Virginia Venit, the kind public relations head who takes unorthodox golfer Happy (Adam Sandler, "Murder Mystery 2," 2023) under her wing in "Happy Gilmore" (1996), is played by Julie Bowen, an actress who would soon turn her eyes away from film and back to TV.

And that's probably how you know her. In particular, you likely know her from the long-running sitcom "Modern Family," in which she played stern but devoted mom Claire Dunphy for the show's 11-season run from 2009 to 2020.

"Happy Gilmore" was her breakout role, coming after she hustled for years in one-off guest parts on TV. She took a few more film roles immediately afterward (most notably 1997's "An American Werewolf in Paris"), but she found her sitcom niche in 2000 when she began co-starring on NBC's "Ed."

She joined another hit comedy series, "Boston Legal," in 2005 for its second and third seasons, later making a brief reappearance during its fifth and final season in 2008.

While sitcoms have proven to be her strength, she's always maintained a big-screen sideline. As a "Happy Gilmore" fan, you may have also noticed her in 2020's "Hubie Halloween," its spiritual sequel (if you'll excuse the pun).

Like "Happy Gilmore," "Hubie Halloween" was written by friends and "Saturday Night Live" alumni Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy (who also collaborated on 1998's "The Wedding Singer," among other films). And Bowen once again plays Sandler's love interest in the latter film.

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