If you know Sarah Hyland mainly as Haley Dunphy from Modern Family, it is easy to miss how much broader her career has become. She started working professionally as a child, moved between television, film and theater, became one of the recognizable faces of a major sitcom, and later returned to Broadway. Searches for Sarah Hyland now cover everything from her age and height to her movies, Love Island connection, net worth, and the confusing online references involving comedian Bobby Lee.
Sarah Hyland was born on November 24, 1990, in New York City, making her 35 years old in 2026. She is best known for playing Haley Dunphy on Modern Family, a role she held throughout the show’s 11-season run.
But her career did not begin with Modern Family, and it did not end when the sitcom finished. Her 2025 Broadway work, including playing Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, showed a different side of her abilities. This guide brings those pieces together so you can quickly understand who Sarah Hyland is, what she has done, and what she has been doing since Modern Family.
Who is Sarah Hyland?
Sarah Jane Hyland is an American actress, singer and performer who has worked in film, television and theater since childhood.
According to ABC’s biography, Hyland began working in stage, television and film at just four years old. She also trained in dance from the age of three and received vocal training beginning at seven.
Her early career included appearances in productions such as:
- Private Parts
- Another World
- Annie
- The Audrey Hepburn Story
- Law & Order
- Law & Order: SVU
- Lipstick Jungle
- Grey Gardens
Her early theater experience is particularly important because it explains something that can be overlooked when discussing her television career: Hyland was not simply a sitcom actor who later tried Broadway. She had a stage background long before becoming Haley Dunphy.
She made her Broadway debut as young Jackie Bouvier in Grey Gardens in 2006.
How old is Sarah Hyland?
Sarah Hyland is 35 years old as of September 2026.
She was born on November 24, 1990, in New York City.
One reason her age can be confusing is Modern Family. Hyland played teenager Haley Dunphy while she herself was already a young adult. The sitcom premiered in 2009, when Hyland was 18, and the series concluded in 2020.
That means she spent a remarkable portion of her twenties playing a character who grew from an immature teenager into a young mother.
This is also why comparing Sarah Hyland’s real age with Haley’s age can produce misleading results. They are not the same timeline.
Sarah Hyland and Modern Family
For most viewers, Sarah Hyland will always be associated with Haley Dunphy.
Modern Family premiered in 2009 and followed the interconnected lives of the extended Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker family. Hyland played Haley, the oldest child of Claire and Phil Dunphy.
ABC describes Haley as independent, somewhat naïve and frequently more interested in social life than academics.
The character’s development became one of the show’s longer-running arcs.
Haley begins as a teenager who is often treated as the less academically accomplished sibling. Over time, however, she becomes more independent and eventually starts building a career and family of her own.
Why Haley Dunphy mattered to Sarah Hyland’s career
The role gave Hyland something difficult for young actors to obtain: years of consistent screen time on a highly successful ensemble sitcom.
Rather than being defined by a single movie, she had 11 seasons to develop comedic timing, relationships between characters and a recognizable screen personality.
It also allowed audiences to watch her grow at almost the same time as her character.
That is one of the less obvious reasons Modern Family remains so important to her career. It was not merely her biggest credit; it became the central reference point against which many of her later roles were judged.
Sarah Hyland movies and TV shows
Hyland has accumulated a long list of film and television credits beyond Modern Family. TV Guide lists credits including One Life to Live, Lipstick Jungle, Geek Charming, Struck by Lightning, Scary Movie 5, Vampire Academy, Dirty Dancing, XOXO, The Wedding Year, My Fake Boyfriend and Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin.
Some notable Sarah Hyland movies and projects include:
Private Parts (1997)
One of her earliest film appearances came in Private Parts, where she played one of Howard Stern’s daughters.
It is an easy credit to overlook because it predates her fame by more than a decade, but it demonstrates how early her professional career began.
Geek Charming (2011)
This Disney Channel film gave Hyland a prominent role during the early Modern Family period.
Struck by Lightning (2012)
Hyland appeared alongside Rebel Wilson and Christina Hendricks in this coming-of-age comedy written by Chris Colfer. ABC lists it among her film credits.
Vampire Academy (2014)
Hyland played Natalie Dashkov in the fantasy film adaptation of Richelle Mead’s novel.
XOXO (2016)
The Netflix film explored the electronic dance music scene and featured Hyland in the ensemble cast. She also received producer credit on the project.
The Wedding Year (2019)
Hyland starred as Mara Hickey in this romantic comedy. The project also expanded her work behind the camera through an executive producer credit.
My Fake Boyfriend (2022)
Hyland appeared in this romantic comedy alongside Dylan Sprouse and Marcus Rosner. It is among the more recent films in her acting filmography.
What did Sarah Hyland do in 2025?
One of the most important developments in Sarah Hyland’s career during 2025 was her return to Broadway.
She took over the role of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby beginning in February 2025. She starred opposite Ryan McCartan, who played Jay Gatsby.
Hyland’s run as Daisy lasted through June 15, 2025.
This was more than simply another acting job. It represented a return to the Broadway stage nearly two decades after her debut in Grey Gardens.
There is an interesting career lesson here: Hyland’s stage work was not a side project created after television success. Theater was part of her professional foundation from the beginning.
She also joined the Broadway musical Just in Time in 2025 as Connie Francis, another major stage role.
That makes 2025 an especially useful year to examine if you want to understand what happened to Sarah Hyland after Modern Family.
Was Sarah Hyland on Love Island?
Yes, but there is an important distinction.
Sarah Hyland became the host of Love Island USA beginning with its fourth season, which moved to Peacock in 2022. She also hosted the fifth season.
She was subsequently replaced as the main host by Ariana Madix beginning with season six in 2024.
So if you see Sarah Hyland associated with Love Island, it does not mean she was a contestant.
She was the host.
This distinction matters because search results can make the connection look more ambiguous than it actually is. Hyland’s role was to guide the series and introduce elements of the competition rather than participate as an islander.
How tall is Sarah Hyland?
Sarah Hyland is commonly listed at approximately 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 meters). Celebrity Net Worth gives the same height.
Height information about celebrities can vary slightly between databases because measurements are not always officially confirmed. For practical purposes, 5’2″ is the figure most commonly reported.
Her relatively petite height has also contributed to online discussions about her appearance, but it is worth remembering that celebrity height listings are often estimates rather than measurements released directly by the person.
What is Sarah Hyland’s net worth?
Sarah Hyland’s estimated net worth is commonly reported at around $14 million.
Celebrity Net Worth currently lists her estimated net worth at $14 million and reports that her Modern Family compensation increased substantially during the show’s run.
However, celebrity net worth figures should be treated as estimates, not audited financial statements.
Her income has come from multiple areas, including:
- Television acting
- Film roles
- Broadway and theater
- Producing
- Brand and commercial work
- Other entertainment projects
Her Modern Family salary is particularly significant because the series ran for 11 seasons. Reports cited by Celebrity Net Worth indicate that her compensation rose from approximately $70,000 per episode early in the series to around $130,000 per episode in later seasons.
A separate 2025 property-and-wealth report also noted that the younger Modern Family cast members, including Hyland, were earning more than $125,000 per episode during the later seasons.
The important takeaway is that her estimated wealth should not be interpreted as money sitting in a bank account. Net-worth estimates attempt to account for earnings, assets and other financial interests.
Sarah Hyland and Bobby Lee: what is the connection?
Searches for Sarah Hyland Bobby Lee can be particularly confusing.
The two did work together in a comedy video in 2012. Bobby Lee’s own YouTube upload is titled around relationship talk with Sarah Hyland, and the description identifies both performers.
There are also TigerBelly episodes with titles referring to “Bobby’s Ex Sarah Hyland,” which can easily lead someone searching online to assume that Hyland and Lee were romantically involved.
That conclusion, however, is not supported by reliable evidence.
The available material points to a comedy/entertainment connection rather than a confirmed romantic relationship. In other words, the appearance of both names in podcast titles should not automatically be interpreted as proof that Sarah Hyland dated Bobby Lee.
This is a useful example of why celebrity searches need context: a provocative title can create a stronger impression than the underlying facts justify.
Sarah Hyland’s career after Modern Family
When Modern Family ended in 2020, Hyland faced a challenge familiar to many actors who spend years associated with one character: escaping the shadow of a defining role.
Her post-Modern Family career shows several different strategies.
1. She continued working in comedy
Her film and television choices maintained her connection with comedy, including projects such as The Wedding Year, My Fake Boyfriend and Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin.
2. She returned to the stage
Her appearance in Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway and subsequent Broadway work demonstrated that theater remained an important part of her career.
3. She took on more mature roles
Her transition from Haley Dunphy to characters such as Daisy Buchanan and Connie Francis illustrates an effort to broaden how audiences see her.
The Broadway work is particularly significant because it lets her use skills that are less visible in a traditional sitcom: singing, live performance, sustained character work and stage presence.
A closer look at Sarah Hyland’s career path
There are three details that make her career more interesting than a simple “Modern Family star” biography.
First, she was a working performer before she was famous. Her professional credits stretch back to childhood, meaning her career was already developing long before Haley Dunphy.
Second, theater has been a recurring thread. Her Broadway debut happened in 2006, she later appeared in Off-Broadway productions, and she returned to Broadway in 2025.
Third, her post-sitcom choices have emphasized range rather than simply repeating Haley. Moving into Broadway musicals gave her a very different performance environment and helped demonstrate that her abilities extend beyond sitcom comedy.
These details are easy to miss when search results focus almost entirely on Modern Family.
What is Sarah Hyland doing now?
As of 2026, Sarah Hyland’s career remains closely connected to acting and Broadway.
Her recent Broadway credits include The Great Gatsby and Just in Time. The Broadway database lists her as playing Connie Francis in Just in Time from October 2025 through March 2026, following her Daisy Buchanan run earlier in 2025.
Away from individual roles, she is still strongly associated with Modern Family, but her recent theater work shows that her career has moved well beyond the sitcom that made her famous.
For someone discovering Hyland through Modern Family reruns, this is probably the most useful way to view her career: Haley Dunphy was the breakthrough, not the entire story.
FAQ
How old is Sarah Hyland in 2026?
Sarah Hyland is 35 years old in 2026. She was born on November 24, 1990, in New York City.
What is Sarah Hyland best known for?
She is best known for playing Haley Dunphy on ABC’s Modern Family. The sitcom ran for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020 and became the defining television role of her career.
Was Sarah Hyland a contestant on Love Island?
No. Sarah Hyland was the host of Love Island USA for seasons four and five. Ariana Madix later became the show’s main host beginning with season six.
What are Sarah Hyland’s most popular movies and TV shows?
Her better-known credits include Modern Family, Geek Charming, Struck by Lightning, Vampire Academy, XOXO, The Wedding Year, My Fake Boyfriend, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin and Dirty Dancing. Her full filmography is considerably longer.
Is Sarah Hyland dating or married to Bobby Lee?
There is no reliable evidence that Sarah Hyland and Bobby Lee were a couple. They worked together on comedy material, and TigerBelly has featured episodes with Sarah Hyland, but those appearances should not be confused with confirmation of a romantic relationship.
What did Sarah Hyland do in 2025?
In 2025, Hyland returned to Broadway as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, performing from February through June. She also joined Just in Time as Connie Francis later in the year.
Final thoughts
Sarah Hyland’s career is much broader than her most recognizable role.
Yes, Haley Dunphy remains the character that introduced her to millions of viewers. But her story stretches from childhood acting and Broadway training to major television success, film, producing, Love Island USA hosting and a return to Broadway in 2025.
If you are researching Sarah Hyland today, the most useful facts to remember are simple: she was born in 1990, is best known for Modern Family, hosted Love Island USA rather than competing on it, stands around 5’2″, and has built an estimated multi-million-dollar career across several areas of entertainment.
Her recent stage work is perhaps the most revealing development. It shows that the actress audiences knew as Haley Dunphy has continued to build a career that does not depend on recreating the same character.
