Sarah Hyland Talks Overcoming Adversity: People "Have to Go Through Things" to Become Who They Are

Modern Family star had to secure a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, alleging physical abuse

By Natalie Finn Oct 25, 2014 1:01 AMTags
Sarah Hyland, Meredith Viera ShowPeter Kramer/NBCU

Sarah Hyland is finding plenty of reasons to smile again—and the adorable dog she was sitting with on The Meredith Vieira Show was only one of them.

But the Modern Family star, who told E! News this week that she's doing great, recently went through an incredibly hard time with her last relationship, which ultimately ended with her obtaining a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, alleging he had been violent and threatened her.

Vieira herself recently opened up about a past abusive relationship, and she asked Hyland in an interview airing Monday how she managed to overcome the adversity she faced in her personal life to get to the place she's in now.

"There are two quotes that I want to say," the 23-year-old actress said. "One is a Dylan Thomas poem, ‘Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light,' which is one of my favorite poems. It just strikes a chord in me, and also Robert Frost, 'The only way out is through.'  

"People have to go through things in order to become the person that they are today and that's that."

Indeed it is.

On a light note during their sit-down, Vieira, joking that she herself is often mistaken for Angelina Jolie, quizzed Hyland about the brunette beauty's own famous doppelgänger, Mila Kunis. And it turns out that both stars enjoy the comparison!

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic, Jason Merritt/Getty Images

"I think its' the biggest compliment ever, she's so beautiful," Hyland gushed about her celeb twin. "We have joked about this, too, where she's come up to me being like, ‘OK, so people think I'm, like, you.'

"This was four years ago maybe and she was, like, ‘Sometimes I pretend to be you so I feel like I'm young.'"

There are certainly worse things than Mila Kunis wanting to be you for a day.

Hyland also told E! News this week, at the Swiffer & ASCPA Celebrate Pet Adoption event in NYC that she is "a really positive person."

"I have an amazing work ethic," the animal lover continued. "I love working, I'm a workaholic. So adding something like Swiffer to my table of things, this huge pile of things I'm dabbling in, I love it."