Shelley Long plays Jay Pritchett’s ex-wife, DeDe Pritchett, on “Modern Family.”
DeDe is the mother of Claire Dunphy and Mitchell Pritchett, making her Jay’s former wife and the grandmother of Claire’s three children and Mitchell’s daughter. She appears only periodically, but her visits often create tension because of her forceful personality, difficult history with Jay, and complicated relationships with her adult children.
Long’s role on “Modern Family” was recurring rather than part of the regular main cast. She appeared from 2009 through 2018, bringing a sharply comic and sometimes unsettling energy to DeDe. The character’s behavior is frequently manipulative and aggressive, while the show also suggests that her emotional and mental health may be unstable.
Viewers may recognize Shelley Long more immediately as Diane Chambers from “Cheers,” the role that made her a major television star and earned her an Emmy Award in 1983. Her “Modern Family” appearances are a later sitcom connection: Jay is played by Ed O’Neill, Claire by Julie Bowen, and Mitchell by Jesse Tyler Ferguson.