Julie Bowen's 'Modern Family' mom knows best

Actors aren't usually thrilled when unimaginative journalists ask how they're like their characters. After all, their job is to slip into different personae.

Julie Bowen, however, cheerfully volunteers how much she is like Claire, her character on ABC's Wednesday comedy "Modern Family." Like Claire, she is the mother of three; Bowen has twin 1-year-olds and a 3-year-old, all boys. And like Claire, she's tightly wound and in charge of, well, everything. In honor of Mother's Day, Bowen gets on the phone at 6:30 a.m. to talk about motherhood with Zap2it.

Q: How are you like Claire?

A: As I am talking to you, I am wildly multitasking: preparing lunch for the 3-year-old to take to school, and I am cleaning the kitchen. I believe if you are sitting still you are doing something wrong. We both feel if we are not driving the train, it will never leave the station. It is an incredible amount of arrogance on my part thinking that no one could operate without me.

Q: What are you great at as a mom?

A: I have a lot of energy. If it involves energy and strength, I can do it. I am good at planning and getting everybody from one place to the next. I don't mind hauling a lot of gear. I am a pack animal. I am good at feats of strength and stamina and endurance. I look at it as an athletic contest.

Q: What are you terrible at?

A: Consistency and disciplining is the worst. I do it. It's just so hard. … It's incredibly challenging. I can be a real control freak in life anyhow. Is it being a good parent or a control freak?

Q: What's the worst meal you ever served?

A: Oh, my God, really? There are so many, many bad meals to choose from. I am a terrible cook. One night my son just wanted processed turkey, sandwich turkey. I can't get him to eat anything else; give him luncheon meat and he will eat. And if it's a birthday party, they eat icing all day and then poop that color.

Q: It's impressive that you're cleaning at dawn, but don't you have help?

A: There is always more to do. No matter how many people you hire, there is always more to do. I have three kids. I did sign up for this. This is my life. I can't just dump them somewhere else. Right now, I am on hiatus. When I am at work, I rely on them a lot. I need to know I can do this.

Q: What's the most imaginative story you have told your kids?

A: We just paid and got the minivan with all the bells and whistles. My older son is a technological wizard, and he was pressing the TV screen to come down. And we told him it's broken and we ordered the parts and are waiting for it.

Q: What's your guilty pleasure as a mom?

A: Running. Running used to be exercise -- something I had to do and get over with. Now it is my selfish joy, my selfish, selfish pleasure. My runs get longer and longer.