Modern Family star Ariel Winter reveals why she left Hollywood after 20 years and what she's doing now
After spending almost 20 years in Hollywood, Modern Family star Ariel Winter decided it was time for a change.
The actress, who grew up in Los Angeles playing Alex Dunphy in the hit sitcom, has since swapped the hustle and bustle of the city for a quieter life in Tennessee, where she can enjoy a little more privacy and a different pace of life.
Winter bought a $2.9 million property in College Grove, Tennessee, in May 2022 and has been splitting her time between the Nashville area and Southern California ever since.
While leaving Los Angeles offered her the fresh start she had been looking for, the move hasn’t been without its challenges, particularly when it comes to leaving friends and loved ones behind.
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Speaking about her decision, Winter explained that she wanted to experience something different after growing up in the same city for most of her life.
She also revealed how getting away from the paparazzi and having the chance to live a more normal life played a major role in her decision to leave Hollywood behind.
Now, with her career taking a different direction through voice acting, Winter has found a way to balance life away from Los Angeles with her ongoing work in the entertainment industry.
In comments reported by OK!, the Modern Family star explained what drove the move.
“I grew up in L.A. and just really wanted a change of pace,” she said. “L.A. is busy, and I was hoping to just get away a little and see what that change does for me. I wanted seasons and snow! I also wanted to get away from paparazzi, and just live a normal life, and it gave me that!”
Life in Tennessee has come with a trade-off, though. “I don’t really love L.A., but I have all of my people there, which I think is what makes it really tough to leave,” she admitted.
Winter has previously reflected on the move. “I just left the city of L.A. It holds some not-great memories for me, and I’m young and never lived anywhere else, and thought, ‘Why not?’ If you’re no longer on a network show that shoots there, you don’t really have to be there, and if I get a network show, I can easily go back,” she said.
Settling near Nashville has not cut her ties to her hometown, and she still returns for work and personal visits.
To keep things familiar on those trips, she moved in with Nolan Gould, who played her younger brother Luke Dunphy on the show.
Winter played Alex Dunphy, and the pair costarred from 2009 to 2020.
“That is my brother. Best friends since the beginning. We are family without a doubt. I love him so much. He’s the best, and living together is so fun. It’s just been the best experience ever,” she gushed.
In an earlier interview with PEOPLE, she said: “Living with Nolan is so fun. Honestly, it’s so sweet and it’s so fun. It’s just wonderful to live with Nolan and to get to spend so much time with him.”
She also revealed in that interview that she was dating one of Gould’s best friends, though she did not name him.
What is Ariel Winter doing now?
Her career has shifted alongside her address. Winter voices Sabrina Grimm in The Sisters Grimm, a six-episode Apple TV+ series released on October 2.
Because her latest roles center on voice acting rather than on-camera filming, splitting her time across states suits her professional commitments well.
“You’re getting a little character to bring to life, and it’s really, really cool. But also, I just think I’ve been really lucky to have some really incredible animated projects put in front of me and some amazing characters that I think are really positively influential for young people, and so I’ve been really excited about that,” she reflected.
Since Modern Family ended, her projects have also included Phineas and Ferb, American Dad and Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Thomas Bamford