InstagramAriel Winter has truly grown up in front of our very eyes.
The Modern Family star launched to fame with the success of the hit ABC comedy, and little did we know that at the start of the show we would see her transform from a young pre-teen to a full-fledged adult. Now going on its eighth season, Modern Family has put a spotlight on how much the cast, especially Winter, has changed.
Looking back at the first season of Modern Family, it's clear just how young the UCLA-bound actress really was.
Back in season one, Winter was only 11 or 12 years old and couldn't have been cuter. Not before long she would be going through the many trials and tribulations of teenage life, both onscreen and off. Her dorky onscreen character, Alex, would try to navigate the life of a middle and high schooler, all while grappling with the fact that she's a genius.
Suffice it to say she went through different phases, including goth. Behind-the-scenes, however, Ariel was growing into her own, which has been documented clearly on her Instagram.
Although she appeared on TV screens week after week, Ariel really turned heads at the 2014 Golden Globes, where she stunned in a cleavage-centered red gown. With her hair slicked back and her makeup done flawless, it was apparent that she had started to really grow up.
She also blew our minds when she posed alongside Sofia Vergara at the SAG Awards that same year. The strapless gown put her jaw-dropping curves front and center, proving that she was no longer the adorkable Alex on the show.
In real life, Winter obtained her permit and eventually her license, so she bought herself a Mercedes Benz as her very first car. Celebrating the adult-like moment, Ariel snapped a photo. Shortly thereafter, Ariel would give herself a total makeover by dyeing her hair fiery red. She also began dating Laurent Claude Gaudette, who would become an incredibly important person in her life and a red carpet staple. She took her boyfriend to prom, where she stunned in a blue lace gown that definitely won't be considered your average prom dress.
Only a couple of months later, however, the then-17-year-old star admitted she underwent breast reduction surgery, reducing the size of her boobs from a 32F to a 34D.
"It's hard when you're a teenage girl and you already have a lot of ridicule and then you pile on more, and it's kind of…it just gets too much," Winter says of growing up in the spotlight, adding, "We live in a day and age where everything you do is ridiculed. The Internet bullies are awful. I could post a photo where I feel good, and 500 people will comment about how fat I am, and that I am disgusting. On [red carpets], I just said to myself, 'You have to do your best to look confident and stand up tall, and make yourself look as good as you can in these photos,' because everyone is going to see them. I definitely seemed confident; I'm an actress, that's what we do. But on the inside, I wasn't feeling so happy."
When Ariel finally turned 18, the actress celebrated with one heck of a party—and an outfit.
The actress would eventually have more to celebrate, having been accepted to college and graduating high school. Sure, her looks have matured over the years, but she has become wise beyond her years, too.