Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (born October 22, 1975) is an American actor. From 2009 to 2020, he portrayed Mitchell Pritchett on the sitcom ''Modern Family'', for which he earned five consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

He is also known for his theatrical work, winning a Tony Award in 2022 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for ''Take Me Out'', and originating the role of Leaf Coneybear the original Broadway cast of ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'' in 2006''.''

Ferguson made his Broadway debut in '' On the Town'' (1998), He has appeared in numerous productions of Shakespeare in the Park, acting in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2007), '' A Winter's Tale'' (2010), ''The Merchant of Venice'' (2010), and ''The Tempest'' (2015).

In 2016, he starred on Broadway in ''Fully Committed'', for which he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.

Early life

Jesse Tyler Ferguson was born in Missoula, Montana, to Anne Ferguson (née Doyle; 1948–2024) and Robert "Bob" Ferguson (born 1946). He was named after his paternal grandmother, Jessie Uppercue Ferguson, to whom he was very close growing up. He was also named after his paternal great-grandfather, Jesse. He has a brother, Benjamin Ferguson, and a sister, Kelly Ferguson.

His family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was raised. At age eight, Ferguson decided to become an actor, and joined the Albuquerque Children's Theater, where he was a member for six years. While attending St. Pius X High School, Ferguson acted in the plays ''Bye Bye Birdie'' and ''Li'l Abner.'' He participated on the speech and debate team and graduated in 1994. He worked as a dancer/singer at Cliff's Amusement Park. Ferguson was 18 years old when his parents divorced. After high school, Ferguson attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City.

Career

Theater

In New York City, Ferguson worked mainly in Off-Broadway and Broadway theatre, including the Tony Award-winning ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'', where he originated the role of Leaf Coneybear.Stated on '' Inside the Actors Studio,'' 2011 Ferguson starred in the Public Theater's 2007 Shakespeare in the Park production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' and 2015 production of ''The Tempest''. In the summer of 2015, he played Sir Robin in the Hollywood Bowl production of '' Monty Python's Spamalot''.

In March 2012, Ferguson was featured as Dr. Ilan Meyer in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play '' 8'', a staged reenactment of '' Perry v. Brown'', the federal trial that overturned California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage. The production was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, a non-profit organization funding the plaintiffs' legal team and sponsoring the play.

Television and film

On television, Ferguson was among the large ensemble cast on the short-lived CBS sitcom '' The Class'', playing Richie Velch. Ferguson also played a role in the 2008 thriller '' Untraceable''.

From 2009 to 2020, he played the role of Mitchell Pritchett, the openly gay lawyer on the ABC sitcom ''Modern Family''. For his performance, Ferguson received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also appeared as a judge on '' So You Think You Can Dance'', and opposed actress Chrissy Metz in a 2017 episode of TBS's '' Drop the Mic''. From 2020, he has co-hosted HGTV's '' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' together with Ty Pennington.

Other works

In 2018, Ferguson was one of the actors who voiced the audiobook '' A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo''.

In 2019, Ferguson appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for " You Need to Calm Down".

Philanthropy

In September 2012, Ferguson and his lawyer husband, Justin Mikita, started the non-profit charity Tie The Knot, an effort to raise funds in support of same-sex marriage, using bow ties sold to retail. They officially launched it as their engagement announcement in an online video where they explain only seven states at the time had same-sex marriage. In an interview Ferguson stated that he wanted to do something that was smaller and manageable in case it did not work out as a business model.

The foundation sells limited-edition bow ties to support organizations that advocate for same-sex marriage. Their collections are designed by the couple plus guest designers, and is sold by The Tie Bar, a Naperville, Illinois-based online men's neckwear company.

In January 2013, the couple were recruited by Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Sheila Simon to lobby legislators to pass SB10 which would allow same-sex marriage. The bill passed both legislative houses, and Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill into law, going into effect on June 1, 2014.

In October 2013, the American Civil Liberties Union named Ferguson the celebrity ambassador for the LGBT community. He participated heavily in the ACLU's "Out for Freedom" campaign They noted that Ferguson travelled to New Mexico, his home state, to take part in same sex marriage efforts. Before the state's full legalization of same-sex marriage on December 19, 2013, New Mexico did not explicitly permit or prohibit same-sex marriage; it was the only state lacking a statute or constitutional provision explicitly addressing same-sex marriage. The couple's non-profit made a grant of US$10,000 to the ACLU of New Mexico for same sex efforts.

In November 2013, a pop-up retail store for 'Tie The Knot' was located at the Los Angeles Beverly Center featuring the fourth collection from the couple, including professional athlete designs with Scott Fujita and Chris Kluwe, and Brittney Griner.

Personal life

Ferguson uses his full name as there was already an actor called Jesse Ferguson in the actors' union when he joined.

In September 2012, he announced his engagement to lawyer Justin Mikita, his boyfriend of nearly two years. They married in Manhattan on July 20, 2013, with the playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner officiating at their wedding. The couple have two children born through surrogacy; their first son was born on July 7, 2020 and their second son was born on November 15, 2022.

On the process of coming out, he said he had to tell his father three times (when he was 17, 19 and 21): "It's a coming out process for them as well, and it takes time".

He has a dog named Leaf, named after Leaf Coneybear, a character he created in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway. He is a supporter of the Democratic Party and is shown in the 2016 Democratic National Convention promotional trailer " Our Fight Song".

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Jesse Tyler
1975 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Male actors from Montana
American male film actors
American male Shakespearean actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
Drama Desk Award winners
American gay actors
LGBTQ people from Montana
Living people
People from Missoula, Montana
American LGBTQ rights activists
LGBTQ people from New Mexico
American Musical and Dramatic Academy alumni
Tony Award winners