Overview

• On Tuesday’s Dinner’s On Me podcast, Jesse Tyler Ferguson said criticism from the gay community was the “loudest” pressure he faced while playing Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family.
• He recalled that some LGBTQ+ fans believed his portrayal did not represent their idea of a gay relationship or a gay man.
• Ferguson said he always took critiques with a grain of salt because he could only embody one character who was a version of himself.
• In response to fan calls for more intimacy, the series aired 2011’s “The Kiss” episode, attributing the couple’s reserved behavior to Mitchell’s emotionally distant upbringing.
• Modern Family’s groundbreaking portrayal earned multiple GLAAD awards and Emmy nods and has been linked by polls to increased support for marriage equality.