Jesse Tyler Ferguson said playing a gay character on Modern Family helped him feel more accepted and secure in real life. In one of the latest episodes of his podcast Dinner On Me, the 48-year-old actor explained how playing a beloved gay role on a popular series has given him a different kind of security in real life.
Jessie, who played Mitchell Pritchett in the sitcom Modern Family, explained how her character had a transformative effect on others’ opinions of her and her sexual preferences.
Ferguson shared an anecdote about herself before joining Modern Family in 2009. When she moved to Las Vegas, she felt people weren’t as supportive of her because of her sexuality. Although there was no violence, she still felt negativity from people who were uncomfortable around her and her then-boyfriend.
However, upon returning to Las Vegas after the show had become a worldwide hit, it seemed like everything had changed drastically.
At first everything seemed negative again; however, when he realized that it was just an actor playing the role of Michel, his attitude towards him changed. He defined it as ‘a strange superpower’ because acting gave him a kind of protection from being liked by Michel.
He said, “There was some weird superpower that made me feel protected by this role that I was playing. It gave me a kind of shield, and I had the protection of this character that people loved. I don’t know. It was really weird.”
When Modern Family began, she married producer Justin Mikita, whom she met at the gym. When they met again in July 2013, their romance was rekindled and the two got married.
She told Variety, “Justin and I both walked down the aisle at the same time — basically two separate aisles — escorted by both of our parents. Then we met at the altar together, where Tony Kushner was standing by to marry us, which was crazy to me because he’s such a role model to me.”
Now Justin Mikita and Jesse Tyler Ferguson have two children – Beckett Mercer and Sullivan Lewis.
Also read: Justine Mikita celebrates 11th wedding anniversary with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on social media: ‘Where did the time go?’
