Nolan Gould

A talented child star, Nolan Gould proved the age-old axiom that in order to play a not-so-bright character well, an actor has to be incredibly smart. Born Oct. 28, 1998, Nolan Gould broke into Hollywood by appearing commercials and short films before ascending to screen roles in such projects as the series "Eleventh Hour" (CBS, 2008-09) and the feature film "Space Buddies" (2009). His breakthrough came as Luke Dunphy, youngest child and son of Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil (Ty Burrell) on the Emmy-winning smash "Modern Family" (ABC, 2009- ). At first portrayed as hilariously dim and offbeat, Gould's Luke was given an IQ boost when it was revealed that the actor was a real-life member of Mensa, and he proved to be one of the show's biggest scene-stealers. Gould won a few Young Artist Awards as well as a Young Hollywood Award and, along with his castmates, shared several Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. Buoyed by his "Modern Family" fame, Gould also landed a small role in the big screen comedy "Friends with Benefits" (2011).

By Jonathan Riggs