While Hollywood holds undeniable allure, some stars ultimately choose peace and privacy over the spotlight. Ty Burrell, best known for playing the lovable Phil Dunphy on “Modern Family,” found peace far from the bright lights of Hollywood. After the hit series wrapped in 2020, Burrell and his wife, Holly, packed up their lives in Los Angeles and relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, to raise their two daughters.
Ty Says He Has ‘No Regrets’
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios )“It’s just been spectacular,” the Emmy winner told People. “We moved here right after [‘Modern Family’] ended, and I don’t have any regrets. It’s been lovely and a great place to raise the kids.”
Although he admits he’s “itching” to return to acting on screen, Burrell said voiceover work has allowed him to enjoy more time with his family—and the outdoors.
(Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images)“My parents weren’t really those kinds of people,” he said. “So at first, when we moved here, it almost felt like cosplay, like we were pretending to be people who were outdoorsy, and now we really truly love it.”
Ty’s On-screen Daughter Ariel Winter Opens Up About Leaving Hollywood
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)Burrell isn’t the only star who traded Hollywood hustle for peace of mind. His co-star Ariel Winter also walked away from the limelight after enduring years of body shaming.
“It was just everywhere,” she told People. “It was every headline I read about myself, like, grown people writing articles about me saying how I looked terrible or pregnant or like a fat s—. I mean, I was 14. It totally damaged my self-esteem.”
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Spotify)“I understood what it was like to be hated,” she added. “No matter what I was going through, I was a target. It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, ‘I love this version of me.’”
Winter’s childhood was further complicated by alleged abuse from her mother, claims her mother has denied. At 14, she was removed from her home and placed under the custody of her sister, Shanelle Gray. “I went on to have a great rest of my teenage years thanks to being under her custody,” she shared.
Eric Stonestreet Found ‘Realness’ Back Home in Kansas City
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Eric Stonestreet, who played the lovable and dramatic Cameron Tucker, also made a big move after “Modern Family.”
The actor left Los Angeles and returned to Kansas City, his hometown, where he says life feels more authentic.
“What I realized it does is it highlights everything great about our business, the entertainment business,” he told “In Depth with Graham Bensinger.” “And it highlights all the douchebaggery of our business. It amplifies it.”
“Then I go to Hollywood … and you’re reminded of some of the types of people that you deal with,” he added. “I’m here, I’m dealing with people from here … I’m going into the store and having all these authentic, real moments.”
While Hollywood helped launch their careers, these “Modern Family” stars found something even more valuable after the credits rolled: a simpler life, a closer family, and the peace to just be themselves.
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Why Emmy-Winning ‘Modern Family’ Star Left Hollywood for New Life