The JuiceNolan Gould of ‘Modern Family’ graduates high school at age 13
The cast of "Modern Family" has won award after award for their acting chops, but one of the child actors is not only a gifted actor, but a gifted mind as well. And here's a hint — it's not wiser-than-his-years Manny.
No, in fact, it's Nolan Gould, who plays the slow-witted Dunphy sibling Luke! Surprisingly, Gould is actually a member of Mensa with an IQ of 150. And now, as he recently revealed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Gould is also a high school graduate at tender the age of 13.
"Over the summer I did a lot of studying and I took an exam and tested at high school, so I'm hopefully going to go on and do some online community college courses," Gould told the dumbfounded host.
The last time Gould visited DeGeneres, in January 2012, the two chatted about his Mensa membership, how he likes to discuss nuclear fusion in household microwaves, and how he still only receives an allowance of $30 a week, with the rest going to his college fund. Now that the little genius is ready for college-level courses, it looks like Gould might need that money sooner than anyone thought.
But he'll have to settle for online classes for now, since "Modern Family" is still a mega-hit with viewers and critics alike. The show also won this year's Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series (its third consecutive win in the category), which caused a moment of reflection for the young actor.
"As I'm driving in my limo, I'm like, 'Wait a second, I'm 13, this is my third time at the Emmys... It's like, what am I supposed to do with the rest of my life? It's kind of all downhill from now,'" he told DeGeneres.
We find that incredibly hard to believe, since Gould seems to pick up hobbies left, right, and centre. Not only did he prove he can do a mean Gangnam Style dance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," but he also showed off his banjo skills by playing "Buffalo Gals."
See also: Watch a 17-year-old Sofia Vergara in her first acting gig, a Pepsi commercial
Gould also revealed that he plays the mandolin and the didgeridoo ("the next obvious choice," he said), and DeGeneres surprised him with another addition to his odd-instrument collection, a sitar. And despite his incredible IQ and impressive academic track record, Gould still revealed he's an early teen at heart while holding his new toy.
"This is insane!" he yelled.
