13 Secrets The Creators Of 'Modern Family' Didn't Want You To Know

Modern Family is just one of the many shows out there today that has effectively changed the structure of the modern sitcom. Remember the days of laugh tracks and terribly cheesy supporting audio clips? Well thanks to shows like Modern Family those days are behind us. Now sitcoms thrive on a more realistic approach that has obviously been well-received by audiences. Over its seven seasons, the show has won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and six Writers Guild of America Awards! But even if you've never missed an episode, there are a ton of tasty little tidbits that the show's creators never wanted the audience to figure out. Check it out. 

1. Nolan Gould is actually a genius.

He may play the dimwitted Luke on the show, but in real life Gould has an IQ of 150 and is a part of Mensa!

2. No one on set liked Ariel Winter's mother.

During the earliest seasons of the show she would often criticize Ariel about her weight and appearance and even forced her to follow a strict diet. Eventually Ariel was removed from her mother's home in 2012 due to physical and emotional abuse. Glad she got out of there. 

3. Britney Spears was almost on the show.

Spears is very open about how much she loves the show, but did you know that she was offered a role in Season 3? Unfortunately by the time Spears responded, the writers had already mapped out the entire season without the inclusion of her potential character. 

4. None of the actors have ever submitted themselves to any awards show as a Leading performer.

The whole cast actually made a pact in the first season to only submit themselves as Supporting performers.

5. The creator's considered making the show a cartoon.

In order to make the show more appealing to a younger audience, the show's creators played with the idea of turning it into an animated sitcom. Could you imagine?

6. Lily was played by twins for the first two seasons.

Sisters Ella and Jaden Hiller split the role while getting no on-screen credit. 

7. The running joke of Jay forgetting that his son Mitchell is gay is based on a true story.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays Mitchell, has admitted that he had to come out to his father three times before he believed he was gay. The show's producer's thought this was so funny that they incorporated it into the show. 

8. Sofia Vergara almost dumped Joe Manganiello during the last season.

Vergara was absolutely rattled when husband Joe Manganiello tried to perform a risky stunt while working out on the set of Magic Mike XXL. She waited until they got back in his trailer before telling him that if he tried that routine again she'd leave him. He never tried it again...

9. Who is supposed to be behind the camera?

This answer can only be found if you look up the original show's description. It states that a Swedish movie director, who formerly was a foreign exchange student in Phil's home, wanted to shoot a documentary on the American family.

10. Julie Bowen was actually pregnant during the filming of the series pilot.

They did a pretty good job of hiding it!

11. It was the  first ABC series to win the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 22 years.

The last program to do so for the network? The Wonder Years. 

12. Ed O'Neill actually has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

In one episode he attempts to teach Mitchell how to fight using his own expertise. However, many of the techniques he showed his TV son are real jiu-jitsu moves. 

13. Sofia Vergara assumed that Ed O'Neill could speak fluent Spanish.

She used to watch Married With Children as a little girl in Colombia. What she didn't realize was that the show was dubbed by Spanish actors, so she was shocked to learn that O'Neill's voice was not only much different, but that he couldn't really speak Spanish at all. 

Who is your favorite character on the show? COMMENTand let us know.