Sarah Hyland is known for playing the oldest Dunphy daughter, Haley, in the long-running sitcom “Modern Family.” Over the course of 11 seasons, audiences watched as she changed from an immature high school student to the married mom of twins, though many were disappointed by her ending compared to the other characters.

After “Modern Family,” Hyland continued to appear on television, eventually hosting two seasons of “Love Island USA.” The latter is “Big Brother” meets “Bachelor in Paradise,” as contestants are isolated together to couple up while being filmed around the clock.

In March 2024, Hyland confirmed through a story on her Instagram (via People) that she would not be returning to host “Love Island USA” because she “committed to an exciting project, that will be announced soon.” Though fans of the dating series liked Hyland as a host, she didn’t return for a third time in the villa because she landed a role on stage in “Little Shop of Horrors.” Being in the musical directly conflicted with the filming schedule for “Love Island USA,” so the actress had to step away from the reality series. 

On May 3, 2024, it was announced that Sarah Hyland would be joining the Off-Broadway cast of “Little Shop of Horrors” as Audrey, starting later that month on May 28. Starring in the revival would have interfered with her ability to host “Love Island USA,” which aired from June 11 to August 19 of that year. 

The reality dating series films in real time, with only a few days delay between what happens in the villa and when an episode airs for audiences, meaning the actress wouldn’t be able to do anything else at the same time. Her run as Audrey directly overlapped with when she would have had to host the dating series on the opposite end of the country.

“Little Shop of Horrors” marked the actress’s return to theater. She starred as the titular character in the 2002 Paper Mill Playhouse production of “Annie” before appearing on Broadway from 2006 to 2007 in “Grey Gardens.” After her stint in “Little Shop of Horrors,” which ended on September 29, 2024, Hyland starred as Daisy Buchanan, alongside Ryan McCartan, in the Broadway run of “The Great Gatsby” in 2025.