Judy Greer had the chance to join the Dunphy-Pritchett family, but she felt it was too soon to take on that role.

Recently, the actress discussed her choice to pass on an audition for the beloved family sitcom “Modern Family” while appearing on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast “Dinner’s on Me.” Ferguson portrayed Mitchell Pritchett in the series, which centers on a quirky extended family in suburban Los Angeles.

Greer shared with Ferguson that she was invited to audition for the role of Claire Dunphy, the wife of Phil (Ty Burrell) and mother to Alex (Ariel Winter), Haley (Sarah Hyland), and Luke (Nolan Gould). This role ultimately went to Julie Bowen, who received two Primetime Emmy Awards for her performance.

“I was really conflicted about it, but in the end, I chose not to pursue it. So who knows if I would have even been cast?” Greer mentioned on the episode that aired on November 19. “I just thought, ‘I’m not ready to be America’s mom yet.'”

At that time, Greer had already played a mother in several projects, which influenced her reluctance to be typecast as a maternal figure. She elaborated, “In a movie, people watch it then move on. But in a TV series, you’re just seen as a mom. That’s all there is to it.”

Greer, who previously starred in films like “13 Going on 30,” “Elizabethtown,” and “27 Dresses,” expressed that the idea of a TV role felt very confining compared to her current work.

“Beyond how you’re perceived as an actor, it also impacts your lifestyle,” Greer remarked. “I enjoy traveling frequently, working on various movies, visiting new places, and meeting interesting people.”

Although she declined the audition, Greer later made a guest appearance in a 2010 episode of “Modern Family.” She also starred in the 2022 Hulu series “Reboot,” which was created by Steven Levitan, one of the co-creators of “Modern Family.”

More recently, Greer was featured in the holiday dramedy “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” alongside Pete Holmes, Kynlee Heiman, and Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez.