American actress Ariel Winter is perhaps best known for playing Alex Dunphy in the ABC comedy, Modern Family (2009). From Los Angeles, she landed her first television role at the age of seven in the CBS sitcom, Listen Up! (2005). More work soon followed including guest appearances in Freddie (2005), Monk (2006), Jericho (2006), Crossing Jordan (2007), and Ghost Whisperer (2008). Many years after her debut, she landed her first lead role in the mockumentary, Modern Family (2009).
Born on January 28, 1998 in Los Angeles, California, Ariel Winter is the daughter of Glenn and Chrisoula Workman. Of Greek, English, and German descent, she has two siblings, both of whom are also actors. Prior to even attending school, she landed her first television gig in the form of a TV commercial for Cool Whip. A few years later, she made her official acting debut in an episode of the sitcom, Listen Up! (2005).
That same year, Winter also appeared in the shows, Tickle U (2005), and Freddie (2005). Not only that, but she made her movie debut in the neo-noir comedy film, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) starring Robert Downey Jr., Michelle Monaghan, and Val Kilmer. An exceptional young actress, she eventually landed her first recurring role in the sitcom, So Notorious (2006), where she played alongside Tori Spelling, Loni Anderson, James Carpinello, and a few others.
Over the next year, she continued to play various roles on television in Crossing Jordan (2007), Shorty McShorts’ Shorts (2007), and Criminal Minds (2007). Around that same time, Winter also started to voice Gretchen in the Disney cartoon, Phineas and Ferb (2007).
How Ariel Winter Became Famous
Several years after her acting debut, she landed her breakthrough role in the ABC sitcom, Modern Family. Created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, the mockumentary revolved around the lives of the Pritchett family in surburban Los Angeles. In the series, Winter played as Alex Dunphy- the intelligent thirteen year old daughter of Phil Dunphy, a self-proclaimed “cool dad.” Aside from her, the main cast also includes Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Ty Burrell, among others.
Premiered on September 23, 2009, Modern Family quickly proved to be a huge hit, having drawn in 12.6 million viewers during its series premiere. One of the highest-rated shows in America, it has won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and 6 Writer Guild of America Awards. Following the success of the initial season, the sitcom was renewed by the network for a second season. Since the end of its most recent season in May 2017, the show has been commissioned for two additional seasons by ABC.
Easily her greatest acting role on television, Winter has remained on the show for six years, since its conception. Originally introduced as a thirteen year old, her character has recently turned twenty in season eight.
For her portrayal of Alex Dunphy, the actress has received several accolades including four Screen Actors Guild Awards (from seven nominations) which are shared with her fellow cast mates. In 2010, she also won a Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Ensemble in a TV Series.
Ariel Winter’s Other TV Work
Aside from Modern Family, Winter has since also appeared in Minnie’s Bow-Toons (2011), and R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series (2011). Then in 2013, she was cast as the title character in the Disney animated series, Sofia the First. Created by Craig Gerber, it stars the actress as Sofia, the princess of Enchancia. Premiered on November 18, 2012, the show has been running regularly ever since on Disney Junior.
Ariel Winter on Film
Throughout the mid to late 2000’s, Winter appeared in several films including Bambi II (2006), Curious George (2006), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Grilled (2006), and Speed Racer (2008)– most of which were voice-acting roles.
In 2009, the actress played a lead role on screen for the first time in the comedy film, Opposite Day. Written by Max Botkin, it saw her playing as Carla Benson, the eight-year-old sister of protagonist, Samuel Benson (played by Billy Unger). Other cast members of the movie include Dylan Cash, Pauly Shore, Bradley Steven Perry, and Bridger Palmer. Released that fall, it garnered mostly positive reviews from viewers.
Then in 2011, she returned as a main cast member in Stephen Herek’s comedy film, The Chaperone. Written by S.J. Roth, it revolved around an ex-con who attempts to hide his criminal past by chaperoning a group of kids to New Orleans. While Paul Levesque played as Ray- the former bank robber, Winter portrayed the part of Sally, his daughter. Though the movie ended up being a commercial flop, Winter’s performance in the film was generally praised. In 2012, she received a Young Artist Award nomination for her role in the film.
Since then, Winter has appeared in several other movie titles- most of which are animated films. For instance, she has voiced various characters in ParaNorman (2012), Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013), Tad The Lost Explorer (2013), Elena and the SEcret of Avalor (2016), and more recently, in Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017).
Ariel Winter’s Love Life
The actress has been dating fellow actor Levi Meaden since the fall of 2016. Despite their age gap of ten years, the two appear to be mad in love.
In the past, she’s dated Cameron Palatas, LAurent Gaudette, and Callan McAuliffe.
Ariel Winter’s Snapchat Name – winter.ariel
Last March, the actress revealed her Snapchat username to fans on Twitter. If you’d like to add the 19-year-old star to your friend’s list, you can do so by clicking here.
Ariel Winter’s Other Social Media Accounts
Ariel Winter’s Facebook Account
If you’d like to follow the Modern Family star on Facebook, you can do so by liking her official Facebook page at @arielwinter01.
Ariel Winter’s Twitter Account
Want to stay connected with Winter? Why not add her on Twitter? You can find her on the platform over at @arielwinter1.
Ariel Winter’s Instagram Account
Like most celebrities, Winter also has an Instagram account where fans are able to view photos and videos posted by the actress herself. You can find her on the app at @arielwinter- looks like she already has over 3.6 million followers!
Ariel Winter’s Youtube Account
Though it only has one video, you can find her Youtube channel at @arielwinter01.
