'Maybe this is what I need': Why Modern Family star left Hollywood
Ariel Winter has revealed her decision to leave Hollywood was essential for her wellbeing.
The actress, who spent a decade of her youth playing Alex Dunphy in Modern Family, has confessed she has spent time focusing on her life away from fame.
"I only felt recently like I found my purpose," the former child star told E! News.
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Ariel Winter says she "only felt recently like I found my purpose" after leaving Hollywood. Getty Images for 4th Annual Lega
"As a kid, I wanted to be a doctor, then a lawyer – and now here I am an entertainer. So I can use that platform to help people, but that's just kind of always been my vibe."
Winter began acting in commercials at just four years old, a decision she says came with its fair share of family drama.
As fame continued to find her, tensions began brewing between Winter and her parents. When she was just 17, the Sofia the First actor became legally emancipated in 2015.
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Winter's mum in Modern Family, Julie Bowen, hosted the young star on her podcast in 2022, where she confessed she found her "space invaded" by paparazzi.
"I don't like pictures of me when I haven't signed up for pictures of me," Winter explained. "I don't like feeling watched. I've always just wanted to live a very, very normal life."
Winter explained that when the famous sitcom ended in 2020, she realised she was no longer tied to Los Angeles.
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Ariel Winter in Modern Family. ABC
"People that go away for college and have to start all over, new friends, new life, new place," she told E!
"But I just was nervous. And then this opportunity presented itself and I was like, You know what?
"I'm in a season of change, and I'm really trying to heal and grow and evolve, and maybe this is it. Maybe this is what I need to propel myself forward."
Winter decided to sell her home in 2022, moving in with her boyfriend, Luke Benward and their dogs.
Winter and her long-term boyfriend, Luke Benward. Instagram
"Moving has been an amazing change, and I have really been able to jump into a whole lot of things that I don't think I would have tried before," she reflected. "It's opened up my world a lot."
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