She found fame playing Modern Family’s nerdy, conservative middle child, but off screen 18-year-old actress Ariel Winter is barely recognisable.

As Alex Dunphy, Winter plays a quiet, overachieving intellectual who is the polar opposite of her outgoing older sister, Haley.

Alex dresses exclusively in jeans, jumpers, sneakers and glasses, faints at the sight of blood and prefers studying to parties and dating.

Recent photos of Winter attending a pool party in her downtime from filming the popular American sitcom have made spread like wildfire due to the teenager’s dramatically different appearance.

Sporting short shorts, a low-cut swimsuit and high heels, Winter was a far cry from her on-screen alter ego.

The young actress has become an outspoken advocate for body confidence since undergoing surgery to reduce her 32F breast size last year.

“That’s pretty much all I was known for and that upset me,” she told Glamour at the time of her decision to have the surgery.

Ariel Winter believes if you’ve got it, you should flaunt it. Photo: Getty

“It made me feel really uncomfortable because as women in the industry, we are totally over sexualised and treated like objects. Every article that has to do with me on a red carpet always had to do with ‘Ariel Winter’s Crazy Cleavage!’ or ‘Ariel Winter Shows Huge Boobs at an Event!'”

Winter regularly shares revealing photos of herself with her 2.3 million Instagram followers and preaches body confidence.

“If you take a photo in which you feel confident about yourself and think it spreads a positive image, then go for it,” Winter said to fans.

Ariel Winter in character (left) and in real life. Photo: ABC/Getty

Australian television personality Bindi Irwin, also 18, has applauded Winter for her positive stance, describing her as “a girl with a message”.

“She has got to be one of the strongest women that I know… just as an individual she’s a lovely being,” Irwin told Entertainment Tonight.

“She does inspire so many young girls to love who they are … I think that we share that message so completely because we all get caught up in trying to be like each other – and that’s kind of this ideal, and we all try to live up to this ideal – but really it’s an individual thought of what beauty is.”

Winter loves sharing selfies on her Instagram account.

Winter has had her fair share of criticism online, however, and was in June forced to respond to backlash about her prom dress being “too revealing”.

“Dear sorry body-shamers, I looked HOT in that dress. And if you hate it, don’t buy it. But please get a hobby. XOXO Ariel #EmbraceYourBody,” she tweeted.

Winter (left) attending her school prom. Photo: Instagram