# 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.
Ferguson made his Broadway debut in On the Town (1998), and was in the original Broadway cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2006). 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). He returned to Broadway in Fully Committed (2016) earning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance and Take Me Out (2022) earning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

## Early life

Jesse Tyler Ferguson was born in Missoula, Montana, to Anne Ferguson (née Doyle) and Robert "Bob" Ferguson. He was named after his paternal grandmother, Jessie Uppercue Ferguson, to whom he was very close growing up. His paternal great-grandfather was also named after him. He has two siblings, Ben and Kelly.
Ferguson was 18 years old when his parents divorced. 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. 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. 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 has received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He has 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, Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita born on July 7, 2020 and Sullivan Louis Ferguson-Mikita 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. He is a supporter of the Democratic Party and is shown in the 2016 Democratic National Convention promotional trailer "Our Fight Song".

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Ordinary Sinner | Ogden | |
| 2004 | Mercury in Retrograde | Duane | Short film |
| 2006 | Griffin and Phoenix | Student | |
| 2008 | Untraceable | Arthur James Elmer | |
| 2009 | Wonderful World | Cyril | |
| 2012 | The Procession | Jason | Short film |
| 2012 | 8 | Dr. Ilan Meyer | |
| 2012 | Red | | Short |
| 2016 | Ice Age: Collision Course | Shangri Llama (voice) | First animated role and film |
| 2023 | Cocaine Bear | Peter | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Sally Hemings: An American Scandal | Young Tom Hemings | TV film |
| 2002 | Absolutely Fabulous | Uncredited | Episode: "Gay" |
| 2006–2007 | The Class | Richie Velch | 19 episodes |
| 2007, 2010 | Ugly Betty | Dr. Gabe Farkas | 2 episodes: "Icing on the Cake" (2007) / "The Passion of the Betty" (2010) |
| 2008 | Do Not Disturb | Larry | 5 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | The Battery's Down | Shamus McKelvy | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2020 | Modern Family | Mitchell Pritchett | Main character |
| 2011–2013 | So You Think You Can Dance | Himself | Guest judge; 7 episodes |
| 2012 | Submissions Only | Jared Halstead | Episode: "Another Interruption" |
| 2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Himself | Episode: "Dads I'd Like to Frock" |
| 2012 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Himself | Season 5 episode 2 |
| 2013 | 2013 Do Something Awards | Honoree | TV film |
| 2013–2014 | Web Therapy | Steve Olson | 5 episodes |
| 2013 | Hot in Cleveland | Wes | Episode: "Love Is All Around" |
| 2013 | Project Runway | Himself | Guest judge; Episode: "Tie the Knot" |
| 2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself | Episode: "Jesse Tyler Ferguson Wears a Brown Checked Shirt and Stripey Socks" |
| 2015 | Running Wild with Bear Grylls | Himself | Episode: "Jesse Tyler Ferguson" |
| 2017 | Nightcap | Himself | Episode: "Always a Beard, Never a Bride" |
| 2017 | Drop the Mic | Himself | Episode: "David Arquette vs. Brian Tyree Henry / Jesse Tyler Ferguson vs. Chrissy Metz" |
| 2020 | Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Himself | Host |
| 2020 | A Modern Farewell | Himself | Modern Family documentary |
| 2021 | The Good Fight | Garrison Vitar | Episode: "And the Two Partners Had a Fight..." |
| 2021 | Martha Gets Down and Dirty | Himself | Episode: "You Grow Girl" |
| 2022 | High School Musical: The Musical: The Series | Marvin | Episode: "Into The Unknown" |
| 2024 | Elsbeth | Skip Mason | Episode: "Reality Shock" |
| 2024 | Dinner Time Live with David Chang | Himself | Episode: "Pumpkin Spice" |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 1997 | On the Town | Chip | Delacorte Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1998–1999 | On the Town | Chip | Gershwin Theatre, Broadway |
| 2001 | Hair | General Grant | City Center Encores! Concert |
| 2003 | Little Fish | Marco | Second Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2004 | Where Do We Live | Billy | Vineyard Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2005–2006 | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | Leaf Coneybear | Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway |
| 2005 | On the Twentieth Century | Max Jacobs | New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway concert |
| 2007 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Francis Flute | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2010 | The Winter's Tale | Shepard's Son | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2010 | The Merchant of Venice | Launcelot Gobbo | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2012 | The Producers | Leo Bloom | Hollywood Bowl |
| 2013 | The Comedy of Errors | Dromio of Syracus Dromio of Ephesus | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2015 | Spamalot | Sir Robin | Hollywood Bowl |
| 2015 | The Tempest | Trinculo | Shakespeare in the Park |
| 2016 | Fully Committed | Sam and others | Lyceum Theatre, Broadway |
| 2018 | Log Cabin | Ezra | Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway |
| 2022 | Take Me Out | Mason Marzac | Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway |
| 2023 | Take Me Out | Mason Marzac | Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway |
| 2023 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | The Producer (one night only) | James Earl Jones Theatre, Broadway |
| 2025 | Here We Are | Paul Zimmer | Lyttelton Theatre |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Artist | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | "Glamazon" | RuPaul | Guest star | |
| 2016 | "Our Fight Song" | Various Artists | Himself | |
| 2016 | "Holy Shit (You Got to Vote)" | Various Artists | Himself | |
| 2019 | "You Need to Calm Down" | Taylor Swift | Himself | Cameo |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2005 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Ensemble Performance | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | Won |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Solo Performance | Fully Committed | Won |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Take Me Out | Nominated |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Take Me Out | Nominated |
| 2019 | MTV Video Music Awards | Video of the Year | "You Need to Calm Down" | Won |
| 2019 | MTV Video Music Awards | Video for Good | "You Need to Calm Down" | Won |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Take Me Out | Won |
| 2012 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Comedy Actor | Modern Family | Nominated |
| 2013 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Comedy Actor | Modern Family | Nominated |
| 2016 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Comedic TV Actor | Modern Family | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (episode: "Family Portrait") | Nominated |
| 2011 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (episode: "Halloween") | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (episode: "Leap Day") | Nominated |
| 2013 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (episode: "The Wow Factor") | Nominated |
| 2014 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (episode: "Message Received") | Nominated |
| 2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (season 1) | Nominated |
| 2010 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (season 2) | Won |
| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (season 3) | Won |
| 2012 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (season 4) | Won |
| 2013 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (season 5) | Won |
| 2014 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (season 6) | Nominated |
| 2015 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Modern Family (season 7) | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Take Me Out | Won |