Most fans are bound to be familiar with Jesse Tyler Ferguson from “Modern Family.” In the show, he played the role of Mitchell Pritchell, a success-centered lawyer who navigated parenting after the adoption of Lily with his husband, Cameron Tucker.
Although he found himself in several precarious positions during the stint of his screen time, including getting jealous over a smart fridge, his role was undoubtedly iconic and resonated with a lot of viewers.
Ferguson was recently nominated for his first Tony Award for his role in the Broadway film “Take Me Out.” It’d appear that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as he revealed during the award ceremony that his son also likes to perform.
Read on for more details.
‘Maybe He Caught The Bug Too Early’
At the Tony award press event, the “Modern Family” star told People that his 22-month-old Beckett Mercer loves to “perform.”
“Maybe he caught the bug early,” Ferguson said at the press event on Thursday. “We’re starting him with Sesame Street. We’ve shown him some videos of me performing. He’s excited to see me on stage. It’s exciting for him.”
He also spoke of the changes that occurred following the shutdown of the play amidst the pandemic.
“We were different people. I had a kid,” he told the outlet. “There were big changes in our lives, and also the world had changed. So we started that rehearsal process on completely different footing, and we kind of threw everything out that we had done two years before because we couldn’t even remember what it was and started it fresh. I think it was a really lovely way to work on a play.”
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Although he made his Broadway debut in 1998, his performance in “Take Me Out” earned him a Tony Award nomination.
“I have never been nominated for a Tony Award, [though] some people keep thinking I have just because I’ve been around,” he said. “I’ve never been honored like this, so it’s just a huge deal to me.”
He concluded, “To be a part of this season that’s also bringing Broadway back after a year and a half of nothing is really profound.”
He Welcomed Beckett In 2020
The actor and his boyfriend Justin Mikita welcomed his son in 2020 via surrogacy. Before this, Ferguson confirmed the news of expanding their family unit in January.
“This is something I haven’t even mentioned to anyone if we could just keep it between the three of us and you all, but I’m expecting a baby in July with my husband,’ he shared on “The Late Late Show With James Corden.”
Although he didn’t disclose the gender of the child at the time, he added jokingly that the kid would be “human.”
Since his birth, the pair have treated fans to Instagram pictures of the adorable kid. However, the couple has ensured the child’s face is concealed in all photos they’ve shared.
Expanding Their Family Unit Has Always Been ‘In The Cards’
In October 2020, the “Modern Family” actor shared that being a parent has always been “in the cards.” However, he had always waited for his timing to get in sync with his partner’s.
“My husband’s 10 years younger than me, so I sort of was waiting for his timeline to catch up with mine,” he said to People. “I think I would have done this 10 years ago, but whatever, it’s fine. Better late than never!”
He also added that Beckett might be a big brother soon enough as they weren’t opposed to the idea of more addition.
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“It’s never too soon, I guess. It feels like we’re in the thick of it right now. The idea of starting the process again is a little intimidating.”
He concluded, “But, you know, if we want to do another one, I’m 45, so tick-tock — we gotta get this going if we’re doing another one.”
‘I’ll Be Raising My Son Gay Until He Decides He’s Straight’
On an episode of the “EllenDeGeneres” show, Ferguson jocularly shared that he would be raising Beckett gay until he grows older to decide his sexuality for himself.
“I mean, we are still figuring out his personality. This is a funny thing about kids that they do not tell you. Like, it’s a new person in your life, and just like anyone else new that comes into your life, you’ve got to figure out if you like them. So we’re raising him gay until he decides he’s straight.”
The statement concerning his son’s sexuality then prompted a question from DeGeneres, “But you’ll love him just the same if he is straight, right?” to which Ferguson replied, “absolutely.”
He added that he has been singing many show tunes to his son and his first introduction to music was through a Britney Spears song.
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