Ty Burrell’s journey to becoming the lovable goofball on Modern Family wasn’t easy. He struggled a lot before landing the role, but in the end, things did work out in his favor. Burrell’s Phil Dunphy is the funniest dad on TV who almost wasn’t, but we’re glad that in the end, things worked out for the actor.
So how was he cast as Phil after starring in Scarlett Johansson’s multi-million dollar comedy? Here’s a breakdown of his path to stardom, which was fueled by persistence, heartbreak, and a little bit of luck.
Ty Burrell’s role in Scarlett Johansson’s film before starring in Modern Family
Before being a part of Modern Family, Ty Burrell was not known among the masses, and he relied on small roles to get by. His big break in films was In Good Company, a 2005 comedy drama that grossed $61 million worldwide, where he starred alongside Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson (via Box Office Mojo).
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Christopher Lloyd, the sitcom’s creator, spoke about the time he was impressed by Burrell. Lloyd was watching the same movie and happened to find the actor “hilarious,”
I’d seen Ty in a Dennis Quaid movie [In Good Company] about office politics. He had this crazy pageboy haircut, with this deadpan, no-affect delivery. He was a hilarious character with a smallish role, but he jumped off the screen. And then literally four days later, David Rubin, our casting director, brought him in.
Burrell’s performance caught everyone’s attention, and it eventually set the stage for his audition as Phil Dunphy in Modern Family. But even with this standout role, Burrell faced problems in his career and struggled to make ends meet.
Ty Burrell’s struggle to be cast as Phil Dunphy
The creators, Steve Levitan and Christopher Llyod, envisioned Ty Burrell as the perfect Phil Dunphy, who’s big-hearted, wholesome, and unintentionally funny. But convincing ABC to cast him was another story, as the studio didn’t have any faith in the actor after a failed pilot episode for another show. In the same interview, even the ABC Entertainment president expressed what he first thought about Burrell.
That was my only knowledge of the guy. Not the resume you’re looking for. When my head of casting came to me and said, “They really want Ty Burrell,” I said, “You mean the guy in that God-awful pilot we did?” and they were like, “Yeah, that’s the guy.” I thought, “Oh man, how can I do that? It makes no sense.”
Burrell was rejected in several auditions for Modern Family, but the creators did not give up. They went above and beyond to have him on the show, and by the end, the studio was impressed and gave them the green signal. So, this is how the actor landed the role that would skyrocket him to fame after years of struggle and hard work.
You can watch Modern Family on Hulu.
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