Jesse Tyler Ferguson Biography

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (born October 22, 1975) is an American actor known for portraying Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family, which has earned him four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Previously he played the role of Richie Velch in the CBS sitcom The Class.

Early years

Ferguson was born in Missoula, Montana, and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was raised. At age eight he decided to become an actor, and joined the Albuquerque Children's Theater, where he was a member for six years.

At St. Pius X High School, Ferguson played Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie and General Bullmoose in 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

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. In the summer of 2007, Ferguson starred in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He co-starred in the 2008 thriller Untraceable.

On television, Ferguson was among the large ensemble cast on the short-lived CBS sitcom The Class, playing Richie Velch. He plays the role of Mitchell Pritchett, the openly gay lawyer on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. For his performance, Ferguson has received four consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2010-2013). He has also appeared as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance.

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.

Personal life

In September 2012, Ferguson announced his engagement to lawyer Justin Mikita, his boyfriend of nearly two years. They married on July 20, 2013 in New York City.

Filmography

• 2000 Sally Hemings: An American Scandal as Young Tom Hemings
• 2001 Ordinary Sinner as Ogden
• 2002 Mercury in Retrograde, as Duane
• 2003 Absolutely Fabulous in a cameo appearance
• 2006 Griffin and Phoenix as Student
• 2007 The Class (19 episodes) as Richie Velch
• 2008 Untraceable as Arthur James Elmer
• 2008 Do Not Disturb as Larry
• 2009 Wonderful World as Cyril
• 2009"? Modern Family as Mitchell Pritchett
• 2010 Ugly Betty (2 episodes) as Dr. Gabe Farkus
• 2011 So You Think You Can Dance (1 episode) as a Guest judge
• 2012 Stars in Shorts as Jason

Stage productions

• On the Town " Chip (Broadway Revival, November 19, 1998 " January 17, 1999)
• The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told " (Off-Broadway)
• Little Fish " Marco (Off-Broadway)
• Where Do We Live
• newyorkers
• Hair " Margaret Mead
• SantaLand Diaries
• A Midsummer Night's Dream " Francis Flute " Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park)
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee " Leaf Coneybear (Broadway, May 2, 2005 " January 20, 2008)
• On the Twentieth Century " Max Jacobs (Special Concert, September 26, 2005)
• The Winter's Tale " Shepard's Son " Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park) " Summer 2010
• The Merchant of Venice " Launcelot Gobbo " Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park) " Summer 2010
• The Producers " Leo Bloom " Hollywood Bowl " July 27"29, 2012
• A Comedy of Errors - Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park) - June 2013

Awards

• 2005 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Ensemble Performance " The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series " Modern Family