Early last week, we heard that Modern Family’s Julie Bowen had helped rescue a fan who had fainted while hiking. Julie was the guest host for Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday. In her opening monologue, Julie said she did not deserve credit for the rescue because she did absolutely nothing but pose for a picture. Julie explained that her sister Dr. Annie Luetkemeyer, an infectious disease specialist, saved the woman. They encountered Minnie John after she fainted and gashed her head when her sugar levels dropped. Julie said that even her twin sons helped by running down the mountain to find Minnie’s family. Her older son, a knife aficionado, helped cut the bandages. Below are a few more details from the segment via Yahoo!:
“She goes Meredith Grey right away, applying pressure, doing doctor stuff,” Bowen said. “And I brought my professional expertise to the table by yelling things I’d heard on episodes of E.R.”
Bowen, who was also joined by her 12-year-old twin sons and her 14-year-old son on the hike, said that they even played a more important role than she did. Her twins ran ahead to find the hiker’s family, while the 14-year-old, whom Bowen described as being “obsessed with knives,” was able to help Luetkemeyer cut down some bandages.
“So just to recap, everyone helped save this woman,” Bowen said. “My sister, my twins, my knife-y son. And I — did nothing.”
But despite all that, Bowen pointed out just how much credit she has been given in the media since the story broke, and played a montage of TV news anchors singing her praises and even some elevating her to superhero status.
“My superpower is having a sister who went to med school,” Bowen said.
Fortunately the hiker, whose name is Minnie John, is doing well according to Bowen and was actually quite excited to meet the actress, even posting for a picture despite having a head injury.
“Look, I know this isn’t the point here, but believe me, getting recognized by someone who has sustained a serious head injury — is extremely flattering,” Bowen joked.
This was the funniest thing I have seen today. When Julie read her sister’s note about not listening to actresses, I laughed so hard. I love the fact that Julie is taking it all in stride and giving credit where it is actually due. Julie is truly being modest and not making it about her. I also like the fact that Julie’s sister wrote a letter encouraging people to get vaccinated or contact their physician to find out more about the vaccine. I am glad that people are getting inundated with the message to get vaccinated and to continue to practice social distancing. It is amazing that Julie’s kids were involved with helping Minnie out including the one who likes knives (yikes!). I am glad that Minnie survived and was able to meet Julie and remember her family’s kindness. Like I have said before, I love stories of celebrities doing ordinary, kind things. Julie may not be the heroine of this story but at least she got to carry the shield.
Photos via Instagram and Facebook
My little brother has a knife thing too, and I second the yikes.
Our dad liked pocketknives and that’s where it started for my brother, but after he died and my mother started dating her new husband – a good ‘ol boy from the country – and then moved them to the country themselves the ‘knife thing’ exploded into a ‘knife THING.’
He has one that is basically a machete. They bought it for him when he was THIRTEEN. I just about had a heart attack when I saw it the first time – my heart rate didn’t slow back down until it was safely back in it’s sheath.
Side note: I wish I looked as good hiking as Julie and her sister. Hell, I wish I looked as good going to check the mail. Gulf coast humidity is no joke in the summertime.
Julie is pretty funny. And the little redheaded boy in the clip of Julie’s “bizness school” when she guest hosts on Kimmel was hilarious. “What did a white male ever do to you?”
Here’s a lesson: if you feel faint, don’t keep going! Stop! She really put herself in danger. Minnie’s family would have been much more disappointed had she died than if she had simply said I can’t go on, I need to go back.
It sounds like that’s what she did, waiting and resting on a rock for her family to get back.
Is that one of her sons wearing a Dunder Mifflin shirt? Dwight Schrute would approve of the knife obsession.
Thumbs up for the Dunder Mifflin shirt and that cat-who-swallowed-the-canary grin. But it’s her older son who has the obsession with knives.