a character who is basically trying to be flirty with firefighters while her husband is writhing in pain from a kidney stone and forget that that’s actually awful, it means Bowen has done her job well. She played Claire strong and with a lot of heart. 

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7. ​Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland) 
The best out of all the child characters, it’s neat to watch Haley go from a party girl to a mother of twins. Despite her teenage angst relationship with her mother Claire, it’s cool how the show basically molded her into a young Claire, even marrying Dylan, who in terms of sweetness, is very similar to Phil. Sarah Hyland grew up with the role. 

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8. Alex Dunphy (Ariel Winter) 
In the midst of the chaos, Alex Dunphy was always the grounded one, the smart one. It made for great comedic moments in the middle of the outrageous moments from Haley and Luke. Ariel Winter’s humor is very much in the same vein as Jesse Tyler Ferguson. 

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​9. Lily Tucker-Pritchett (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) 
Aubrey Anderson-Emmons joined the “Modern Family” cast in season three as Lily Tucker-Pritchett, daughter of Mitch and Cam. Her ability to deliver lines with a dry humor makes her the perfect actress to have alongside Stonestreet and Ferguson. 

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10. ​Manny Delgado (Rico Rodriguez)
Manny Delgado can be a lot. He is a sensitive, poetic soul that can be the hilarious one and the perfect setup for one of Jay’s one liners. Rico Rodriguez, especially in his younger years, always played Manny with a lot of heart, which makes the times where he is a little much something to forgive. 

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11. ​Luke Dunphy (Nolan Gould) 
Luke Dunphy was that one character that just never really made too big of a mark compared to the other young characters. At the show’s beginning, he played the dumb boy persona well. As he got older, he was kind of slutty really. And it hasn’t always been funny, but more eye-roll inducing. He didn’t really have a standout moment. Not meant to bash Nolan Gould, but I’m not sure the role itself was super necessary, other than to have a good friendship for Manny.