Jesse Tyler Ferguson is opening up about a pretty personal moment with his dad that changed their relationship forever.
The Modern Family star, now 49, revealed on his Dinner’s On Me podcast that his father once questioned why he kept playing “so many gay parts.” While the comment could’ve stung, Ferguson said it actually opened the door to a deeper, more meaningful conversation between them, and ended up strengthening their bond.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s dad’s reaction came during the time he was filming Modern Family, where he famously played Mitchell Pritchett, one-half of the beloved gay couple Mitch and Cam. His dad’s confusion wasn’t rooted in disapproval, but more in a lack of understanding. Ferguson said, “My dad even asked me, while I was doing Modern Family, he’s like, ‘I just don’t always understand why you have played so many gay parts.’”
Rather than brushing it off or getting defensive, Ferguson took it as a chance to explain. And that moment turned into something a lot bigger. “It opened up a whole conversation between the two of us and started a whole other level of our relationship,” he explained. “I had to sort of explain to him why it was important for me to play this role, because socially, I wanted to be able to portray a gay man on television. I felt like it was going to do wonderful things for the marriage equality movement, which it did.”
Ferguson has always been outspoken about LGBTQ+ representation, and for him, playing gay roles isn’t just about landing a part, it’s about visibility, advocacy, and telling real stories. The role of Mitchell wasn’t just a career highlight; it was a way to shift culture. And it worked. Modern Family helped normalize same-sex relationships for millions of viewers around the world.
But being in the spotlight comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it involves sharing personal details that might not sit well with everyone in your circle. Ferguson admitted it’s still tricky navigating how much to share, especially when family is involved. Speaking to his guest Luke Macfarlane, he said, “Even I’m still learning how to open up in ways. I still have to keep parts of myself private.”
He also noted how people in the entertainment world are expected to bare it all, whether it’s for a talk show appearance or a character. And sometimes, that doesn’t sit well with loved ones. “If I go on a talk show and tell a story about the family, it’s like, ‘Why did you have to share that?’ And I was like, ‘Well, because it’s a charming story about my life, and I’m just sharing a little bit of myself with people who want to know something about me’.”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s journey with his dad has been ongoing. He previously shared with Oprah Winfrey in 2013 that he had to come out multiple times, at ages 17, 19, and 21, before it really clicked for his parents. “It was a process for him as well,” Jesse said at the time. “He had to figure out how to deal with having a son that wasn’t the ideal son. He had this whole idea of what his son was going to be, and he had to reconfigure his thinking.”
That kind of honesty is what makes Jesse’s story so relatable. His relationship with his dad is proof that real understanding doesn’t always come instantly, it grows through tough conversations, patience, and vulnerability. And as Ferguson continues to use his platform to talk about representation, identity, and family, it’s clear he’s not just playing a role. He’s living it.
