Eric Stonestreet
Encyclopedia
Eric Stonestreet is an American actor, known for his starring role as Cameron Tucker on the ABC
comedy Modern Family
. Stonestreet has received critical acclaim for his performance in Modern Family and won the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role.
. During his childhood, he wanted to become a clown. At age eleven, he created an auguste clown character named Fizbo, and has periodically brought him back, including in two episodes of Modern Family. He is a graduate of Piper High School
and Kansas State University
(1996). He spent two years doing plays and studying improv
at The Second City Training Center in Chicago
, then moved to Los Angeles
and began his professional acting career. He was also a member of Kansas State's Pi Kappa Alpha
Fraternity.
on ABC. He is also notable for his role as Ronnie Litre on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
.
He has also appeared on such television shows as Dharma & Greg
, Malcolm in the Middle
, The Mentalist
, Party of Five
, Spin City
, ER
, The West Wing, Pushing Daisies
, Greg the Bunny
, Providence
, Close to Home, Crossing Jordan
, Bones
, Monk
, NCIS
, American Horror Story
, and Nip/Tuck
. Early on in his career, Stonestreet was featured in Northwestern University
's 1996 Football TV commercial campaign as the "purple pride guy." In 2008, he played a private security firm employee and killer in an episode of NCIS entitled "Silent Night." In 2009, Stonestreet appeared on Nip/Tuck
as a criminal sentenced to death for the alleged killing of a young girl.
His first major film role came in 2000, when he played Sheldon the desk clerk in Almost Famous
. He also played Dr. Benson in Girls Will Be Girls, Ed the Trucker in The Island
, and Courtney's Neighbor in Ninja Cheerleaders
. In 2007, Stonestreet appeared in the short film "Vinny's Vault," which was produced during the reality show On the Lot
.
In 2009, Stonestreet began his run as Cameron Tucker on ABC's Modern Family
. The show, and Stonestreet, returned for a second season on September 22, 2010. On August 29, 2010, Stonestreet won a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award (his first) as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Cameron in the episode "Fizbo".
On December 14, 2010, it was announced that Stonestreet received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
, who plays Cameron Tucker's partner, Mitchell Pritchett, jokingly calls him "gay-for-pay
." Stonestreet is also an avid fan of Kansas State University
, cheering for the Wildcats on Jimmy Kimmel Live
after they had beaten the Kansas Jayhawks in men's basketball, as well as appearing on College Gameday Live on October 29th 2011 in full Kansas State jumpsuit and picking them to upset the then No. 9 Oklahoma football team.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
comedy Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
. Stonestreet has received critical acclaim for his performance in Modern Family and won the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role.
Early life
Stonestreet was born in Kansas City, KansasKansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. During his childhood, he wanted to become a clown. At age eleven, he created an auguste clown character named Fizbo, and has periodically brought him back, including in two episodes of Modern Family. He is a graduate of Piper High School
Piper High School (Kansas)
Piper High School is a public secondary school in Kansas City, Kansas, USA operated by Unified School District 203, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. This school is one of multiple high schools located in Kansas City. The school colors are purple and white, although black is generally...
and Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
(1996). He spent two years doing plays and studying improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
at The Second City Training Center in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, then moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and began his professional acting career. He was also a member of Kansas State's Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
Fraternity.
Career
Stonestreet plays Cameron Tucker on Modern FamilyModern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
on ABC. He is also notable for his role as Ronnie Litre on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
.
He has also appeared on such television shows as Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
, Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
, The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
, Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
, Spin City
Spin City
Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, The West Wing, Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
, Greg the Bunny
Greg the Bunny
Greg the Bunny is an American television sitcom that originally aired on Fox TV in 2002. It starred Seth Green and a hand puppet named Greg the Bunny, originally invented by the team of Sean S. Baker, Spencer Chinoy and Dan Milano. Milano and Chinoy wrote and co-produced the Fox show. In the show,...
, Providence
Providence (TV series)
Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr...
, Close to Home, Crossing Jordan
Crossing Jordan
Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001 to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Medical Examiner's Office...
, Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
, American Horror Story
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is a horror-drama television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The series centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair...
, and Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
. Early on in his career, Stonestreet was featured in Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's 1996 Football TV commercial campaign as the "purple pride guy." In 2008, he played a private security firm employee and killer in an episode of NCIS entitled "Silent Night." In 2009, Stonestreet appeared on Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
as a criminal sentenced to death for the alleged killing of a young girl.
His first major film role came in 2000, when he played Sheldon the desk clerk in Almost Famous
Almost Famous
Almost Famous is a 2000 musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and telling the fictional story of a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine while covering the fictitious rock band Stillwater , and his efforts to get his first cover story published...
. He also played Dr. Benson in Girls Will Be Girls, Ed the Trucker in The Island
The Island (2005 film)
The Island is a 2005 American science fiction/thriller film directed by Michael Bay and starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. It was released on July 22, 2005 in the United States, and was nominated for three awards including the Teen Choice Award....
, and Courtney's Neighbor in Ninja Cheerleaders
Ninja Cheerleaders
Ninja Cheerleaders is a 2008 comedy film written and directed by David Presley.-Story and cast:In the film's plot, a ninja sensei Hiroshi who must be rescued by his three cheerleader/ stripper students April , Courtney and Monica from a mafia boss Victor Lazzaro and his evil ninja girlfriend...
. In 2007, Stonestreet appeared in the short film "Vinny's Vault," which was produced during the reality show On the Lot
On the Lot
On the Lot is a short-lived reality show competition produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at DreamWorks...
.
In 2009, Stonestreet began his run as Cameron Tucker on ABC's Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
. The show, and Stonestreet, returned for a second season on September 22, 2010. On August 29, 2010, Stonestreet won a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award (his first) as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Cameron in the episode "Fizbo".
On December 14, 2010, it was announced that Stonestreet received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
Personal life
Stonestreet is heterosexual, and often says that he is "Openly straight". His openly gay co-star, Jesse Tyler FergusonJesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor who portrays Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. Previously he played the role of Richie Velch in the CBS sitcom The Class. He is openly gay.-Life and career:...
, who plays Cameron Tucker's partner, Mitchell Pritchett, jokingly calls him "gay-for-pay
Gay-for-pay
Gay-for-pay describes male or female actors, pornographic stars, or sex workers who self-identify as heterosexual but who are paid to act or perform as homosexual professionally. The term has also applied to other professions and even companies with the same core concerns and criticism in place...
." Stonestreet is also an avid fan of Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, cheering for the Wildcats on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
after they had beaten the Kansas Jayhawks in men's basketball, as well as appearing on College Gameday Live on October 29th 2011 in full Kansas State jumpsuit and picking them to upset the then No. 9 Oklahoma football team.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Almost Famous Almost Famous Almost Famous is a 2000 musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and telling the fictional story of a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine while covering the fictitious rock band Stillwater , and his efforts to get his first cover story published... |
Sheldon the Desk Clerk | |
| 2003 | F.A.T. | Ranger | |
| 2003 | Girls Will Be Girls | Dr. Benson | |
| 2003 | Street of Pain | Floyd | |
| 2004 | Straight-Jacket Straight-Jacket Straight-Jacket is a 2004 comedy film written and directed by Richard Day, based on his play. Done as a pastiche of the Rock Hudson-Doris Day romantic comedy films, Straight-Jacket tells the story of Guy Stone, a closeted gay actor in the 1950s who is modeled on Hudson.-Plot:Guy Stone is... |
Labor Organizer | |
| 2004 | Knuckle Sandwich | Bill | |
| 2005 | Saddam 17 | The Clerk | |
| 2005 | Ed the Trucker | ||
| 2006 | 13 Graves | Andrew Schoch | |
| 2007 | Delivery Guy | ||
| 2007 | Stories USA | Floyd | Segment "Street of Pain" |
| 2008 | Ninja Cheerleaders Ninja Cheerleaders Ninja Cheerleaders is a 2008 comedy film written and directed by David Presley.-Story and cast:In the film's plot, a ninja sensei Hiroshi who must be rescued by his three cheerleader/ stripper students April , Courtney and Monica from a mafia boss Victor Lazzaro and his evil ninja girlfriend... |
Beergut | |
| 2008 | American Crude | Phil | |
| 2009 | This Might Hurt | Brad Maynard | |
| 2010 | Father vs. Son | Doug | Complete |
| 2011 | Bad Teacher Bad Teacher Bad Teacher is a 2011 comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan based on a screenplay by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, and starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, and Jason Segel... |
Kirk | |
| 2011 | Cameo | ||
| 2013 | Loft | Marty Landry | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites... |
Chester | 1 episode ("See Dharma Run") |
| 2000 | I've Got a Secret I've Got a Secret I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?... |
Himself | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes... |
Phil | 1 episode ("Malcolm Babysits") |
| 2000 | Party of Five Party of Five Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation... |
Irv | 2 episodes ("All's Well..." & "...That Ends Well") |
| 2000 | Spin City Spin City Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike... |
The Photographer | 1 episode ("Smile") |
| 2000 | ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
Willie | 1 episode ("Mars Attacks") |
| 2001 | Staffer #1 | 1 episode ("Bad Moon Rising Bad Moon Rising (The West Wing) -Plot:The President tells White House Counsel Oliver Babish of his MS. Babish conducts a pointed interview with the President where they discuss key issues such as whether Jed Bartlet ever lied about his health in a court of law when he was Governor Bartlet in New Hampshire... ") |
|
| 2002 | Greg the Bunny Greg the Bunny Greg the Bunny is an American television sitcom that originally aired on Fox TV in 2002. It starred Seth Green and a hand puppet named Greg the Bunny, originally invented by the team of Sean S. Baker, Spencer Chinoy and Dan Milano. Milano and Chinoy wrote and co-produced the Fox show. In the show,... |
Wilson (uncredited) | 1 episode ("Welcome to Sweetknuckle Junction") |
| 2002 | Providence Providence (TV series) Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr... |
Ted Stout | 1 episode ("Eye of the Storm") |
| 2001–05 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Ronnie Litre | 13 episodes |
| 2005 | Close to Home | Security Officer Andrew Morgan | 1 episode ("Under Threat") |
| 2007 | Crossing Jordan Crossing Jordan Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001 to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Medical Examiner's Office... |
Steve Anderman | 1 episode ("D.O.A.") |
| 2007 | Bones Bones (TV series) Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent... |
D.C. Cop | 2 episodes ("Stargazer in a Puddle" & "The Boneless Bride in the River") |
| 2007 | On the Lot On the Lot On the Lot is a short-lived reality show competition produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at DreamWorks... |
Actor | 2 episodes ("Auditions #1" & "Auditions #2") |
| 2007 | American Dad! American Dad! American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television... |
1 episode ("Dope & Faith"), voice only | |
| 2008 | Malcom Boatwright | 1 episode ("Red Hair and Silver Tape") | |
| 2008 | Pushing Daisies Pushing Daisies Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations... |
Leo Burns | 1 episode ("Comfort Food") |
| 2008 | NCIS | Harvey Ames | 1 episode ("Silent Night") |
| 2009 | Monk Monk (TV series) Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July... |
Boom Boom | 1 episode ("Mr. Monk and the UFO") |
| 2009 | Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy... |
Wesley Clovis | 1 episode ("Wesley Clovis") |
| 2009 | Dancing Stars Dancing Stars Dancing Stars is the Bulgarian adaptation of the BBC Worldwide format Dancing With The Stars. The first season of the show started on 22 September 2008 and was aired on bTV. The first season of the show was hosted by Radost Draganova and Todor Kolev... |
Himself | Guest Appearance |
| 2009–present | Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label... |
Cameron Tucker | Main cast Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2010; Nominated 2011) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series(2010) Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2010) Nominated — 2010 Critics Association Award |
| 2010 | Good News Week Good News Week Good News Week is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that initially aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and resumed on 11 February 2008 to 9 May 2011. The show aired first on ABC TV before it was bought by Network Ten in 1999... |
Himself | 1 episode ("8.37") |
| 2011 | American Horror Story American Horror Story American Horror Story is a horror-drama television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The series centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair... |
Derek | 1 episode |