The Modern Family Season One DVD hits stores today, September 21, and the second season of the hit series starts this Wednesday, September 22, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC! To celebrate both, J-14 chatted exclusively with Sarah Hyland, who plays Haley Dunphy on the sitcom. Sarah told us how she's like Haley, what it was like to learn to drive for her move to Los Angeles, and all about her boyfriend, High School Musical 3's Matt Prokop!
J-14: Are you like your character Haley in real life?
Sarah Hyland: I pretty much always have my cell phone in my hand but I don't do anything with it. Haley is always texting or doing something with her phone. I'm always trying to do something on my phone, but I'm never able to! I've gotten better with that lately, but even though I'm always by my phone, I never seem to actually get back to people.
J-14: What's the craziest thing you had to do in the first season?
Sarah: Rubbing a cell phone on my head was a lot of fun — that was a really funny bit to play — but the craziest thing I've ever done was a driving scene because I'd actually never drove while filming. I actually had to drive around and everything, so I was concentrating on the road and making sure I got my lines right. It was really intense, but at least I got that under my belt and out of the way! December 2008 I started to learn how to drive in the dead of winter and it was snowing. By the end of January 2009 I got my license, and two weeks later I moved to California.
WIN IT: Modern Family Season One DVD
J-14: What do you do for fun when you're not filming?
Sarah: I have a habit of sleeping between set ups and scenes. This [second] season I actually have been good and haven't really done that — only during lunch! But last season it was an on-going joke that while they're setting up the lighting for the scene you can find me in the house sleeping. There have been multiple pictures taken of me in my wardrobe sleeping on a couch with everybody working around me.
J-14: You and your boyfriend Matt Prokop just moved into a house together – how has that been?
Sarah: He is just awesome. He is one of the most generous people I know, and he is funny on top of it. It's fun, and it's good for the puppy because he has a backyard. [But the dog] is now freaking out because we didn't realize that the backyard fence has gaps in it, and we can't let him out yet, so he's inside bashing against the back door and crying like crazy.
J-14: Any there any fall fashion trends you're excited about?
Sarah: When I lived in New York, I was very much into fashion. I grew up loving fashion and making outfits and trying to start trends. But since I've moved to California, I've gotten really lazy and sweatpants are my new fashion trend. So sweatpants for fall! When I go back to New York, I feel such a stress to actually look nice because the streets of New York are a runway. Every street is a runway, everybody is looking at you, and when you're in L.A. you can stay under the radar and I like that. You would think that L.A. would be more into fashion and dressing up, but for me it's the opposite.
Photo: Courtesy of Bob D'Amico/ABC
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