Why Desiree From Modern Family Looks So Familiar

As a doting husband, Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) must prove his loyalty to his wife and family under all circumstances. But it didn't take long into the run of "Modern Family" before that loyalty was put to the test with the introduction of Desiree.

Featured in Season 1 Episode 2 of "Modern Family" ("The Bicycle Thief"), Desiree is a recently divorced neighbor to the Dunphys who runs into Phil, Claire (Julie Bowen), and Luke (Nolan Gould) one day while biking. Her kind disposition and beauty are more than enough to get Phil giddier than he'd want to admit, even after Claire mentions that Desiree has slept with numerous other men. 

Phil is put in an even more difficult position when he comes across Desiree while she is locked outside of her house. She manages to get his help to get her back inside, with Phil even admitting during a confessional, "I mean, am I attracted to her? Yes. Would I ever act on it? No, no way, not while my wife is still alive." She eventually shows up at Phil and Claire's house to return the bike that Phil left at her house, and she mentions that Phil was in her bedroom, much to Claire's dismay. 

Phil isn't the only one taken aback by Desiree's effortless charm. For years before her one-off "Modern Family" role, actress Brandy Ledford has lent her talent and beauty to a wide array of notable projects.  

One of Brandy Ledford's first major roles, which remains one of her most defining, came in the long-running TV phenomenon "Baywatch." Appearing in the show's 10th season when the series transitioned to "Baywatch: Hawaii," Ledford starred as lifeguard Dawn Masterton. But Masterton brings a bit more to the table than your average "Baywatch" babe. 

Masterton originates from Florida with a background in archaeology, kinesiology, and physiology. Her immense knowledge is put to good use as a lifeguard, with her knowledge of the human body proving valuable in educating the other lifeguards on various life-saving procedures. 

Her out-of-the-box style of thinking, which primarily focuses on mindset practices, has helped the team enormously on various occasions, from getting team members to conquer their fears to saving the life of a pregnant victim who nearly drowned. While she didn't stay past that season, Masterton left a solid impact on the show, offering a welcome and mature subversion from the show's typical depiction of female characters. 

It can be argued that "Baywatch" was Brandy Ledford's big break into the industry, but what the actress is perhaps best known for are her genre-related roles. And one of her most notable roles came in the second season of the 2000 SyFy Channel series "The Invisible Man." 

The science fiction action series follows former criminal Darien Fawkes (Vincent Ventresca) who is imbued with the ability to turn invisible by a secret government organization that Fawkes ends up working with. In the show's second and final season, Ledford took on the character of Alex Monroe, an especially talented federal agent working for the organization. Monroe is highly regarded amongst her peers, having access to exceptional equipment and resources. This garners some jealousy from her team members, most notably Robert Albert Hobbes (Paul Ben-Victor). 

But she faces her own set of dilemmas, namely in her conflict with the group Chrysalis. Chrysalis used her body as a vessel for a genetically engineered child and then took the child away, and Monroe fights to get him back, only to cap things off with a bittersweet conclusion. "The Invisible Man" not only introduced the sci-fi world to Ledford's talents but also gave the actress the opportunity to portray a more complex and rich character than ever before. 

From one SyFy Channel series to another; Brandy Ledford's next big role came in Season 5 of the space opera series "Andromeda" where she portrayed the android Doyle. Based on a concept by "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, "Andromeda" takes place in a far-off future where Captain Dylan Hunt (Kevin Sorbo) and his crew travel the galaxy in an effort to restore the Systems Commonwealth society that went under in a great war.

Doyle was created as a way to preserve the remains of Rommie (Lexa Doig), the avatar of the Artificial Intelligence warship Andromeda Ascendant. Unlike the more accepting Rommie, Doyle longs to be human. For some time, in fact, she is unaware that she is not fully human, largely due to her creator, Seamus Harper (Gordon Michael Woolvett), leading her to believe that she is truly alive. While she discovers her artificial nature by the end, Doyle nevertheless becomes a valued team member and even helps in battle. 

While Ledford, who initially auditioned for the role of Rommie, may have been brought in due to Lexa Doig's pregnancy during the making of Season 5, that mattered little to the actress. In an interview, Ledford, while acknowledging that her parts in "Baywatch" and "The Invisible Man" are special to her, admitted that, "My favorite role, honest to God, is this role."