Julie Bowen Biography

Julie Bowen (born March 3, 1970) is an American film and television actress who is best known for playing Carol Vessey on Ed (2000"2004), Denise Bauer on Boston Legal (2005"2007) and Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family (2009"present), with Modern Family earning her four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, winning in 2011 and 2012.

Throughout Bowen's career, she has played supporting roles in films including Happy Gilmore (1996), Multiplicity (1996), Venus and Mars (2001), Joe Somebody (2001), Kids in America (2005), Sex and Death 101 (2007), Crazy on the Outside (2010), Jumping the Broom (2011), and Horrible Bosses (2011).

Early life

Bowen was born Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer in Baltimore, Maryland, the middle of three daughters of Suzanne (née Frey) and John Alexander Luetkemeyer, Jr., a commercial real estate developer. She is of German, English, Irish, Scottish, and French descent; one of her paternal great-great-grandfathers was John V. Le Moyne, a Representative from Illinois, and one of her three times great-grandfathers was Pittsburgh mayor Magnus Miller Murray. Her older sister, Molly Luetkemeyer, is an interior designer who has appeared on Clean Sweep, and her younger sister, Annie Luetkemeyer, is a doctor at the University of California, San Francisco in the HIV/AIDS Division. Her parents were socially prominent in Baltimore. Raised in suburban Ruxton, she first attended Calvert School, then Roland Park Country School, and also attended St. George's School, Newport, in Rhode Island. High Pie Classmate of Nigel Sterne of The Tony Kornheiser Show. She matriculated at Brown University, majoring in Italian Renaissance studies. In her junior year, Bowen spent a year in Florence, Italy. During college, she had roles in Guys and Dolls, Stage Door, and Lemon Sky. Before graduating, Bowen had the lead role in the independent film Five Spot Jewel. Among other places, Bowen studied acting at the Actor's Institute.

Career

After graduation, Bowen had a role in the soap opera Loving and made her prime-time debut on an episode of the college drama Class of '96. She also had the lead role in the 1994 television film Runaway Daughters, opposite Paul Rudd.

In films, Bowen played the love interest of the title character in Happy Gilmore. Roles in other films include An American Werewolf in Paris and Multiplicity. On television, she has had guest roles on Party of Five, Strange Luck, and a recurring role on ER as the girlfriend of Dr. Carter. On the sketch comedy program Stella Shorts, Bowen played an angel in the "Raking Leaves" episode.

Bowen first gained prominence on the television series Ed, where she played high school English teacher Carol Vessey, the love interest of the protagonist, Ed Stevens. Bowen then guest starred as Sarah Shephard in five episodes of Lost. In the fall of 2005, Bowen joined the cast of Boston Legal, playing attorney Denise Bauer. She left the series in 2007 and returned for guest appearances in 2008. In 2008, she had a recurring role on Weeds, playing Silas's love interest, Lisa.

Since fall 2009, Bowen has co-starred on the ABC sitcom Modern Family, playing Claire Dunphy. For her portrayal, Bowen received four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2010-13), winning the award in 2011 and 2012.

Bowen was a spokesmodel for Neutrogena, most recently advertising the Pure Glow products. She also appeared on an episode of Jeopardy! on August 31, 2010.

Describing her feelings on winning Emmy awards, Bowen told an interviewer:

You are assuming everyone gets high from an award. Some of us are more like German soldiers in the trenches of the world wars. When you win the award, it is like being pulled out of the trench. And as exciting and wonderful as it is not to be in the trench, and to be recognised for what you do, it also means everyone has got a clear shot at you and that is a very frightening prospect for most of us. The first year, when I was nominated but didn't win, I was so relieved. I can't deny winning felt lovely and amazing and great " but now I am just worried about next year.

Personal life

Bowen married Scott Phillips, a real estate investor and software developer, on September 9, 2004. Their son, Oliver McLanahan Phillips, was born April 10, 2007 in Los Angeles. On May 8, 2009, she gave birth to twins, John and Gustav, with whom she was visibly pregnant when shooting the pilot for Modern Family. Bowen has had a pacemaker since her early twenties due to heart problems.

She is mentioned throughout Episode 11 in Season 4 of Arrested Development.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Five Spot Jewel
1996	Confessions of a Sleep Addict	P.J.
	Happy Gilmore	Virginia Venit
	Multiplicity	Robin
1997	An American Werewolf in Paris	Amy Finch
2001	You're Killing Me	Jamie Quinn
	Amy's Orgasm	Nikki
	Venus and Mars	Lisa
	Joe Somebody	Meg Harper
2002	Stella Shorts 1998"2002	Mother Nature	Direct-to-DVD Release
2005	Kids in America	Principal Weller
	Partner(s)	Katherine
2007	Sex and Death 101	Fiona Wormwood
2010	Crazy on the Outside	Christy
2011	Jumping the Broom	Amy the wedding Planner
	Horrible Bosses	Rhonda Harken
2012	Conception
	Knife Fight	Peaches
2014	Planes: Fire & Rescue	Lil Dipper	Voice

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Loving
1993	Lifestories: Families in Crisis	Chris	Episode: "No Visible Bruises: The Kate Koestner Story"
	Class of '96	Kristie Lewis	Episode: "Educating David"
	Acapulco H.E.A.T.	Danielle Perkins	Episode: "Code Name: Body Double"
1994	Runaway Daughters	Angie Gordon	TV Movie
	Where Are My Children?	Kirstie	TV Movie
1995	Extreme	Andie McDermott	7 episodes
1996	Party of Five	Shelley	Episode: "Unfair Advantage"
	Strange Luck	Leigh Anne	Episode: "Healing Hands"
1998	Three	Amanda Webb	13 episodes
1998"1999	ER	Roxanne Please	9 episodes
1999	The Last Man on Planet Earth	Hope Chayse	TV Movie
2000	Oh Baby	Nikky	Episode: "What it Should Be and What It Is"
	Dawson's Creek	Aunt Gwen	Episode: "Stolen Kisses"
2000"2004	Ed	Carol Vessey	83 episodes
2002	Justice League	Aresia	Voice Role Episode: "Fury"
2005	Jake in Progress	Brooke	4 episodes
2005"2007	Lost	Sarah Shephard	5 episodes
2005"2008	Boston Legal	Denise Bauer	52 episodes Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2006"2008)
2007	Wainy Days	Cheryl	Web series Episode: "Tough Guy"
2008	Weeds	Lisa	7 episodes Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Gwen Sibert	Episode: "Trials"
2009	True Jackson, VP	Claire Underwood	Episode: "True Takes Iceland"
2009	Monk	Marilyn Brody/Patrice Gesner	Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Bully"
2009"present	Modern Family	Claire Dunphy	Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2012) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2011"2012) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2011"2013) Nominated " Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Supporting Actress (2011) Nominated " Golden Nymph for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (2012) Nominated " Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2010, 2013) Nominated " Satellite Award for Best Actress " Television Series (Musical or Comedy) (2009) Nominated " Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress " Series, Miniseries, or Television Film (2010) Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2010) Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (2012)

Awards and nominations

Critics' Choice Television Awards

• 2011: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (nominated)
• 2012: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (won)

Primetime Emmy Awards

• 2010: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (nominated)
• 2011: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (won)
• 2012: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (won)
• 2013: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (nominated)

Satellite Awards

• 2009: Best Actress in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) " Modern Family (nominated)
• 2010: Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film " Modern Family (nominated)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2006: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series " Boston Legal (nominated)
• 2007: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series " Boston Legal (nominated)
• 2008: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series " Boston Legal (nominated)
• 2009: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series " Weeds (nominated)
• 2010: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (nominated)
• 2011: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (won)
• 2012: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (won)
• 2012: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (nominated)
• 2013: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series " Modern Family (won)