3 days ago
Why Frances Anderson Stepped Away From Acting After Modern Family
Originally appeared on E! Online
Frances Anderson was looking forward to a modern teenage experience.
So when Modern Family ended after 11 seasons in 2020, the actress—who played Lily on the hit ABC sitcom—knew it was time to try life as a normal teenager after years on set.
"I was homeschooled while filming Modern Family, which ended when I was 12," Frances told E! News' Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview. "I decided to take time off from acting to go to school, be with kids my age, and find myself."
And while the 18-year-old is currently focused on music—opting to go by her middle name instead of the birth name Aubrey Anderson-Emmons she used as a child star—she isn't ditching life in front of the camera forever.
"I plan to act again," Frances noted, "but the break was exactly what I needed."
But the break didn't exactly provide her with the most normal teenage years as her return to school coincided with the pandemic.
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"We wrapped the show, and two weeks later COVID hit,' she revealed. 'So I went from a major TV show to lockdown. Eventually, I enrolled in a public school with 4,000 students—very overwhelming! People recognized me, and it was a lot. I ended up switching schools and found a place that fit me better."
Now, Frances is shifting back into the public eye, this time as a singer-songwriter, whose EP Drown released August 8.
'A lot of my music is inspired from stuff when I was younger, when I was a kid,' she explained. 'A lot about what my experiences were like in high school, and I hope that people find it relatable.'
As for why she decided to release her music under a different name? For her it was really quite simple.
"I wanted to switch it up and I wanted people to see a new side of me," Frances said. "And I wanted to create a space specifically just for music. And I'm so excited for everybody to hear the songs on the EP, and I'm so grateful.'
For more of where the Modern Family cast is now, read on.
Sarah Hyland as Haley DunphyAriel Winter as Alex DunphyNolan Gould as Luke DunphyAubrey Anderson-Emmons as Lily Tucker-PritchettRico Rodriguez as Manny DelgadoJeremy Maguire as Joe PritchettTy Burrell as Phil DunphyJulie Bowen as Claire DunphySofia Vergara as Gloria PritchettJesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell PritchettEric Stonestreet as Cam TuckerEd O'Neill as Jay PritchettReid Ewing as Dylan Marshall
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