Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the Pressure to Perfectly Portray LGBTQ+ Roles in 'Modern Family'

Spill the Tea: Modern Family Stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet Dish on Pressure, Spin-Off Drama, and Ageism

The cast of Modern Family may have hung up their aprons after 11 seasons, but the drama continues to simmer. In a juicy episode of his podcast, Dinner's on Me, star Jesse Tyler Ferguson dished about the pressure he felt playing gay lawyer Mitchell Pritchett in the hit ABC sitcom.

As one of the show's longest-running characters, Ferguson (49) revealed that he bore a tremendous responsibility to the LGBT+ community to portray Mitchell authentically. He confessed that he often found himself caught between pleasing his character's fans and delivering nuanced performances.

"I was in the trenches fighting for marriage equality, and I felt so lucky to be part of a pop culture touchstone that was also part of that same issue," Ferguson gushed on the podcast with guest Wendie Malick. "It was tricky for me because I had to tune out that noise of a community wanting me to do it correctly and preciously... my desire to do it with nuance and levels and layers and also poignancy."

Ferguson's words were echoed by his co-star Eric Stonestreet (Cam Tucker), who chimed in on the podcast. The couple, who shared a heartwarming on-screen romance, had planned to star in a spin-off series after Modern Family wrapped up its 11-year run.

However, ABC pulled the plug on the project, leaving both actors feeling crestfallen. Stonestreet revealed that Chris Lloyd and the writers had penned a fantastic script for the spin-off, but it was scrapped without explanation.

"It just felt hurtful," Stonestreet admitted. "I think Jesse and I maybe felt like they thought of us as old guys, or something like that, that didn't seem worthy of keeping those characters going."

Ferguson chimed in to defend their age, joking that he's still got the energy to keep up with the young'uns. However, Stonestreet took it seriously, suggesting that the network might have viewed them as "over-the-hill" stars.

"If we had been given the chance, I think it would've been a slam dunk," Stonestreet said confidently. "We had such a great chemistry on-screen and off."

Ferguson wholeheartedly agreed, adding, "I don't think it would have not been successful. Because you had one of the creators — who had really taken such great care of making sure that show was great for so long — willing to do it."

The two actors have maintained close relationships with their Modern Family co-stars, frequently sharing photos and updates on social media. Ferguson even officiated his on-screen niece Sarah Hyland's 2022 wedding to Wells Adams at the Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez.

Despite the drama behind closed doors, both Ferguson and Stonestreet have moved forward, focusing on their respective projects and personal lives. However, fans will surely be rooting for them if a Modern Family spin-off ever gets greenlit – after all, as Stonestreet so aptly put it, "It would've been a slam dunk."