Ty Burrell Reveals Why He Hasn’t Been Able to Attend Every Reunion with His Modern Family Castmates (Exclusive)

Ty Burell will always have love for his Modern Family.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actor, 57, opens up about the close bond he and his former castmates still have five years after the ABC series concluded, as well as why he hasn't been able to attend every reunion they have had since.

"We've had a couple of gatherings, but I wasn't able to make it to a couple of them," Burrell admits. "I live in Utah now, so the logistics have gotten a little bit trickier."

"But everybody has stayed in touch, and I'm incredibly grateful to know all those people," adds the star, who has partnered with Chase and United Airlines to announce new and enhanced travel benefits for United MileagePlus card members.

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Burrell starred as patriarch Phil Dunphy on the beloved comedy series, which ran for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020.

Within his family was wife Claire, played by Julie Bowen, and their three children: Sarah Hyland's Haley, Ariel Winter's Alex and Nolan Gould's Luke.

Their expanded family included Claire's brother Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), his husband Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) and their daughter, Lily Tucker-Pritchett, who was portrayed mainly by Aubrey Anderson-Emmons.

Ed O'Neill also starred as Jay Pritchett, Claire and Mitchell's father, while Sofía Vergara played his wife, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett. Rico Rodriguez portrayed Gloria's son, Manny Delgado, and Jeremy Maguire was a later addition as Joe Pritchett, Gloria and Jay's son.

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Various Modern Family stars have reunited over the years for an array of different events, including the 2024 SAG Awards, when Burrell, Bowen, 55, O’Neill, 78, Vergara, 52, Stonestreet, 53, and Ferguson, 49, presented the ensemble in a comedy award to the cast of FX’s The Bear.

Months later, Burrell, Bowen, Stonestreet and Ferugson reprised their beloved Modern Family roles for a WhatsApp commercial.

The former castmates have also held various get-togethers of their own, including one in November 2023, when Vergara hosted just about everyone at her Los Angeles home, minus Burrell.

In one image from the reunion shared on social media, the cast posed with wide smiles, as Winter, 27, held an image of her TV dad Burrell, marking his absence.

According to Burrell, he and his Modern Family collaborators still keep in touch through other ways as well, and he tells PEOPLE they "absolutely" have a group chat.

"We've been texting as of, even yesterday we were texting," he says. "Yeah, that group was obviously just very tight. We went through a lot together, and everybody stays in touch."

"They're still a huge part of my life, and I think they always will be," adds the father of two.

All 11 seasons of Modern Family can be streamed on Hulu.