‘Modern Family’ Cast Says Goodbye: What Did You Think of the Series Finale?

Modern Family Cast Says Goodbye Series Finale
Finale
ABC/Eric McCandless

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the series finale of Modern Family.]

Just as fans had to say goodbye to the Dunphy-Pritchetts, the family had to say goodbye to each other in the one-hour series finale of Modern Family.

By the end of it, many were moving on (or at least out). Phil and Claire were planning a road trip in the RV. Alex was heading off to Switzerland for a job opportunity. Haley, Dylan, and the twins were moving into a new place. Luke was going to college. Mitch and Cam had moved their family to a new place, only for Cam to get his dream job, so they were leaving again (eventually, after some delays). Jay learned Spanish for Gloria and was going to Colombia with her for the summer. But there was a porch light left on at the end because people would always come home.

What did you think of the final episode of the ABC comedy? Vote in the poll below.

On the day of the series finale, the cast paid tribute to the show, its fans, and each other on social media with heartfelt messages, sharing behind-the-scenes photos and screenshots of their Zoom chat for the event. “Thank you to my fake family,” Julie Bowen wrote alongside the latter. “I love you.”

 

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Thank you to my fake family. I love you.

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Several members of the cast posted a series of photos of everyone over the years alongside their farewells. Sofia Vergara shared love for her on and off-screen family, while Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter penned long messages in the captions alongside theirs.

 

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My family on and off screen forever 💞 What an amazing 11 years! So thankful for this family, the crew and all of our #modernfamily fans 🙏🏽 Tune in tonight to see how it all ends 📺 8|7c #modernfamilyfinale

A post shared by Sofia Vergara (@sofiavergara) on

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. To put it in Bachelor terms, I’ve had an incredible journey with this show,” Hyland wrote. “Our cast and crew were always phenomenal and we very quickly grew to be a real life #modernfamily I will miss these people tremendously but am so grateful I was lucky enough to work with them.”

 

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Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. To put it in Bachelor terms, I’ve had an incredible journey with this show. Our cast and crew were always phenomenal and we very quickly grew to be a real life #modernfamily I will miss these people tremendously but am so grateful I was lucky enough to work with them. So get your tissues ready… The end of 11 years with @abcmodernfam airs tonight on @abcnetwork 8/7c pm. Thank you all for being there every step of the way. We love you 💕

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“We are all so grateful for the love we’ve received over the course of this 11 year journey. To know our fans love our family just as much as we do is the most amazing gift,” Winter shared before paying tribute to the series’ crew. “They are a HUGE, insanely important part of our Modern Family. Even though you only see us on your screens, we have just as wonderful people working behind the camera that I will miss seeing all the time.”

 

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It’s been an amazing journey with my #ModernFamily ❤️ It’s hard to type this because it still doesn’t feel real…our 2 hour series finale event is tomorrow night at 8/7c on @abcnetwork @abcmodernfam 🥺 We are all so grateful for the love we’ve received over the course of this 11 year journey. To know our fans love our family just as much as we do is the most amazing gift. Also…WE HAVE/HAD🥺THE BEST CREW IN THE WORLD. They are a HUGE, insanely important part of our Modern Family ❤️ Even though you only see us on your screens, we have just as wonderful people working behind the camera that I will miss seeing all the time. We have been so lucky. ❤️ #ModernFamily #SeriesFinale

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“Just like that, it’s over. 11 years of my life spent with these beautiful souls. You all have played such a huge part in the forming of my being. I will never forget. I’m definitely gonna miss this,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson wrote alongside a photo of his onscreen family. “To the fans, Thank you for standing with us through it all. We owe it all to you.”

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just like that, it’s over. 11 years of my life spent with these beautiful souls. you all have played such a huge part in the forming of my being. I will never forget. I’m definitely gonna miss this. To the fans, Thank you for standing with us through it all. We owe it all to you. #ModernFamilyFinale

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Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, and Rico Rodriguez all looked back on the beginning of the show as well, sharing photos from the early days and joining the cast.

 

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This is a companion photo to the last post. My first days as Mitch.

A post shared by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler) on

 

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I’ve posted this picture before, but it’s important to me and it’s an important moment in my life. I took it right before I walked out the door to go to my final test for Modern Family 11 years ago. I had been an actor for 12 years before this moment. I wish I remembered why exactly I decided to take it, but my best guess is because I knew my life could forever change once I stepped out my front door that day. I’ve looked at it 1000 times. And what I see in it is: hope, fear, and determination. Hope-that I would get the job. Fear-that like so many other times before, I wouldn’t. And determination-to go in and do the best job I could and deliver the performance I knew I was capable of delivering. I’m a bundle of nerves when I look at this picture. The moment must’ve felt so big. Why else would I have taken it? Tonight is the final episode of Modern Family. I just want to thank ABC, FOX studios, and Steve and Chris for giving me the opportunity to play this character for the last 11 years. I wanna thank Steve, my manager. I wanna thank you all and everyone for watching us for the last 11 years. I wanna thank my friends and family for being supportive of my career for the 12 years before this picture and for being with me on the ride after. I want to thank our great writers and our awesome crew for all their hard work, @jessetyler for being the best scene partner a guy could ask for, and of course Lindsay. But mostly, I want to say thanks to my parents. They allowed me to be me as a kid and always encouraged me to dream big and to follow my dreams. They never thought I was a ‘weird’ kid. (I hate that word. It’s a lazy word.) They set me up for this moment and I knew, because of the previous 12 years, they had my back no matter the outcome. Look, if you’re an actor or someone who has big giant dreams, I’m your proof that with hard work, persistence, preparation, an unwavering belief in your talent and ability, some luck, and the capacity to let your hope and determination conquer your fear, you too can live out your wildest dreams. I hope you all enjoy the finale and have a good laugh and a good cry watching it, because we all sure did making it. 😘

A post shared by Eric Stonestreet (@ericstonestreet) on

 

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When I was 9 years old, I started work on a pilot called “My American Family”. As an actor, you go through a long process for a job. Class after class, audition after audition, just hoping to get that right opportunity in front of the right casting director so you can show them your skills. Filming the pilot, then all of season one of what we now know as “Modern Family”, I knew we were working on something special. I could feel it. Coming to work every day with my cast and crew never actually felt like work, it felt more like hanging out with my extended family. 11 years later and here we are airing our final episodes tonight. Words cannot even begin to describe the life changing experience I have had on this show. I have, quite literally, grown up right before everyone’s eyes. Starting @abcmodernfam, Manny was someone who was very opposite to myself, but overtime our personalities have rubbed off on each other. Our fan base here and around the world is something I appreciate so much. A big reason why I loved working on this show, was the family atmosphere on and off the camera. We are showcasing something that will forever be relatable, family. When fans come up to me and say “can I hug you? I feel like you’re my son, or nephew, or cousin.” It makes me laugh, because that’s what our show’s true message has always been. Family. No matter what type of day you have, you can turn on the tv on Wednesday nights and get a laugh or two from your tv family. Thank you Chris Lloyd & @stevelevitan for creating Manny. Thank you @jeffgreenbergcd for believing I was the best choice. Thank you Jeff Morton for always keeping the ship sailing. Thank you to all of our writers for writing the funny, emotional & relatable moments, week after week. Thank you to ABC and 20th Century for this opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you to my Team Rodriguez for always believing in me. Thank you to my parents, my siblings, & all of my family & friends for always being by my side throughout my acting journey. But especially thank you to our fans, who have continued to watch our show for the past 11 seasons. I hope you all tune in tonight at 8/7c on ABC & celebrate with us one final time. ❤

A post shared by Rico Rodriguez (@starringrico) on

Several of the cast also shared emotional messages for their costars, including an overhead view of the family hugging (as seen in Stonestreet’s post). It’s a comedy, but much like the end of the series, many tears were shed.

 

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To my TV family. In 11 years there has been so much we have all been through individually and uniquely together. @brothersosborne is right. We ain’t getting out of this love alive. ❤️ you all. 📷by my gal Lindsay.

A post shared by Eric Stonestreet (@ericstonestreet) on

 

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11 years of laughs, tears, and love. Can’t believe it’s over. So much love for the best damn cast and crew in Hollywood who’ve made me who I am today. I wouldn’t be the same without you. What a journey it’s been. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and helped get me here. Thank you to my family and friends. I hope that our finale brought laughter and hope in these crazy times. I hope that you laughed, cried, and were able to escape for a bit. Remember that there’s nothing more important than the love we share for our fellow humans. You’ll always be part of our family. Thank you.

A post shared by Nolan Gould (@nolangould) on

 

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To the best TV family a guy could ever ask for- Jeremy, to be your TV big brother has been a joy. From the moment we met, we hit it off and you are so fun to work with. I love you lots buddy, and just like any big brother, I will always be here for you. I mean, where else am I going to learn all about Greek Mythology? Sofia, where do I even begin with you? I love you so much and it has been a huge pleasure to play your son. From day 1 we developed a great mother-son bond and that’s what made Manny & Gloria so believable, because the love and laughs we have with/for each other. Not to mention all of the face cheek pinches and playful slaps throughout the years. Thank you for always being you! & lastly to Mr. Ed O’Neil, 11 years ago, I had no idea who you were when we started the show, but now we couldn’t be any closer. Thank you for putting me under your wing and always being there to help me. You have always treated me with so much respect, even at 10 years old. I owe a lot of who I am, not only as an actor but as a man, to you. You will always be a huge inspiration to me. I love you Ed!

A post shared by Rico Rodriguez (@starringrico) on