Jesse Tyler Ferguson: Sitcom Fame Shielded Me from ‘Gay Bashing’

Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson has opened up about how the TV show played a crucial role in shielding him from homophobic abuse.

Ferguson portrayed Mitchell Pritchett, a lawyer, on the beloved family sitcom that ran from 2009 to 2020. In the series, his character was in a partnership with Cameron Tucker, played by Eric Stonestreet.

During his podcast, Dinner’s on Me, on August 6, Ferguson shared a challenging experience he encountered in Las Vegas before Modern Family brought him widespread recognition.

“I had been in Las Vegas a few years earlier, pre-Modern Family, and I sort of got gay bashed a little bit,” he revealed to guest Nicole Byer.

“This wasn’t anything violent, but there was definitely negative energy coming from a couple who felt uncomfortable around me and my then-boyfriend.”

Ferguson has been married to actor and producer Justin Mikita since 2013. Reflecting on his experience, Ferguson mentioned how revisiting Las Vegas after gaining fame on Modern Family elicited a vastly different reaction.

“I went back after Modern Family, and I remember feeling that same negativity initially. But then they would see who I was and recognize me from TV, and their reactions shifted. It was like, ‘Oh, I am gay, but I’m also that gay one from TV that I like,’ and there would be a change,” he shared.

Describing this shift as “really weird,” Ferguson elaborated, “Your initial reaction – I saw it happen – was disgust. But then, let’s process this. It was almost like having a superpower. I felt like I was being protected by this role I played. It kind of gave me this coat of armour, and I had this protection as being this character that people loved. It was really weird,” he added.

In November 2023, Ferguson and co-star Sofia Vergara posted a series of images on Instagram showcasing a reunion of former Modern Family cast members.

Alongside Ferguson and Vergara, the photos included Julie Bowen (Claire Dunphy), Eric Stonestreet (Cameron Tucker), Ed O’Neil (Jay Pritchett), Sarah Hyland (Haley Dunphy), Ariel Winter (Alex Dunphy), Nolan Gould (Luke Dunphy), Rico Rodriguez (Manny Delgado), and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (Lily Tucker-Pritchett), who portrayed Cameron and Mitchell’s daughter Lily.

Source: Independent