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. He is also known for his theatrical work, winning a Tony Award in 2022 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Take Me Out, and originating the role of Leaf Coneybear in the original Broadway cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2006.
Ferguson made his Broadway debut in On the Town (1998), 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), The Tempest (2015), and Twelfth Night; or What You Will (2025). In 2016, he starred on Broadway in Fully Committed, for which he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.
Early life Jesse Tyler Ferguson was born in Missoula, Montana, to Anne Ferguson (née Doyle; 1948–2024) and Robert "Bob" Ferguson (born 1946). He was named after his paternal grandmother, Jessie Uppercue Ferguson, to whom he was very close growing up. He was also named after his paternal great-grandfather, Jesse. He has a brother, Benjamin Ferguson, and a sister, Kelly Ferguson.
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 musicals 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. Ferguson was 18 years old when his parents divorced. 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.Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2011 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. He appeared in the 2022 Broadway revival of Take Me Out, for which he won a Tony Award.
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 received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He 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. In 2020, he co-hosted HGTV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition replacing 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".
In 2026, Ferguson voiced Monsieur Firmin in Erin A. Craig's audiobook Our Strange Duet (2026), a new reimagining and followup to Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera.Major, Michael Sierra Boggess, Jordan Fisher & More Join THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Sequel Audio Book BroadwayWorld, July 31, 2026
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.Interview with Ferguson by David Letterman, Late Night with David Letterman, CBS, November 20, 2013.
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 born through surrogacy; their first son was born on July 7, 2020 and their second son was 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, named after Leaf Coneybear, a character he created in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway. He is a supporter of the Democratic Party and is shown in the 2016 Democratic National Convention promotional trailer "Our Fight Song".
Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 2001 Ordinary Sinner Ogden 2004 Mercury in Retrograde Duane Short film 2006 Griffin & Phoenix Student 2008 Untraceable Arthur James Elmer 2009 Wonderful World Cyril 2012 The Procession Jason Short film 8 Dr. Ilan Meyer Red Frank Jenkowski Short film 2016 Ice Age: Collision Course Shangri Llama (voice) 2023 Cocaine Bear Peter 2024 All That We Love Stan 2025 A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Santa Claus 2026 Stop! That! Train! Business Person
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"RuPaul's Drag Race Himself Episode: "Dads I'd Like to Frock"Who Do You Think You Are? 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"Project Runway Himself Guest judge; Episode: "Tie the Knot" 2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Episode: "Jesse Tyler Ferguson Wears a Brown Checked Shirt and Stripey Socks"Running Wild with Bear Grylls Episode: "Jesse Tyler Ferguson" 2017 Nightcap Episode: "Always a Beard, Never a Bride" Drop the Mic Episode: "David Arquette vs. Brian Tyree Henry / Jesse Tyler Ferguson vs. Chrissy Metz" 2017–2022 Pete the Cat Syd 17 episodes 2020 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Host 8 episodes A Modern Farewell Himself Modern Family documentary 2021 The Good Fight Garrison Vitar Episode: "And the Two Partners Had a Fight..." 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"Dinner Time Live with David Chang Himself Episode: "Pumpkin Spice"2025 Mid-Century Modern Tevin Episode: "Working Girls"
Podcasts Year Title Notes 2023-present Dinner’s On Me Host
Theatre Year Title Role Venue Ref. 1997On the TownChip Delacorte Theatre, Off-Broadway 1998–1999 Gershwin Theatre, Broadway2001Hair General GrantCity Center Encores! Concert2003Little Fish MarcoSecond Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway2004Where Do We LiveBillyVineyard 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 2007A Midsummer Night's Dream Francis Flute Shakespeare in the Park 2010 The Winter's Tale Shepard's Son Shakespeare in the ParkThe Merchant of Venice Launcelot Gobbo Shakespeare in the Park 2012 The Producers Leo Bloom Hollywood Bowl 2013 The Comedy of Errors Dromio of Syracuse Dromio of Ephesus Shakespeare in the Park 2015 Spamalot Sir Robin Hollywood Bowl The Tempest Trinculo Shakespeare in the Park 2016 Fully Committed Sam and others Lyceum Theatre, Broadway 2018 Log Cabin Ezra Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 2022Take Me OutMason Marzac Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway 2023 Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway Gutenberg! The Musical! The Producer(one night only) James Earl Jones Theatre, Broadway 2025 Here We Are Paul Zimmer Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, LondonJane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Martha Plimpton, More Will Star in Sondheim's Here We Are in London Twelfth Night Sir Andrew Aguecheek Shakespeare in the Park, New York 2026 Tru Truman Capote House of the Redeemer, Off-Broadway Jesus Christ Superstar King Herod London Palladium, West End Wild, Stephi Boy George, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and More Will Share The Role of King Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR BroadwayWorld, February 23, 2026TruTruman CapoteMenier Chocolate Factory, Off-West End
Music videos Year Title Artist Role Notes Ref. 2012 "Glamazon" RuPaul Guest star 2016 "Our Fight Song" Various Artists Himself "Holy Shit (You Got to Vote)" 2019 "You Need to Calm Down" Taylor Swift Cameo
Awards and nominations