Julie Bowen (born Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer on March 3, 1970, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American actress best known for her role as Claire Dunphy on the ABC sitcom *Modern Family* (2009–2020). She earned widespread acclaim for this role, winning two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and receiving six nominations overall. *Modern Family* itself garnered multiple Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for its ensemble cast. Bowen graduated from Brown University with a degree in Italian Renaissance studies and is fluent in Italian. Early in her career, she appeared in television series like *ER*, *Party of Five*, and *Dawson’s Creek*. She gained notable recognition playing Carol Vessey, a high school teacher, in the NBC series *Ed* (2000–2004), earning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She also had recurring roles on *Lost*, *Boston Legal*, and *Weeds*. Her film credits include roles in *Happy Gilmore* (1996) and its upcoming sequel *Happy Gilmore 2* (2025), *Multiplicity* (1996), *Horrible Bosses* (2011) and its sequel, as well as *The Fallout* (2021). Bowen has also contributed voice work to animated projects like Disney’s *DuckTales* and *Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure*. Additionally, she runs a production company, Bowen & Sons, which produced the Disney+ romantic comedy *Prom Pact*. Outside acting, Bowen owns a skincare brand called JB SKRUB aimed at tween boys and serves as a founding board member of Baby2Baby, a nonprofit providing essentials to children in need. She has supported various charitable organizations including Stand Up To Cancer and March of Dimes. Bowen has three sons and remains active in entertainment and philanthropy as of 2025.