Playing gay when you’re gay

With American sitcoms traditionally strewn with tired dopey husband/nagging wife gags, the relationship between Modern Family’s resident ginger DILF Mitchell and his same-sex partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) have gone some way to revitalising a dying genre.

Not that Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the self-effacing actor who plays Mitchell, would admit it.

“They’ve been saying Modern Family has saved the sitcom, but I’m not sure that’s true,” he said. “Shows like The Office and 30 Rock opened the doors for us — you know, that sort of different type of sitcom.

“Hopefully, now we’re opening the doors for other great comedies. Hollywood isn’t always terribly creative and I know now every other network is looking for their Modern Family, but the year both Glee and Modern Family aired was an especially good year for TV.”

Clearly revelling in his breakout role, Ferguson is happy to suffer for his art. He revealed that there was nothing the writers had suggested in the occasionally outlandish comedy that he’d yet to refuse.

“I’m a whore!” he laughed. “I’ll do anything. They’ve put me in a Spider-Man outfit and had me climbing the side of a building. They’ve put me in a bathtub with Gloria fishing around for keys in my crotch. They’ve had me in a sailor suit. They’ve had me up in a tree. If the situation is funny I’ll do it.”

Some have criticised the show for relying too heavily on stereotypes — and not just when it comes to Stonestreet’s portrayal of the flamboyantly gay Cameron. Sofia Vergara’s excellent comic turn as Colombian bombshell Gloria has also copped flak from some quarters for sticking to a narrow view of Latina women.

Ferguson was diplomatic when addressing the criticism.

“With a half-hour comedy, you have to embrace the stereotype, because you have to create very specific characters. The thing is, I know a lot of gay men who are very much like Cameron and I know a lot of gay men who are very much like Mitchell, and I know gay men who are nothing like either of them.

“I think we can’t embrace everyone’s idea of what a gay couple is so we’re embracing this idea and sticking with it.”

And it seems audiences — particularly in traditionally conservative America — are responding with open arms. Gone are the dark days of the mid-’90s, when Ellen DeGeneres’ on-screen outing was met with hate mail and boycotts. Cameron and Mitchell represent a happy, stable image of gay life, adopted Vietnamese baby and all.

In fact, Ferguson hinted that the third season of the show (debuting on US television this week) will feature the couple’s quest for a second child as a prominent storyline.

“I was prepared for these characters to have a bit of a backlash and it’s been the exact opposite. Conservatives come up to us saying, ‘You’ve changed my mind about gay marriage’ or ‘I relate to Cameron and Mitchell and I find them very enjoyable and now I’m looking at Bob and Joe down the street and wondering how they’re different’.

“I’m sure there are some right-wing religious types who don’t enjoy us being on TV but they’ve been very quiet, which is surprising to me.”

Part of this is surely thanks to the incredibly convincing portrayal of Cameron and Mitchell’s relationship the two actors have created — particularly considering that, while Ferguson is gay in real life, camper-than-Christmas Stonestreet is actually straight. Now that’s acting.

“I’ve seen fantastic performances with gay actors playing straight roles and straight actors playing gay roles. If you’re a good actor you can pull it off,” Ferguson said.

Even so, does he ever take Stonestreet aside and give him tips on how to ‘play gay’?

“You know what? I ask him for tips on playing gay. He does it very, very well.”

While Modern Family’s in no danger of leaving our screens for now, the 35-year-old actor admitted he hoped his close association with the character of Mitchell wouldn’t see him typecast.

“I consider myself a good actor and I’ve played straight roles in the past. I’ve been embraced in those roles.

“It might be difficult for people to look at me as someone other than Mitchell Pritchett, who is gay, but I also come from the theatre world, which is a little more open to the idea of letting people reinvent themselves.

“I hope to have a long career in this business, and I hope to play lots of really great roles — some gay, some straight. As long as they’re interesting, I’m willing to play them.”

INFO: Modern Family Season 2 out now on DVD.