Interview with Jesse Tyler Ferguson from Modern Family

When The Class debuted in 2006, we really wanted to like the sitcom about a bunch of reunited high school friends. After all, we were big fans of Jason Ritter from Joan of Arcadia days and we were still looking for a show to fill that Friends void. But the only bright spot in the otherwise weak showing was that we discovered the comic genius that is Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

His turn as Richie Velch on the short-lived sitcom was our introduction to the red-headed actor’s impeccable comic timing and understated delivery. Sadly, we had never made it to NYC to see him as Leaf Coneybear in the Tony-Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, or we would have had a couple of extra years of loving him.

Regrettably, The Class went off the air quickly and we only got glimpses of JTF on Ugly Betty and in movies like Wonderful World.

Then came Modern Family. There was our favorite underrated actor, starring in the best TV show of the last 10 years (at least) – proving there is a god in TV land.

Now if only the recently unemployed Mitchell will volunteer to direct Manny’s school production of Fiddler on the Roof on Modern Family all will be right with the world.