Meeting with Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell over Zoom felt mildly surreal in the best way. To most people, they’re forever Claire and Phil Dunphy, the hilariously chaotic couple at the center of Modern Family, which ran from 2009 to 2020 and still holds a permanent spot in pop-culture history—and, frankly, in a lot of our hearts.
True to form, they slipped right back into that familiar dynamic when they hopped on our afternoon call, seated side-by-side to talk about something decidedly less funny than their usual material: meningococcal disease, also known as meningitis. We were meeting to discuss their recent partnership with the pharmaceutical company GSK on its “Ask2BSure” public health campaign, which encourages parents to learn more about meningitis B and talk to their teens’ doctors about vaccination—especially before milestones like college move-in day, team sports and all the shared water bottles and close-quarter chaos that tend to come with adolescence.
As part of the campaign, Bowen and Burrell filmed a seven-minute video called “Mening-Itinerary,” reviving the kind of rapid-fire banter that made Claire and Phil such iconic T.V. parents in the first place—while also educating viewers about meningitis. Somehow, they make the transition from sitcom parents to public-health advocates feel oddly seamless.
Ahead, my conversation with Bowen and Burrell, which was equal parts informative, heartfelt and funny. But before we get into it, press play on the video below.
Congratulations on the Ask2BSure campaign. What was it like teaming up again to film it?
Julie: “It’s always fun to get to work together. We’re still in and out of each other’s lives, so it wasn’t some dramatic reunion, but it does feel like comfy shoes.”
Ty: “We’re basically playing versions of ourselves in the video because we are parents of older kids. That part came pretty naturally.”
Julie: “I also like making him say ‘meningococcal disease.’”
Ty: “Yeah, she likes making me say that.”
This campaign tackles a serious health topic in such a fun way. How did you approach that balance?
Julie: “We both really believed in the message, but we also knew we’re not doctors or scientists—we’re just people with experience being silly. The script managed to thread that needle really well.”
Ty: “We care very much about this as parents of teens, but you need a little sugar to help the medicine go down.”
Julie: “A lot of parents don’t realize that while many kids are vaccinated against meningitis strains A, C, W and Y, meningitis B vaccination isn’t always part of the routine conversation. You have to ask.”
Ty: “Our kids are in sports, dorms and social situations where there’s a lot of close contact and sharing drinks. The campaign is really about encouraging parents to have a conversation with their doctor.”
Julie: “I recently visited Ty’s alma mater, where my son now goes, and it was basically like the video in real life. I was at fraternity houses and parties with people offering me their cups, and I was like, ‘Here’s the thing, kid. I’m in the middle of this campaign right now…’”
She adds that when her son went off to college, she realized she actually didn’t know whether he was fully vaccinated. “I was playing catch-up, and I figured if I was, other parents probably were too.”
What surprised you most while learning about meningitis B?
Ty: “The randomness of it surprised me. You think, ‘If it’s so contagious, why doesn’t everyone at the party get sick?’ There are a lot of factors involved, which made it feel even scarier to me.”
Julie: “Honestly, I was surprised people don’t talk about it more. With kids in sports, we hear constantly about things like mono or other illnesses spreading through shared water bottles, but this just wasn’t something that ever came up in my many pediatrician visits unless I brought it up myself.”
You spoke with survivors and families affected by meningitis. What stayed with you?
Ty: “Both of the survivors we met were incredibly inspiring, but what really stayed with me was how passionate they were about spreading awareness.”
Julie: “They called themselves ‘the lucky ones,’ which really stuck with me. They’ve made it part of their mission to educate other families.”
Ty: “And they were both funnier than we were.”
I work for a beauty magazine, so I have to ask: What are your skin-care routines?
Ty: “I’m out. This is Julie’s category. I splash water on my face.”
Julie: “I wasn’t blessed with beautiful skin as a child—I was on Accutane twice—so every day is a journey into skin care. There’s lots of retinol and serums involved. Right now, I’m really into this Sisley serum. You could go broke buying it, but it’s a good way to go.”
She added, jokingly: “I don’t buy shoes or clothes or cars. It’s all going into serum. And, of course, sunscreen.”
Are there any upcoming projects you’re excited about right now?
Ty: “There are a few things, but honestly, Julie and I were just talking about how hard it is to be away from family when you have teenagers. Living in Utah means work usually involves leaving, and even in L.A. now, nothing really shoots there anymore.
There’s this very small window of time with teenagers, and it feels like the right move to be with the kids right now.”
Julie: “They don’t need us very often, but when they do, you want to be there. I’ve definitely passed on some work because of that, and I wouldn’t have it any other way right now.
We were lucky enough to work in L.A. for 11 years on Modern Family, and we knew while it was happening that it was special. That doesn’t happen twice—unless you’re Ed O’Neill, and then it happens over and over.
There are things I’m developing, but if it ends up on T.V., you’ll see it.”
Not to make this about me, but I do have a 12-month-old, so I feel compelled to ask: Any parenting advice?
Ty: “Savor the moment. Every phase is cool in its own way. It definitely gets more complicated, though. It becomes less exhausting physically and more exhausting emotionally as they get older.”
Julie: “Were you like me with charts and graphs about the optimal nap schedule?”
NewBeauty: “No, I’m definitely more of a Type B mom.”
Julie: “That’s great. I wish I’d been more Type B. That would honestly be my advice. Why did I worry about every chart and graph? I remember thinking after I had the twins, ‘Maybe I’ll have one more, and this time I’ll just slap the baby on me and roll and we’ll be great.’
That didn’t happen, but it is my one regret. I wish I’d been a little more relaxed.”
Ty: “But then you wouldn’t have been you.”
