How Modern Family's Nolan Gould Is Nothing Like His Character Luke
It's common for fans of actors, especially when they're playing iconic roles, to assume that they're just like their characters. Robert Pattinson once joked that he drove a stalker away by explaining how boring his life is in comparison to his performances on-screen (via Metro). Jamie Dornan has to deal with the uncomfortable situation of fans acting as if he's Christian Grey while he's with his children (via The Ellen DeGeneres Show).
This can be even worse if a child actor is associated with one distinctive role early on in their career. Many young performers who transition into adult roles intentionally do more versatile work to avoid being typecast, while some are almost entirely known for their early performances. Gary Coleman felt that he couldn't escape the character of Arnold Jackson on "Diff'rent Strokes" no matter how hard he tried (via New York Post).
However, this may not be as much of a problem for Nolan Gould, who played Luke Dunphy on "Modern Family." Here's why.
Nolan Gould is a Mensa member
The youngest child of the Dunphy clan on "Modern Family," Luke is seemingly not the brightest of the three kids. He often gets his head stuck in the staircase banister as a child and doesn't get into any of the colleges he applies to. However, one episode suggests Luke is actually of above-average intelligence and merely seems stupid to other people.
Whatever Luke's actual abilities are on the show, Nolan Gould doesn't ever come off as unintelligent. In fact, Gould graduated from high school when he was 13 years old (via ET). He explained to Ellen Degeneres in 2012, "Over the summer, I did a lot of studying. I took an exam and tested out of high school."
Not only that, but Gould is also a member of the high-IQ society Mensa (via Dear Doctor). The actor said that people are always surprised to find out he's not just like Luke. "They're like, 'I can't believe you're not dumb, I always thought you were. So you don't run into screen doors, you don't run into walls?' And I'm like, no, that's just the character!"