Fans of ABC’s hit sitcom Modern Family, as well as Penn’s LGBT community in general, are anticipating Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s arrival on campus later this month.
Ferguson — who plays an openly gay father on Modern Family and has appeared on Broadway numerous times — will be speaking at Zellerbach Theater at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 25, the Social Planning and Events Committee Film Society announced on Friday.
Tickets for the event go on sale Tuesday.
College sophomore Dudley Charles, who watches Modern Family, applauded SPEC’s choice of speaker.
“He’s one of my favorite characters on the show,” Charles said. “His comedic timing is great.”
Wharton freshman Ally Del Canal agreed.
“My hallmates and I watch Modern Family whenever we need a study break,” she said. “Jesse Tyler Ferguson himself is a hilarious actor, and seeing him in person would be an honor.”
SPEC Film Society has been working since October to book the emerging TV and Broadway star, said College junior Josh Oppenheimer, SPEC’s executive secretary.
“By bringing in actors, directors and industry executives, we hope to give students a behind-the-scenes look at how television shows and movies are made, as well as create discourse surrounding themes and social issues portrayed in these mediums,” Oppenheimer said.
He added that he expects Ferguson to talk about his career, his work on Modern Family and his role in the LGBT community.
Ferguson’s upcoming appearance has already drawn interest from some of Penn’s LGBT student groups.
College sophomore and Lambda Alliance Chair Hugh Hamilton described Modern Family as a “watershed show for gay visibility in the same way that Will and Grace was a few years ago.”
“You hear a lot of people nowadays saying how actors shouldn’t be openly gay because it will be damaging to their careers, and obviously Ferguson is a counter argument to that,” he added.
Del Canal, though, believes Ferguson’s appearance may not make as big of a splash among the student body in comparison to some past SPEC speakers — including Jesse Eisenberg, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and, most recently, James Franco.
Though Del Canal doesn’t see the Ferguson talk causing the “mass chaos” that the James Franco event did, she is confident in the loyalty of Penn’s Modern Family fan base. “Even though it may not bring as many people as James Franco, it will bring more passionate and enthusiastic fans who watch the show on a regular basis.”
“If people don’t watch the show, then they won’t come,” Charles added.
College sophomore Emily Ruderman applauded Ferguson for breaking down stereotypes of gay characters on TV.
“Although it is evident that Mitchell [Ferguson’s character] was ‘different’ as a child, he now is an upstanding citizen with a well-respected job in a well-to-do neighborhood with an adopted Asian daughter,” she said. “Mitchell is not the classic portrayal of what a gay man used to be on TV, which makes me love him that much more.”
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