Jesse Tyler Ferguson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
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Ferguson in 2022
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| Born | October 22, 1975 Missoula, Montana, U.S.
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| Education | American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Justin Mikita
(m. 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (born October 22, 1975) is a well-known American actor. Many people know him for his role as Mitchell Pritchett on the TV show Modern Family. He played this character from 2009 to 2020. For his work on the show, he was nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is also famous for his acting on stage. In 2022, he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Take Me Out. He also created the role of Leaf Coneybear in the original Broadway show The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2006.
He first appeared on Broadway in a musical called On the Town in 1998. He has also performed in many Shakespeare in the Park plays. These include A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007), A Winter's Tale (2010), The Merchant of Venice (2010), and The Tempest (2015). In 2016, he starred in the Broadway play Fully Committed. For this role, he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.
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Early Life and Education
Jesse Tyler Ferguson was born in Missoula, Montana. His parents are Anne Ferguson and Robert "Bob" Ferguson. He was named after his grandmother, Jessie, and his great-grandfather, Jesse. He has two siblings, a brother named Benjamin and a sister named Kelly.
Moving to New Mexico
His family later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he grew up. When he was eight years old, Jesse decided he wanted to be an actor. He joined the Albuquerque Children's Theater and was a member for six years.
High School and Early Jobs
While attending St. Pius X High School, Jesse acted in plays like Bye Bye Birdie and Li'l Abner. He was also part of the school's speech and debate team. He graduated from high school in 1994. Before becoming a full-time actor, he worked as a dancer and singer at Cliff's Amusement Park. After high school, Jesse went to The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City to study acting.
Acting Career Highlights
Theater Performances
In New York City, Jesse Tyler Ferguson mostly worked in theater. He performed in both Off-Broadway and Broadway shows. One of his most famous roles was Leaf Coneybear in the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He was the first actor to play this character.
He also performed in Shakespeare in the Park productions. In 2007, he was in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 2015, he appeared in The Tempest. In the summer of 2015, he played Sir Robin in a Hollywood Bowl production of Monty Python's Spamalot.
In March 2012, Jesse was part of a special performance of Dustin Lance Black's play 8. This play was a reenactment of a real court case that helped overturn a ban on same-sex marriage in California. The performance was shown online to help raise money for equal rights.
Television and Film Roles
Jesse Tyler Ferguson has also had a successful career in television and film. He was part of the cast of the CBS sitcom The Class, where he played Richie Velch. In 2008, he also appeared in the thriller movie Untraceable.
His most famous role is Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. He played this character from 2009 to 2020. Mitchell was an openly gay lawyer on the show. Jesse was nominated for five Emmy Awards for his acting in this role. He has also been a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance. In 2017, he appeared on TBS's Drop the Mic. Since 2020, he has been a co-host for HGTV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Ty Pennington.
Other Creative Works
In 2018, Jesse was one of the actors who read the audiobook A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. In 2019, he appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for her song "You Need to Calm Down".
Giving Back to the Community
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In September 2012, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, Justin Mikita, started a charity called Tie The Knot. This organization helps raise money to support same-sex marriage rights. They sell special bow ties to collect funds. They announced their engagement and the charity at the same time in an online video. In the video, they explained that at that time, only seven states allowed same-sex marriage. Jesse wanted to create a project that was manageable and could make a difference.
Tie The Knot Foundation
The Tie The Knot foundation sells limited-edition bow ties. These ties are designed by Jesse and Justin, and sometimes by guest designers. The money from sales goes to organizations that support same-sex marriage. The ties are sold by The Tie Bar, an online company.
In January 2013, Jesse and Justin were asked by Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon to talk to lawmakers in Illinois. They encouraged them to pass a bill that would allow same-sex marriage. The bill passed, and the governor signed it into law. It became effective on June 1, 2014.
Working with the ACLU
In October 2013, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) named Jesse Tyler Ferguson their celebrity ambassador for the LGBT community. He was very involved in the ACLU's "Out for Freedom" campaign. He traveled to his home state of New Mexico to support same-sex marriage efforts there. Before December 19, 2013, New Mexico did not have a clear law about same-sex marriage. Jesse's charity gave $10,000 to the ACLU of New Mexico to help with these efforts.
In November 2013, Tie The Knot opened a temporary store in Los Angeles. This store featured their fourth collection of bow ties. Some designs were even created with professional athletes like Scott Fujita, Chris Kluwe, and Brittney Griner.
Personal Life
Jesse Tyler Ferguson uses his full name because there was already an actor named Jesse Ferguson when he joined the actors' union.
In September 2012, he announced his engagement to his boyfriend, Justin Mikita, who is a lawyer. They had been together for almost two years. They got married in Manhattan on July 20, 2013. The famous playwright Tony Kushner led their wedding ceremony. Jesse and Justin have two sons, both born through surrogacy. Their first son was born on July 7, 2020, and their second son was born on November 15, 2022.
Jesse has a dog named Leaf. He named his dog after the character Leaf Coneybear, whom he played in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway. He supports the Democratic Party and appeared in a promotional video for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Awards and Recognitions
Jesse Tyler Ferguson has received many awards and nominations for his acting.
- In 2005, he won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
- In 2016, he won another Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for his play Fully Committed.
- In 2022, he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Take Me Out.
- He was nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Modern Family.
- He and the cast of Modern Family won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series four times in a row, from 2010 to 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Jesse Tyler Ferguson para niños
