Why Aubrey Anderson-Emmons Rebranded as Frances Anderson and Paused Acting for a Real Teen Life
Jordan Collins here. Okay, I’ll explain, but try to keep up. Modern Family alum Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, now performing as Frances Anderson, walked away from acting after the sitcom ended to claim something rare for former child stars: a normal adolescence and a chance to find her own voice — literally and figuratively.
Let’s be blunt. She grew up on camera. Filming Modern Family consumed her childhood; she was homeschooled while on set until the show wrapped in 2020 when she was 12. In an exclusive conversation with E! News, Frances said she consciously stepped back from acting to attend school with peers and figure out who she is outside of Lily Tucker-Pritchett. That decision was neither impulsive nor melodramatic. It was deliberate and, yes, overdue.
Timing was a headache. Two weeks after production ended, COVID-19 lockdowns hit, which turned a transition into a surreal, strangely isolated chapter. Frances went from a structured studio environment to pandemic life and then attempted public school enrollment, which she described as overwhelming: huge campus, thousands of students, and immediate recognition from peers. That forced shuffle led her to change schools until she found something that felt right.
Her “break” was not an exit strategy but a reset. At 18 she’s not abandoning the screen; she plans to return to acting. For now, music is her chosen outlet. Frances released an EP titled Drown on August 8 and chose to perform under her middle name to create distance from the child-star persona that came with the Aubrey Anderson-Emmons credit. “I wanted to switch it up and I wanted people to see a new side of me,” she told E! News, noting that carving out a distinct musical identity allowed her to stand on her own.
The songs, she says, are grounded in youthful experience and carry themes from her high school life and earlier years, making them intentionally relatable to listeners who’ve been through similar growing pains. Her choice to adopt Frances for music is smart brand management and an emotional boundary; she gets to keep acting and fame in reserve while crafting artistic autonomy now.
This pivot follows a trend among former child stars who take intentional pauses to recalibrate. It’s not quitting — it’s strategy. If you want receipts: Frances’ comments were published by E! News in an interview conducted by Francesca Amiker, and the EP release date and music focus were confirmed in that same piece. Public details about the end of Modern Family in 2020 and cast trajectories add context; Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould and others have navigated similar post-show paths, shifting into new projects and personal projects while reinventing public images.
So yes, Frances Anderson left acting for a while to try living like a regular teen, a plan complicated by the pandemic but ultimately productive. She emerged not as someone fleeing fame but as a young artist deliberately reshaping her narrative through schooling, musical work and a new stage name. Expect her back on screen, but for now enjoy the music and the reintroduction.
Final thought: she didn’t vanish; she recalibrated. Keep an ear out for Frances Anderson’s next single, and keep your assumptions polite.
Hopefully that wasn’t too complicated.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Modern Family production records (public), interviews with cast members (E! News)
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
