Jesse Tyler Ferguson is looking back at the groundbreaking role that helped shape his career, and LGBTQ+ representation on television. On a recent episode of his podcast Dinner’s On Me, the actor opened up about what it meant to portray Mitchell Pritchett on ABC’s Modern Family for 11 seasons, and the responsibility he felt to authentically represent a gay character in the primetime spotlight.
Ferguson, 49, explained that the timing of his role closely paralleled his real-life advocacy for marriage equality. As marriage rights were gaining momentum in the U.S., Modern Family was helping normalize the image of two gay men raising a child on national television.
“Socially, things lined up,” Ferguson said. “I was in the trenches fighting for marriage equality, and I felt so lucky to be part of a pop culture touchstone that was part of that same fight.”
Holding the Weight of Representation
Ferguson didn’t take the opportunity lightly. He admitted that he felt an immense amount of pressure—not just from Hollywood, but from the LGBTQ+ community itself.
“I felt a responsibility when I was given a role like the one I had on Modern Family to get it right and to do it with care and precision,” he said. “In the early seasons, we were really put on a pedestal. We were the gay couple on network television. There was this unspoken expectation to represent the community perfectly.”
But the actor said that kind of pressure could feel overwhelming, especially when opinions clashed about what “perfect” even meant.
Public Displays, Private Battles
Ferguson recalled one early episode that stirred criticism among LGBTQ+ viewers. His character, Mitchell, was uncomfortable showing affection to his partner, Cameron, in public. Some fans were outraged, demanding to know why the couple wasn’t allowed to kiss like their straight counterparts on the show.
What those critics may have missed, Ferguson said, was the emotional truth behind the moment. “It wasn’t about avoiding affection—it was about telling a deeper story,” he explained. “Mitchell’s discomfort came from childhood trauma, from being teased, from growing up in a world where being gay wasn’t safe. That’s why it resonated. That’s what made it real.”
Still, the backlash was tough to navigate. “I had to tune out the noise,” Ferguson said. “There were people who wanted me to portray the character ‘correctly’—whatever that meant. But I wanted to bring nuance, to show layers and vulnerability.”
A Mirror, Not a Monolith
As the show grew in popularity, so did the debate about how it portrayed gay relationships. Ferguson revealed that the loudest criticism often came from within the LGBTQ+ community itself.
“I heard people say, ‘That’s not how I see a gay couple,’ or ‘He’s too stereotypical,’” Ferguson shared. “But I never claimed to represent everyone. I was playing someone I knew—me.”
He described Mitchell as “a shade of who I was,” adding with a laugh, “If it was stereotypical, I guess I’m guilty as charged. I was basically playing myself.”
That authenticity, Ferguson believes, is what gave the character staying power, and helped millions of viewers, queer and otherwise, feel seen.
The Unexpected Armor of Visibility
Interestingly, Ferguson said the show’s success offered him a layer of unexpected protection. “There was a time when I’d get heckled in public, or people would say things under their breath,” he said. “After Modern Family, that kind of faded. People saw me as part of something they loved. It gave me a coat of armor.”
But even with that protection, he admits the journey wasn’t always easy. The desire to please everyone—audiences, critics, the LGBTQ+ community, often left him feeling stuck.
“There was no way to satisfy both camps. You had one group wanting perfection, and another wanting truth. I tried to bring both, but it wasn’t always possible.”
A Lasting Legacy
Modern Family ended in 2020, but Ferguson’s portrayal of Mitchell Pritchett remains a cultural touchstone. Alongside Eric Stonestreet’s Cameron Tucker, the couple offered mainstream audiences a vision of queer love, parenting, and partnership that was rarely shown with such consistency and heart.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was real. And for Ferguson, that’s what mattered most.
“There’s always going to be criticism,” he said. “But if even one kid saw Mitchell and thought, ‘That could be me,’ then I did my job.”
