Why Was Lily Tucker-Pritchett Recast In Modern Family?
There is a whole wide spectrum of reasons why different actors may be recast in a TV series. For example, the original Aunt Viv (Janet Hubert) of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was swapped out with Daphne Maxwell Reid due to tumultuous contract negotiations. Charlie Sheen's main character Charlie Harper on "Two and a Half Men" had to be swapped out with Ashton Kutcher because of Sheen's personal attacks on creator Chuck Lorre, and a lack of chemistry even pushed "Seinfeld" actor John Randolph out of the series in exchange for Jerry Stiller, who then took on his role of Frank Costanza. For the part of Lily Tucker-Pritchett on "Modern Family," the replacement did not come from performance or contract disputes, but actually due to a pair of twins' lack of happiness.
ABC's "Modern Family," which debuted in 2009, featured married couple Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson). One factor that made their dynamic so enjoyable was watching them handle their adopted daughter, Lily, who provided plenty of forehead-smacking comedic moments. The young character was loved by plenty of fans almost as much as she was hated by Cam and Mitch's friend, Sal (Elizabeth Banks). However, it wasn't difficult for fans to notice that at the beginning of the third season, Lily's character was replaced with a new actor, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, and she was there to stay. But what exactly caused the original Lily, who was played by twins Ella and Jaden Hiller, to end their run on the highly popular hit series?
The original Lily twins weren't enjoying themselves
It must've been thrilling for the family of twins Ella and Jaden Hiller when they booked the role of Lily on the series "Modern Family." After all, the show's brilliant writing and hilarious performances made it quickly rise above the rest. The twins were replaced by 4-year-old Aubrey Anderson-Emmons in the 3rd season due to the fact that the original performers were unhappy with their Hollywood job. "Halfway through Season 2 their personalities had started to develop, and it was really clear to us that they weren't enjoying their time on set," explained their mother Michelle Hiller in an interview with Woman's Day. "So we told the producers the girls wouldn't be coming back."
In a subsequent update, it seems clear that this choice was the right one. Michelle Hiller told People, "Ella and Jaden are enjoying new toddler adventures in swimming, dance, gymnastics, and rock climbing. They are happy with the freedom of being 3 [years old]!" This change made way for California native Anderson-Emmons to swoop in and snag the role. Her performance brought a whole new dimension to Lily, as she added actual dialogue and eventually become a fan favorite. Her jaw-dropping sassy comebacks and dry sense of humor played perfectly off her sometime-spastic fictional dads. In fact, there are many fans who still believe the character could've been used more, especially with her hilarious interactions with Elizabeth Banks' character Sal.