The 'Modern Family' alum opened up to PEOPLE about his favorite parts of being a dad to sons Beckett and Sullivan

NEED TO KNOW

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, Justin Mikita, welcomed sons Beckett Mercer in 2020 and Sullivan “Sully” Louis in 2022
• The actor opened up to PEOPLE about how fatherhood “broke my heart open” in unexpected ways
• Ferguson will celebrate Father’s Day with his family in London, where he debuted as King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar in the West End on Saturday, June 20

Jesse Tyler Ferguson won the hearts of countless viewers during his 11-season run as lawyer and father-of-two Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family. Today, his own family of four is his priority.

The actor, 50, spoke to PEOPLE exclusively at the 79th Annual Tony Awards on June 7 about his favorite parts of fatherhood and his role in Jesus Christ Superstar in London's West End.

Ferguson and his husband of 13 years, lawyer and producer Justin Mikita, welcomed sons Beckett Mercer in July 2020 and Sullivan "Sully" Louis in November 2022.

“Fatherhood broke my heart open in ways that I didn't expect,” Ferguson told PEOPLE. “And I just love my kids so much. I love being able to take them to the theater, share things with them that I love.”

Ferguson's family has previously stepped out to catch his live performances. Last August, 5-year-old Beckett joined Mikita, 40, and Modern Family's Sofia Vergara to support Ferguson in the 2025 Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night, in which he starred as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. 

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Ferguson shared that the experience was his son's “first Shakespeare.”

As Ferguson's kids continue to grow, more opportunities to share his love of theater are sure to come. Since becoming a father, the actor has taken on several theatrical engagements, both local to the family's New York City home and across the pond in Britain — including roles in Broadway productions such as Take Me Out in 2022 and a 2025 run in Here We Are at London's Lyttelton Theatre.

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After Beckett's birth in 2020, Ferguson said in an interview with PEOPLE that fatherhood was “always in the cards” for him and a matter of finding the right timing.

"My husband's 10 years younger than me, so I sort of was waiting for his timeline to catch up with mine," Ferguson said at the time. "I think I would have done this 10 years ago, but whatever, it's fine. Better late than never."

Ferguson made his debut as King Herod in the West End's production of Jesus Christ Superstar at The London Palladium on Saturday, June 20. On Sunday, June 21, the actor will spend time with his family for Father's Day, he told PEOPLE.

“I love celebrating Father's Day with my husband and that it is a day that we both get to share,” Ferguson said. “But because it is for both of us, it's not like I take the day and do something special for him and vice versa. The day is as usual. So we don't have any crazy plans. We'll both be in London with our kids."

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