‘Modern Family' Actor Opens up About How Fatherhood ‘Broke' His Heart Open
Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson has opened up about the many ways fatherhood has changed his life.
The 50-year-old actor spoke to People exclusively at the 79th Annual Tony Awards on June 7 about his sons, Beckett Mercer, in July 2020, and Sullivan "Sully" Louis, in November 2022.
"Fatherhood broke my heart open in ways that I didn't expect," the actor told the outlet. "And I just love my kids so much. I love being able to take them to the theater, share things with them that I love."
Jesse is currently appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar in London as King Herod. He posted a photo on opening night of him with his two sons on the stage of the London Palladium.
Ferguson's family have previously stepped out to support their dad on stage. They were there to cheer him on when he appeared in the 2025 Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night, in which he starred as Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
The actor has been married to lawyer and producer Justin Mikita for 13 years. The pair met at the gym when Mikita was still a law student and Modern Family had just started.
When his son Beckett was born in 2020, he told People that he had always wanted to be a dad. "My husband's 10 years younger than me, so I sort of was waiting for his timeline to catch up with mine," Ferguson explained. "I think I would have done this 10 years ago, but whatever, it's fine. Better late than never."
He admitted that his beloved Modern Family character, Mitchell Pritchett, helped ease him into becoming a dad in real life. Ferguson has thanked his on-set relationship with Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, who played his on-screen daughter Lily, for teaching him to understand children.
"But there's a lot of downtime on set. For me, it was about having conversations and communicating with kids in a way that wasn't patronising, but also getting to know kids as people," he told Parents.
"It taught me a lot about meeting her where she was at...communicating with them through questions and just being open to their questions," he added
Related: Jesse Tyler Ferguson Opens Up About Severe Anxiety During ‘Modern Family'
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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 3:54 PM.