Eric Stonestreet says that the gay
character he plays on the ABC hit sitcom Modern Family isn't
defined by his sexuality.
Stonestreet has received two Emmy
Awards for his portrayal of Cameron Tucker, a gay man who is raising
a daughter with his husband Mitchell Pritchett (played by out actor
Jesse Tyler Ferguson.)
During a recent appearance on Larry
King Now, Stonestreet was asked by a Facebook user whether
playing a gay role has changed how he feels about the LGBT community
and their struggles for equality.
“It hasn't made me feel much
different than it did before,” Stonestreet
answered. “I grew up in Kansas. I didn't really know gay
people. … And then when I started doing theater I got to know tons
of gay people. And it's really one of the reasons I became an actor.
I was a fraternity guy, showed up to do a play and I was blown away
by how much I loved all the people involved. And those people, you
know, a lot of them were gay.”
“I always wanted Cam to be [a] person
first and their sexual orientation somehow shuffled down the list of
what defines him.” he added.