Despite having to wear a pacemaker since her early twenties to treat her bradycardia, Julie Bowen has never allowed her career to slow down. She is best known for the role as Claire Dunphy, the frequently exhausted helicopter mom of three wildly different children on the long-running ABC sitcom “Modern Family.” Her tenure on the show earned her critical acclaim and six nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, winning in 2011 and 2012.
Born Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer in Baltimore, Maryland, she is the sister of infectious disease specialist Annie Luetkemeyer and designer Molly Luetkemeyer. While majoring in Italian Renaissance studies at Brown University, Bowen developed a taste for acting after appearing in “Guys and Dolls,” “Stage Door,” and “Lemon Sky.” She further honed her craft at the Actor's Institute in New York.
Bowen was able to jumpstart her acting career before graduating college with a role in the independent film “Five Spot Jewel.” 1992 would find her on the soap opera “Loving,” with the lead role in the television film “Runaway Daughters” following two years later. She then went on to appear in the films “Happy Gilmore,” “Multiplicity,” and “An American Werewolf in Paris” as well as landing guest roles on “Party of Five” and “Strange Luck.”
After a recurring role as Roxanne Please on “ER,” Bowen’s career received a big push when she appeared on the television series “Ed,” playing high school English teacher Carol Vessey. After that, she had performances in episodes of “Lost” and “Boston Legal” and a recurring role on “Weeds.” Most recently, she appears in the Netflix comedy film “Mixtape” and Megan Park’s “The Fallout” on HBO Max.
In November 2021, Bowen's production company, Bowen & Sons, entered a first-look deal with Universal Television. The agreement includes a pilot commitment for a single-camera comedy, which has yet to be titled, and will star Bowen and see her serve as an executive producer.
“Her comedic wit, charisma, and passion are infectious, and we have high hopes for her new magic-infused family comedy at NBC. I have no doubt our partnership with Julie and her terrific team at Bowen & Sons will be a fun journey and prosperous venture,” Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television, said to Variety.