Jesse Tyler Ferguson Remembers ‘Modern Family’ Big Break as ‘Tricky’ Because ‘There Was No Way to Please’ Gay Audiences

Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Mitchell Pritchett on “Modern Family” was a revolutionary character. As one of the first gay characters played by an out gay actor in network primetime, the impact he and his onscreen husband Cam (Eric Stonestreet) had on political issues like marriage equality and the generally widespread societal acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community cannot be overstated.

But in a “Dinner’s on Me” podcast interview published Tuesday, the five-time Emmy nominee remembers the balancing act of playing Mitchell being a “tricky” one, noting that gay audiences were particularly harsh toward the character for not living up to their expectations.

“I was in the trenches fighting for marriage equality, and I felt so lucky to be part of a pop culture touchstone that was also part of that same issue,” Ferguson told guest Riz Ahmed. But the series’ cultural prominence came with some baggage, too.

“It was tricky…