The characters on Modern Family are hilarious and loving, but they’re also complex. These characters have a depth to them, which makes each character unique and special in their own way. And while each character is their own individual that sets them apart from others, there were a few parallels that popped up throughout the series’ 11 seasons.

Each character on Modern Family paralleled with another. Whether these similarities appeared in developmental paths or specific scenarios — each family member connected with from season 1 onward. And while it may not have been apparent on the first watch, they stand out during a rewatch.

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Luke And Phil Are The Same Characters In Two Bodies

Phil and Luke Dunphy’s connection is apparent from season 1. The father-son duo spent most of their time together creating inventions, practicing magic, and having fun with each other, however, they paralleled each other in more ways than their common interests.

Like Phil, Luke is also a free-thinker. Both characters think outside of the box and are easily influenced. Just like Phil when he was younger, Luke also had a hard time determining what he wanted to do with his life after high school. Phil didn’t find his love of real estate until Claire got pregnant, and Luke didn’t pursue higher education until he earned it himself. Both characters are incredibly goofy, but Luke and Phil have both upset each other over the years because of their common sensitivities.

Joe Was Becoming A Mini Jay

Jay is rough around the edges but he has a big heart that’s more noticeable as the series went on; there was nothing he wouldn’t have done for his family. When Gloria became pregnant with Joe, Jay was stunned because of his age but happy to have a do-over as a parent because he didn’t have the best father-son relationship with Mitchell.

As Joe grew, the parallels between the two were strong — Joe was a mini Jay. They both had a desire to win, their sarcastic sense of humor made others scratch their heads, and Jay had a hard time reprimanding Joe because he would have done similar things Joe would have done. If Modern Family showed Joe as an adult, there’s no denying that he’d be Jay 2.0.

Manny And Cam Had A Taste For The Finer Things In Life

Manny and Cameron were more alike than they realized. Both characters enjoyed football while also having feminine interests, which opened them up to criticism. Cam enjoyed cooking, fashion, and sports, while Manny loved poetry, romantic gestures, and style.

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Manny was wise beyond his years and could have given Cameron a few life lessons. Their main differences were that Cam wasn’t the greatest listener and spontaneously did things as long as he succeeded. Manny was the opposite and took his time before making decisions. However, their steps in youth paralleled the other.

Claire And Haley Had Identical Teenaged Years

Claire had her toxic moments as a mother. She was so passionate about being right and getting her kids in the right direction that she came off forceful. This personality trait made her butt heads with her eldest daughter, Haley.

As a teen, Claire snuck out of her house, dated boys that her parents thought were wrong for her, and found herself pregnant younger than she anticipated. Likewise, Haley was on the same path. Haley dated Dylan (whom Claire despised), she left family outings early for parties, and she too found herself with a surprise pregnancy. As much as Claire hates to admit, Haley had identical teenaged years to her.

Lily And Alex Were Outcasts

Both Lily and Alex had amazing transformations over the years. Alex grew from a loner who despised her sister into a brilliant and beautiful young woman who became best friends with her sister. Likewise, Alex’s cousin Lily grew from a sarcastic little girl to an incredibly bright young lady who felt like she didn’t fit in.

Both young women felt like they were the outcasts of the family. Lily didn’t think Claire liked her and Alex never felt like her family understood her. It would have been amazing to have more scenes of these two to showcase these parallels but they were non-existent as Lily grew.

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Phil And Dylan Were The Underdogs

Phil didn’t feel like an underdog as a father or realtor but he did feel like an underdog in his relationship. Phil never felt good enough for his father-in-law and always went above and beyond for his wife (and her family) to approve of him.

Likewise, Haley’s boyfriend and future-husband Dylan had the same experience with Haley’s family. Phil always loved Dylan because he saw their parallels, but Dylan always had something to prove to Claire. Both men never felt good enough with their inlaws and were often misunderstood.

Jay And Claire Were Winners

Jay and Claire didn’t always have the best father-daughter relationship. Claire did plenty of bad things to Jay when she was a teen as a form of lashing out. But as Claire matured, the two mimicked each other. Mitchell always said that Claire was the son that Jay wanted. Both characters were competitive, business-oriented, and snarky. They always had to be right and win an argument, even when winning wasn’t the point.

It made sense for these two to go into business together because they had the same outlook on most situations. As much of a problem as Claire was as a teen, the two paralleled each other when she was an adult.

Cam And Gloria Felt Misunderstood With The Pritchetts

Like Phil, Gloria and Cam married into the Pritchett clan. Gloria hailed from Colombia, which took some adjusting to when she married into the family. She felt misunderstood and that her husband didn’t care about her culture or upbringing.

Cameron was in the same boat. It took Mitchell’s family a long time before they fully embraced Cam. Like Gloria, Cam felt like Mitch and his family didn’t respect his background or interests. The two characters leaned on each other as newbies to the family and focused on things they loved — fashion, cooking, and personal hobbies. Cam and Gloria also had some hilarious storylines as they tried to embrace the family they married into.

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Mitchell And Manny Didn’t Always Fit In

While Manny and Cameron paralleled each other, so did Manny and Mitchell. Both characters had upsetting relationships with their dads. Jay wasn’t always comfortable with Mitchell being gay, and Javier was never present in Manny’s life.

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More than their daddy issues, Mitch and Manny struggled to fit in and were insecure. Manny always questioned himself and wondered why his love interests or passion projects weren’t working out. Mitchell also overthought his decisions and just wanted to be liked at work. If Manny and Mitch talked about their insecurities with each other, they would have seen the parallels in their lives.

Andy And Phil Were One And The Same

When Andy started working for Gloria and Jay, it was easy to see how much in common he had with Phil. Both men were upbeat and giggly and saw everything as a positive. The more time they spent together, the more they rubbed off on each other.

When Haley and Andy started dating, Andy and Phil started working together — showcasing the parallels in their passions. Although fans hoped that Haley would end up with Andy to parallel a Claire and Phil-like relationship, Andy moved away and Haley moved on to Dylan.

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About The Author


Lynn Gibbs
(1665 Articles Published)

Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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