Julie Bowen

A primetime presence for virtually the entire first two decades of the new millennium, Emmy-winning actress Julie Bowen found her niche in comedy/drama hybrids that cast her as the straight woman to hijinks-prone leading men. Her role as a small town teacher opposite a bowling alley-owning lawyer (Tom Cavanagh) on "Ed" (NBC, 2000-04) set the precedent for her future runs as put-upon girlfriends and wives on "Boston Legal" (ABC, 2004-08), and the breakout hit "Modern Family" (ABC, 2009- ), in which she anchored the wacky ensemble as the slightly twisted mom-next-door. Bowen's film credits included enduring the antics of Adam Sandler and Tim Allen in "Happy Gilmore" (1996) and "Joe Somebody" (2001), as well as supporting roles in films ranging from broad comedy "Horrible Bosses" (2011) to political thriller "Knife Fight" (2013) to Melissa McCarthy showcase "Life of the Party" (2018), but overall her accessible persona found the greatest success in television comedy.