Julie Bowen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julie Bowen
Bowen in 2015
Born	Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer (1970-03-03) March 3, 1970 (age 55) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Education	Brown University (BA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Scott Phillips ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2018)​
Children	3
Relatives	Annie Luetkemeyer (sister)

Julie Bowen (born Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer on March 3, 1970) is an American actress. She is most famous for playing Claire Dunphy in the TV show Modern Family (from 2009 to 2020). For this role, she won two Emmy Awards in 2011 and 2012.

Bowen has also appeared in other popular TV series. These include ER (1998–1999), Ed (2000–2004), Boston Legal (2005–2007), and Lost (2005–2007).

She has also acted in many movies. Some of her films are Happy Gilmore (1996), Horrible Bosses (2011), Life of the Party (2018), and Hubie Halloween (2020).

Early Life and Education

Julie Bowen was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the second of three daughters. Her father, John Alexander Luetkemeyer Jr., worked in real estate. Her mother's name is Suzanne. Julie has two sisters: Annie Luetkemeyer, who is a well-known doctor, and Molly Luetkemeyer, a designer. Her family has German roots.

Julie grew up in Ruxton-Riderwood, Maryland. She went to several schools, including Calvert School and St. George's School. Later, she attended Brown University. She studied Italian Renaissance history and spent a year studying in Florence, Italy. While in college, she acted in plays like Guys and Dolls. Before she graduated, she got a main role in an independent movie called Five Spot Jewel. Julie also studied acting at the Actor's Institute.

Acting Career Highlights

Bowen with Modern Family co-star Ty Burrell in 2009

Julie Bowen started her acting career with a role in the soap opera Loving in 1992. She also appeared in an episode of Class of '96 in 1993. In 1994, she had a main role in the TV movie Runaway Daughters.

She played the main character's love interest in the movie Happy Gilmore (1996). She also appeared in films like Multiplicity (1996) and An American Werewolf in Paris (1997). Julie had guest roles in TV shows such as Party of Five (1996) and Dawson’s Creek (1999).

Julie had a repeating role as Roxanne Please on the medical drama ER (1998–1999). She became more widely known for her role as high school English teacher Carol Vessey in the TV series Ed (2000–2004). She also appeared in five episodes of Lost (2005–2007) as Sarah Shephard. From 2005 to 2008, she played lawyer Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She also had a repeating role on Weeds in 2008.

From 2009 to 2020, Bowen starred as Claire Dunphy in the ABC comedy show Modern Family. She was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards for this role. She won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011 and 2012.

In 2023, a movie produced by Bowen, called Prom Pact, was released on the Disney Channel and Disney+.

Personal Life

Julie Bowen has a heart condition called bradycardia. This means her normal heartbeat is slower than usual. She has had a pacemaker since her early twenties to help with this.

Julie married Scott Phillips, who works in real estate and software, on September 9, 2004. They have three sons. Their first son was born in April 2007. They had twin sons in May 2009. Julie was pregnant with the twins when she filmed the first episode of Modern Family. She and Scott Phillips divorced in September 2018.

Selected Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations