InfoAnda - On the Modern Family set with Eric Stonestreet |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Jack White, Alicia Keys hit chart with Bond theme | Entertainment | | 20 November 2008
Police battle rioters in Berlin | International | | 2 May 2009
Blast in crowd kills 41 Shiite pilgrims in Iraq | 6 February 2010

Air France plane crashes into Atlantic with 228 aboard | International | | 1 June 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : On the Modern Family set with Eric Stonestreet |

Edition: U.S. Article Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared U.S. warns citizens about travel to Thailand 12 Apr 2010 Biographer says Oprah is all business, no pleasure 12 Apr 2010 Tiger Woods boosts TV audience, but fails at record 12 Apr 2010 Gay marriage fails to get on California ballot 12 Apr 2010 Google CEO says company tends to create enemies 12 Apr 2010 U.S. warns citizens about travel to Thailand 12 Apr 2010 China real estate bazaar drowns out government warnings 12 Apr 2010 First singers fined for lip-synching 12 Apr 2010 Pupils "sadistically tormented" at German monastery 12 Apr 2010 Diet can sharply cut Alzheimer's risk: study 12 Apr 2010 On the "Modern Family" set with Eric Stonestreet Jenelle Riley Mon Apr 12, 2010 11:29pm EDT Cast members Jesse Tyler Ferguson (L) and Eric Stonestreet from the show ''Modern Family'' answer questions during the Disney and ABC Television Summer Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California August 8, 2009. Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten LOS ANGELES (Back Stage) - One of the biggest success stories of the TV season is "Modern Family," ABC's rejuvenation of the family sitcom, albeit a slightly twisted take. Entertainment | Television | Media Most actors in the show's ensemble are veterans of other series, which run the gamut from iconic to swiftly canceled. For example, "Modern Family" patriarch Ed O'Neill will forever be beloved as "Married ... With Children" dad Al Bundy, while his onscreen son Jesse Tyler Ferguson previously starred on the short-lived sitcom "The Class," and TV daughter Julie Bowen has a trio of solid series ("Lost," "Boston Legal," and "Ed") under her belt. Ty Burrell, playing Bowen's clueless husband, was a regular on two previous series, as was Sofia Vergara, who plays O'Neill's trophy wife. Rounding out this picture-perfect family is Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, the gregarious longtime partner of Ferguson's uptight lawyer Mitchell. Though Stonestreet has been working regularly since his TV debut on a 1999 episode of "Dharma & Greg," he had never been a series regular before "Modern Family." Now he finds himself stealing scenes from some of the best comic talents in the business. His flamboyant Cameron is a man who chooses to introduce adopted daughter Lily to the family by entering the room in an African robe while playing "Circle of Life" and holding her above his head a la "The Lion King." (When Mitchell orders him to "Turn it off," he replies, "I can't turn it off; it's who I am!") Recently, Back Stage visited Stonestreet on set, where he was filming an episode, and spoke with him about landing the job of a lifetime. TRAILER PARKED Stonestreet's call time was 10:45 a.m., a vast improvement over his usual 6 or 7 a.m. He says the show typically shoots two to seven scenes in a day; today they'll shoot five. He's also relieved to be taping on the Fox lot in Century City in Los Angeles, the show's home base. "Locations are the worst," he says. "Last week we shot at LAX for three days." Though the morning began with a scene involving several cast members, all have been dismissed except for Stonestreet and Ferguson, when the show breaks for lunch. Stonestreet shows off his trailer -- a typical setup, with "Cameron" written on the door. After showing off pictures of his dog, who sometimes joins him on set, Stonestreet reveals that he originally read the pilot for "Modern Family" when a friend asked for help running lines. "He had an audition for Cameron, and as I read with him, I was really bummed I wasn't getting to go in for it," Stonestreet recalls. "It just hadn't come my direction as far as the physical type yet." Although he hadn't seen a description of the character's appearance, he knew that Ferguson was already cast as Mitchell and the network was looking for someone who matched him. "You just never know," Stonestreet says. "I've been a character actor and a big guy my whole career, and my goal has always been to change people's mind and do justice to the part so that they look past what I look like and see just an actor, rather than a 'big' or a 'heavyset' actor." Stonestreet's representation persisted, and the show still couldn't find a Cameron. The search began to widen, and eventually Stonestreet was allowed to audition. "I don't remember the exact breakdown, but it was something like 'Passionate, the more dramatic of the two, flamboyant but grounded,'" the actor says. "It was a tricky character to audition for, because you read the script and there's that 'Lion King' moment. So you have to build a character who's not too flamboyant -- yet, on Page 27, he's capable of this." Stonestreet knew it would be easy to go over the top with the interpretation, which he hoped to avoid. "There were three audition scenes, and the word on the street was a lot of actors went in and were dismissed after the first scene," he reveals. "So my goal was to be able to get through all three." Not only did he get to do all three; he got to do them several times, as he was called back for a screen test and a network test. Over the course of 10 minutes, four people have popped in to speak to Stonestreet, show him costume changes, or ask questions. A fifth person now appears, telling him he's needed in hair and makeup. As he prepares to depart, he notes, "My getting this part is a great lesson in that you can't guess what people want in a room while you're auditioning. You have to be who you are and true to yourself and what naturally fits you. If they're buying what you're selling, you get the job. I think of auditions as there's a problem that I'm going to solve, and if I get the part, I feel like the problem's been solved. If I don't get the part, then they still have the problem." THE BIG TEASE In the makeup trailer, a stylist blow-dries his hair to achieve Cameron's fluffy mane, as the actor reveals how acting thwarted his planned career as a prison warden. "I've always been fascinated by crime and punishment," Stonestreet explains. "Someday I hope to get to be in an organized crime movie." Born and raised in Kansas City, Kan., Stonestreet earned a track and field scholarship to a junior college. While there, he took a fall, tearing his rotator cuff, breaking his foot, and putting an end to his sports career. He then transferred to Kansas State University. Though he had studied clowning as a kid (a talent he would later put to use when Cameron reveals his secret past as Fizbo the Clown), Stonestreet had never considered acting as a career, intending instead to become a prison warden. After breaking up with a girlfriend and moping around school, he was challenged by a friend to "change things up" by auditioning for a play. Stonestreet landed the role of Uncle Fred ("the smallest role in the play") in "Prelude to a Kiss" and was instantly hooked. "I just caught the bug," he says. "It was exhilarating." He moved to Chicago, feeling it was "a safer place to fail than Los Angeles." He studied at Second City and began booking commercials fairly quickly. "You can carve out a good career in Chicago with voiceover and theaters like the Goodman and Steppenwolf," he notes. "Originally I had no intention of moving to Los Angeles. About a year in, I realized I needed to give the big sandbox a try." Guest parts began coming fairly regularly, from "Malcolm in the Middle" to "ER" and a recurring role on "CSI." Stonestreet learned early on to do his job and stay out of the way. "I remember Gene Hackman saying, 'Your job in that position is to know your lines, hit your mark, be on time, and not screw anything up,'" he recalls. "I think some actors, we feel like we have to impress the producer and make a moment for our character. But the best thing you can do is just be a pro. That is way more appreciated and respected than trying to become the star of a moment." At this point, Ferguson enters the trailer and notices that his co-star has a guest. "Are you doing an interview?" he asks. "I'm sorry, it's not going to be very good." He then begins mimicking Stonestreet: "It was sooo liberating to go to class and really study." Stonestreet is unfazed, saying, "This is what Jesse does: He makes fun of me." SPIDER MEN A few minutes later, the pair is on set, preparing to tape a scene in which Cameron and Mitchell hear a suspicious noise on Lily's baby monitor. Cameron races into the room wielding a baseball bat, followed shortly by Mitchell. They're relieved to realize the monitor was just picking up noise from a neighbor. "But if that had been a spider," Cameron quips, "he would have been in trouble." The first two takes go smoothly. On the third, Stonestreet draws out the word "trouble," teasing Mitchell. This elicits a laugh from director Kevin Rodney Sullivan, who pops into the room to ask him to do it again on the next take. On the fourth take, Stonestreet draws the word into three syllables: "Tru-huh-ble!" Co-creator Steven Levitan then suggests that Stonestreet raise the bat toward Ferguson when his partner enters the room, as if thinking he's the intruder. The bit goes over well, and Levitan says to keep it. At least three times the director calls for "one more" take before finally stopping at nine. A little more than an hour has been spent taping a scene that will probably last 20 seconds on screen. "That's pretty standard," Stonestreet says. "And what's so cool about our show -- which was just demonstrated -- is how even when we're shooting it, we're constantly finding new things and evolving it as we go." DOMESTIC BLISS Stonestreet returns to the makeup trailer to have his hair done yet again, for a scene he'll be shooting with one of the babies who double as Lily. While there, he recounts how he and Ferguson decided to meet for coffee after learning that Stonestreet had won the role: "I was talking to my dad on the phone, and he said, 'What are you going to do today?' I said, 'Oh, I'm going to meet my husband for coffee.'" It was only midway through the meeting that the two realized they were surrounded by couples -- and had scheduled their meet on Valentine's Day. Though Stonestreet is straight, he had no qualms about accepting the role, and he takes it as a compliment that many viewers find him so convincing that they assume he's gay in real life. "I love it!" he says. "I love the fans that I have. They're so cool. I'm a guy who's been working as an actor for a long time, and my main goal was always to get a job. Not to get a job on a great show, not to get a job on a great show with a great character, but just to get a job. So for me to be on this show with this cast and this audience support is more than I could have ever imagined. I will take my fans in any shape, size, gender, sexual orientation they come in. I'm just happy to have fans!" As for his family's reaction, Stonestreet points to the year before he landed "Modern Family," when he played murderers on "The Mentalist," "Pushing Daisies," and "NCIS," as well as an inmate on death row for raping and murdering a girl on a recent episode of "Nip/Tuck." "People will ask me, 'Are your parents okay with you playing a gay character on TV?' And I'm like, 'My mom was more upset that I killed three people on TV last year!'" Stonestreet shoots his final scene with Lily and wraps his day just before 6 p.m., about an hour later than expected but unusually early for an actor on a weekly series. Though he admits he got restless waiting for his big break when he first moved to L.A., he now feels grateful for the time it took to build experience in front of the camera. "Eleven years ago, I thought I was ready to be on a sitcom," he says. "Looking back on it, I may have been ready, but there are so many aspects that go into it that I didn't know. Just the technical end of it: 'Yeah, you're going to be funny, but we need you to be funny on this mark, leaning with your weight on the right, and don't get lost behind the doorway. Also, right off-camera, there's a huge light in your face.' There are so many things to work around, you're not even aware." He also laughs to think just how different his career turned out than he intended. He recalls once reading a pamphlet about what a person can expect in a career in criminal justice. "If your career went the way it was supposed to, by 35 you should have your first junior wardenship," he says. "I always think about the Eric who's living that life out there, who's a junior warden in Terre Haute, Ind. And I'm really glad I got detoured." Entertainment Television Media More from Reuters Growth, cheap smartphones key in Q1 handset market HELSINKI/SEOUL (Reuters) - Top cellphone makers are set to report accelerating market growth and booming demand for new smartphones when they unveil March quarter earnings starting this week. Conan O'Brien makes surprise move to TBS | Video Conan O'Brien's surprise move to TBS makes sense Twitter set to make money through advertisements DIARY - Egypt/Sudan - April 13 On the "Modern Family" set with Eric Stonestreet » More Top News Is China's bubble about to burst? Beijing's housing property fairs are frantic with hungry buyers, making bubble-wary real estate experts very nervous. Full Article China bank lending slows China This is what recovery looks like Americans are shopping again, but the heady days of "I see it, I want it, I buy it" are over. Full Article When exactly did the recession end? Consumers cut back on drinks Adventures in financial literacy Economy © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Taliban threaten to kill French journalist hostages
Afghan fury after US troops kill four civilians
Fresh doubts hit Europe's Greek bailout offer
Microsoft unveils new mobile phones for young consumers
US-TECH Summary
Best Buy to sell Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader
Poland crash pilots had been warned: investigators
Microsoft launches Kin phones
Nine dead as landslide derails Italian train |
Former Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sex With Teens
Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in Twitter twist
Obama Reiterates U.S. Help To Safeguard Chernobyl Site In Ukraine
News
US newspaper, TV news executives gloomy about future
Iran leader wants U.N. pressure over Afghan rebels |
MasterCard Taps Ajay Banga As New CEO
Palm hires advisers, explores options: source
Malaysian Premier Talks Bilateral Issues With Obama
Hundreds of Internet fans expected at annual tech-fest in Spain
Egypt says had no hand in Kuwait deportations |
S.Korea's NHN buys Japanese Internet provider Livedoor
Smiles Galore As President Obama Meets King Abdullah
Pupils sadistically tormented at German monastery |
Google buys visual search start-up Plink
Family Of Deerfield Beach Beating Suspect Apologizes To Victim's Family
More bodies pulled from Rio mud, 205 dead |
Conan O’Brien Heads To TBS For New Late Night Show
German '4G' mobile phone frequencies go under hammer
"Dirty Dozen" Member Dies
Ukraine promises to give up uranium at world nukes summit
Microsoft unveils new mobile phones for young consumers
Nicole Richie Draws Inspiration From Jack The Ripper For Her Fall Winter Kate Collection
Best Buy to sell Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader
French TV bends to Taliban, airs hostage pleas
Green Day, Lance Bass, Cat Cora Help Fund Gay-Friendly Prom
Thai poll body says ruling party must be dissolved
US, Malaysia say world must send 'clear signal' to Iran
200,000 civilians flee Pakistan military offensive
Anger mounts as US troops kill 4 Afghans on bus
Pakistani forces kill up to 40 militants in Orakzai
Microsoft launches Kin phones |
Report says 7 killed when boat sinks in Bangladesh
Ex-Activision executives form studio, sign EA deal |
Taliban wants France to arrange detainee swap
Creator of Java programming language leaves Oracle |
Critics blast Bangladesh's ship-breaking law move
Palm hires advisers, explores options: source |
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers |
ConocoPhillips to sell Syncrude stake to Sinopec
Peabody Energy, Coal India in tie-up talks
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Twitter twist |
PepsiCo, India's Tata Tea in joint-venture talks
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Conan O'Brien to join cable TV's TBS
Denis Leary, "Rescue Me" co-stars plan comedy tour
Greece museum visitors increase by 40 percent
Tenor Domingo speaks of cancer fear ahead of return
Indonesian police kill terrorist suspect in Aceh
Romeo and Juliet get Twitter makeover
British band Supergrass announces split
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers |
Denis Leary, Rescue Me co-stars plan comedy tour |
Broadway hit Jersey Boys sues rival show |
German '4G' mobile phone frequencies go under hammer
Polish president's body to lie in state
Opera browser gets accepted for Apple iPhone
Gunman killed in Gaza firefight: medics
Top anti-racism judge shot dead in Moscow
Israeli forces kill Palestinian gunman in Gaza
Poland moves to fill key posts after plane crash |
Facebook urged to add 'panic button' for children
Nine dead after landslide derails Italian train
Egypt says had no hand in Kuwait deportations
Java designer resigns from Oracle
French TV names journalists held by Taliban
Pressure mounts on Thai PM after deadly clashes |
iPad name giving Apple heartache in Brazil
China stabbings spur public call for school security |
Palm shares soar on reports company looking for a buyer
ProPublica wins Pulitzer but Post, Times dominate
U.S. military playing expanded role in Pakistan |
Ex-Activision executives form studio, sign EA deal
Malaysian gets flogging for acid attack on wife
Bomb blasts in southern Philippines kill two
Afghan officials want to direct more foreign aid
Kyrgyz leader must come to capital or face arrest
N.Korea shuts S.Korean assets at resort, expels staff
Growth, cheap smartphones key in Q1 handset market |
Opera browser gets accepted for Apple iPhone |
Thailand accuses Thaksin of stoking deadly unrest
World nuclear summit confronts 'growing' threat
2 dead after stabbing rampage near S. China school
Dow closes above 11,000 for first time in 18 months
China eases government procurement rules on tech |
Planet Circling "Cold" Star Is Earth’s Newest Neighbor
4 Afghan policemen killed in roadside bombing
Virginia Boy, 12, Arrested For Bringing Gun To School
Google CEO says company tends to create enemies |
Barrier Reef damage 'severe' from ship grounding
Robyn To Release New Album "Body Talk 1" In June
Millions swarm to Ganges for Indian religious festival
Alcoa Q1 Loss Shrinks On Higher Aluminum Prices
U.S. Markets Gain On Greece Aid Plan, Dow Tops 11K
Obama Wins Agreement on First Day of Nuclear Security Summit
French president: will not give up nuclear weapons
U.S. says "good news" Kyrgyzstan to keep base deal
Fourth suspect in NYC subway plot arrested in Pakistan: media
India's Infosys Technologies quarterly profit dips
ADB urges China to make yuan more flexible
Seoul shares end flat; POSCO falls
Conan O'Brien makes surprise move to TBS |
Infosys says quarterly profit up 8.7 percent
Biographer says Oprah is all business, no pleasure |
On the Modern Family set with Eric Stonestreet |
Ben Silverman's Electus unveils shows, one for MTV |
Roger Waters taking The Wall on tour |
Too much music as Glee returns to TV |
China Southern swings back to profit in 2009
Patton Oswalt cast in NBC comedy pilot |
China's Tencent to buy into Russian Internet firm
Taiwan sells T$40 bln bonds at 1.007 pct yield
China Eastern in global alliances airlines talks
20 injured as Indonesian airplane skids off runway
ADB forecasts 'robust recovery' for developing Asia
Patton Oswalt cast in NBC comedy pilot
China puts duties on US, Russian electrical steel
Passenger plane skids off runway in Indonesia
On the "Modern Family" set with Eric Stonestreet
Indonesian police kill terror suspect in shootout
Too much music as "Glee" returns to TV
Biographer says Oprah is all business, no pleasure
'Clash' fights off 'Date Night' to top box office
Ben Silverman's Electus unveils shows, one for MTV
'Call of Duty' creators come back in partnership with EA
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers
Bodies of Poland's president, wife lie in state
Kyrgyz president offers terms for resignation |
Twitter set to make money through advertisements
Greece attracts strong treasury bill demand
Nokia unveils three cheaper messaging phones
Oil price surge threatens economic recovery: IEA
Sudan vote errors hit southern turnout
Drug violence scares off tourists to Mexico |
China eases government procurement rules on tech
Rihanna, Selena Gomez Added To Lilith Fair Line-Up
Pakistani jets kill civilians: villagers |
Autistic Girl Found Alive In Florida Swamp
Hundreds of Nigerians demand reforms, fair elections |
Rabbi Sentenced To Three Decades In Prison For Sex With Teen
Somali regions vow to oust pirates from enclaves |
Headscarf row re-opens old wounds for Algerians |
Nokia unveils three cheaper messaging phones
Gangs and locals attack businesses in Kyrgyzstan |
India, Pakistan meet briefly amid militant row
China says mine flood 'could have been avoided'
Kyrgyz president will go if security guaranteed
Roadside bomb blasts kill 6 Afghan security forces
Thailand vows crackdown after weekend killings
Cyclist Killed By National Guard Truck in D.C.
California Signature Drive To Overturn Proposition 8 In November Ballot Fails
Twitter set to make money through advertisements |
Man Says He Accidentally Shot Girlfriend During Sex
Kyrgyz leader says he'll go if security guaranteed
Nokia unveils three cheaper messaging phones |
Study Suggests Spanking Children Could Make Them Aggressive
Obama urges leaders to avert nuclear 'catastrophe'
Thai tensions give way to New Year celebrations
Man Who Threatened Pelosi Over Healthcare Held Without Bail
Oracle boosts MySQL investment, targets Microsoft |
Antidepressants May Be Effective Post-Stroke Treatment
Researchers Suggests Targeting Stress Hormones In Fight Against Cancer
2-mile scar on Barrier Reef after ship grounding
Thailand seeks way out of political crisis
Western firms welcome China's revised purchase policy
Infosys says quarterly profit up 8.7 percent
Pakistani stocks down; rupee firms; o/n rates flat
Kevin Bacon joins Steve Carell comedy
Breakdancing meets Bach in Berlin
ADB urges faster economic changes in Pakistan
"Gattaca" director back with sci-fi fable
Honda unveils zero-emission electric scooter
More fish, nuts, fruit 'reduces Alzheimer's risk'
China's Hu rebuffs Obama on yuan
Pakistan rock renaissance defies dwindling concerts
S.Korea considers Kazakh wheat; imports seen limited
Cathay plane makes emergency landing in Hong Kong
S.Korea c.bank says to watch moves by major c.banks
Several hurt as Indonesian plane breaks up on landing
China eases home grown tech purchase rule
Conan mocks NBC on first stop of comedy tour |
Gattaca director back with sci-fi fable |
Online sites win journalism firsts at Pulitzers |
Kevin Bacon joins Steve Carell comedy |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01