The trend of stars packing up and moving away from Tinsletown has been pretty consistent over the years. The reasons to leave the bounds of LA or even NYC can vary and involve personal reasons such as privacy or the protection of one's family. Some may agree that the spotlight within Hollywood and its surrounding neighborhoods can be a lot. Former Modern Family cast member Ariel Winter followed in the footsteps of Matthew McConaughey (who now lives in Texas) and others by moving away from LA in 2022 and recently discussed the decision.
The Mr. Peabody & Sherman alum moved to Nashville, Tennessee a few years ago with longtime boyfriend Luke Benward. When the 26-year-old actress was interviewed by E! News, she reflected on why her move was important, and it sounds like she doesn't regret the choice she ultimately made. The former child actor had this to say:
I don't think L.A. was ever really my vibe, but I just was nervous. And then this opportunity presented itself, and I was like, you know what? I'm in a season of change, and I'm really trying to heal and grow and evolve. It's opened up my world a lot.
Even with the best casts and crews, the magnifying glass that Hollywood has on it is enough for anyone to leave. And, in the case of the Sophia the First star, she already had a lot of people critiquing her for reasons other than her work. So she welcomed the change of scenery post-Modern Family.
Ariel Winter, who played middle child and brainiac Alex Dunphy on the ABC megahit, was only ten years old when she landed the role. During the show's eleven-year run, fans saw the character as well as her siblings and cousins grow up. By extension, audiences saw the child actors themselves mature. Sadly, some fans body-shamed Winter, and she's been open about having to process that.
The Last Movie Star alum is far from the first star to face scrutiny, and that can happen whether one lives in Hollywood or not. Either way, plenty of actors have made the decision to leave. Aside from the aforementioned Matthew McConaughey, Carlos and Alexa PenaVega moved away as well, citing a desire to raise their kids away from LA as well as audition struggles for Carlos. Mark Wahlberg even moved his family to Las Vegas for a fresh start.
Although Ariel Winter is no longer in LA, she and her co-stars keep in touch. She even revealed to E! that she and co-star Noah Gould, who played everyone’s favorite little brother, Luke, are particularly close. Since Modern Family ended a little under five years ago, there has been a lot of activity amongst all the Dunphy-Delgado-Tucker-Pritchett actors, and even a few of them have teased and formulated ideas for what a reunion could look like.
One would hope that if such a project comes to fruition, Ariel Winter will be ready to accept the call. In the meantime, though, I could see her enjoying her home in Nashville with Luke Benward. I'm glad stars aren’t afraid to take the move for their career and more importantly, themselves.
If you’d like to stream Modern Family and join in on the familial fun, you can do so by streaming all of the seasons with a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription.