Born Oct. 28, 1998, Nolan Gould broke into Hollywood by appearing commercials and short films before ascending to screen roles in such projects as the series "Eleventh Hour" (CBS, 2008-09) and the feature film "Space Buddies" (2009). His breakthrough came as Luke Dunphy, youngest child and son of Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil (Ty Burrell) on the Emmy-winning smash "Modern Family" (ABC, 2009- ). At first portrayed as hilariously dim and offbeat, Gould's Luke was given an IQ boost when it was revealed that the actor was a real-life member of Mensa, and he proved to be one of the show's biggest scene-stealers. Gould won a few Young Artist Awards as well as a Young Hollywood Award and, along with his castmates, shared several Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. Buoyed by his "Modern Family" fame, Gould also landed a small role in the big screen comedy "Friends with Benefits" (2011).
By Jonathan Riggs