Jason Winer

The multi-talented Jason Winer first realized his passion for acting when as a teenager he was in a school production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He had been in plays before then, but it was while performing Shakespeare that his family knew he was hooked. Acting wasn't the only creative outlet for Winer, however. By the time he was 15 years old, he was also working as a news correspondent for a local Baltimore television station, covering stories that might interest fellow teens. He majored in theater at Northwestern University and started doing improv, eventually joining the comedy troupe The Meow Show and later the Improv Olympics. He relocated to Los Angeles with other members of the latter group, co-creating and working on the MTV comedy show "The Blame Game," as well as landing jobs on short films and commercial work. He worked on a number of failed television programs such as "Giants of Radio," "Carpoolers," and "Kath & Kim." In 2009, however, Winer's fortunes altered considerably when the ABC comedy show "Modern Family" became a smash hit. Winer, who is an executive producer and director on the show, won an Emmy for his producing work and an Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy award from the Directors Guild. In 2011, Winer directed his first feature film, a remake of the Dudley Moore comedy "Arthur," this time starring Russell Brand as the affectionately clueless title character.