One of Modern Family‘s most talked-about episodes saw little Lily Tucker-Pritchett repeatedly drop the F-word. But the actress behind the moment never actually said it.
The ‘Fudge’ Trick
In the Season 3 episode “Little Bo Bleep”, a young Lily picks up a swear word and won’t stop using it, much to the horror of Mitchell and Cam. Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, who was only four, actually said “fudge” on set. The word was then bleeped so it sounded like the real thing.
It was a clever way for the show to land the joke without having its young star use profanity, though the episode still drew complaints from a parents’ watchdog group before it aired.
The Real Thing, Years Later
When Lily was a tween, the show had her say the F-word again, and this time Anderson-Emmons really did say it. She recalled using the word at the table read, where everyone immediately reacted with surprise and laughter.
She later described the moment as hilarious but a little embarrassing, since she wasn’t quite sure how to respond to everyone’s reaction.
From ‘fudge’ to the real thing, it’s a funny way to see how much the Modern Family kids grew up on screen.