PLAYING RUTH BADER BEGIGINSBURG ON
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE."
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THAT'S WHEN
RATINGS HIT AND CRITICAL DARLING
"MODERN FAMILY" AIRS.
ERIC STONESTREET PLAYS THE
LOVEABLE HUSBAND CAM AND HUSBAND
TO MITCH.
IT'S EARNED STONESTREET TWO
EMMYS AND CHANGED THE WAY
AMERICANS DEFINE THEIR OWN
"MODERN FAMILY."
IT'S MADE A HOLLYWOOD STAR OUT
OF A KID FROM KANSAS.
WILLIE VISITED STONESTREET ON
THE SET.
>> WE SHOOT A LOT OF SCENES
HERE.
>> OH, YEAH.
YEAH.
>> HERE WE ARE, BEAUTIFUL STAGE
5.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> I'LL NEVER FOR GET THE FIRST
DAY PULLING IN.
THERE'S GOING TO BE POMP AND
CIRCUMSTANCE.
MY FIRST DAY SHOWING UP TO WORK
WAS THE SCENE WHERE WE LOCKED
LILY INTO THE CAR.
I CHARGED ACROSS THE LOT, OH, MY
GOD, I'M GOING TO BREAK IT.
>> DO NOT BREAK THE GLASS.
YOU'LL GET GLASS ON HER.
>> Reporter: THAT SCENE WAS ONE
OF THE EARLIEST MOMENTS THAT
HAVE ENDEARED CAM AND MITCH TO
AN AUDIENCE OF MILLIONS.
>> I ALMOST HAD TO SHOUT.
>> WHAT?
>> SHOUT.
>> LITTLE BY THE LOUTER.
* HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY
>> "MODERN FAMILY" IS FAMOUS FOR
MINING THE LIVES OF THEIR ACTORS
AND ACTRESSES.
>> THAT'S QUAINT.
IS IT ONE OF THOSE TRIANGLES?
>> Reporter: AND IN
STONESTREET'S LIFE, THERE IS A
WEALTH OF MATERIAL.
>> HO!
>> THIS LOT IS A LONG WAY FROM
THE FARM BOY THAT YOU WERE AS A
KID.
>> OH, YEAH.
RAISED PIGS.
>> LIKE ACTUALLY YOURSELF RAISED
PIGS?
>> YEAH.
I WANTED A JOB AS A KID AND MY
DAD WAS, OKAY, I'LL GET YOU A
JOB.
WE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT FENCE AND
POSTS AND FEEDERS AND WATERERS
AND 30 FEETER PIGS.
HE SAID, NOW YOU HAVE A JOB.
IN THE MORNING AND AFTER SCHOOL.
>> Reporter: BUT ERIC'S TRUE
LOVE AS A KID WAS CLOWNING.
FROM THE AGE OF 11 HE DRESSED UP
AND APPEARED AT PARTIES AS A
PROFESSIONAL CLOWN.
>> I WANTED TO BE A CLOWN IN THE
CIRCUS ALL BECAUSE THE CIRCUS
WOULD COME TO KANSAS CITY.
>> I'VE NOECKNOWN I WANTED TO BE A
CLOWN.
>> THIS IS A REAL PICTURE OF FI
FIZBO.
THAT CHARACTER WITH THE SAME
NAME MADE IT INTO "MODERN
FAMILY."
>> I WILL BEAT YOUR HEAD INTO
THE BUMPER SO APOLOGIZE TO MY
BOYFRIEND RIGHT NOW!
>> I HAVE TO ASK YOU THEN, WHAT
DO YOU THINK OF "IT"?
>> BENNY WISE SET US BACK A LONG
WAY.
>> THERE'S NO COMING BACK
FROM --
>> YOU THINK SO?
>> CLOWNS WILL REGROUP.
>> THAT SOUNDS TERRIFYING.
CLOWNS WILL REGROUP.
>> WE WILL REGROUP.
>> ERIC AUDITIONED FOR THE RING
LINK BROTHERS CIRCUS TWICE.
HE TRIED ACTING FIRST AT KANSAS
STATE UNIVERSITY AND AT THE
FAMED SECOND CITY.
>> TINA FEY WAS MY LEVEL TWO
TEACHER.
EVERYONE LOVED TINA THEN.
YOU THINK YOU LOVE HER KNOW, SHE
WAS JUST AS AMAZING THEN.
>> Reporter: FROM THERE HE MOVED
TO L.A. IN SEARCH OF A CAREER.
>> THE FIRST TIME I EVER GOT THE
CHANCE TO AUDITION FOR A TV
SHOW, IT WAS A SHOW CALLED
"DHARMA AND GREG."
>> SURE.
>> IT WAS IN THIS BUILDING RIGHT
HERE.
IT TOOK ME, I THINK, FOUR TIMES
TO GET -- TO AUDITION BEFORE I
GOT THE PART.
>> I SHOULD SAVE MY WORK IT A
SEPARATE FILE?
>> Reporter: AFTER MORE THAN A
DECADE OF COMMERCIAL WORK AND
SMALL PARTS ON SHOWS LIKE "CSI"
AND IN MOVIES LIKE "ALMOST
FAMOUS," SHE'S A HANDFUL.
>> Reporter: STONESTREET THOUGHT
HE MIGHT BE FINISHED ACTING.
HE WAS CONSIDERING A MOVE HOME
TO KANSAS.
>> IN MY PORTAL IT WAS ONE LINE
IN THE AUDITION WHEN I REVEALED
THE MURAL IN LILY'S ROOM AND
CAM -- IT'S WRITTEN ON THE PAGE.
CAM WALKS IN AND HE GOES, OH, MY
GOD, DO YOU LOVE IT?
>> YES.
>> WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?
>> I HAD AWUDREY DO IT WHEN WE
WERE GONE.
AND I SAID, WHO DOES THAT REMIND
ME OF?
BECAUSE WHEN I WOULD COME HOME I
COULD HEAR HER SAYING, WELL, DO
YOU LOVE IT?
DO YOU LOVE IT?
>> Reporter: STONESTREET GOT THE
PART AND AFTER THE CAST SHOT THE
"MODERN FAMILY" HE GOT A CALL.
>> ERIC, YOU'RE FANTASTIC IN THE
PILOT.
HE GOES, ERIC, IF THIS SHOW
DOESN'T GO TEN YEARS, I DON'T
KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M DOING IN
THIS BUSINESS.
>> WOW.
>> SURE ENOUGH, THE CAST IS NOW
SIGNED UP THROUGH A TENTH AND
PERHAPS FINAL SEASON.
>> Reporter: SO YOU STARTED THIS
SHOW IN THE FALL OF 2009.
SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED OUT THERE
IN THE REAL WORLD CULTURALLY IN
TERMS OF GAY RIGHTS, GAY
MARRIAGE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID THE
FACT THAT YOU GUYS WHY ON TV ON
A BELOVED SHOW ONCE A WEEK
HELPED CHANGE THE CONVERSATION
IN THIS COUNTRY.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S TRUE?
>> WELL, LOOK, IF IT CHANGED ONE
CONVERSATION IN ONE HOUSEHOLD,
THEN THAT'S A MASSIVE IMPACT FOR
US.
THAT MEANS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
TO ME AND I KNOW THAT HAS
HAPPENED FOR SURE BASED ON MY
PERSONAL INTERACTIONS WITH
PEOPLE.
MY FAVORITE IS A KID COMING UP
TO ME SAYING I'VE BEEN FRIENDS
WITH MY FRIEND, BILL, YOU KNOW,
HE'S BEEN MY BOYFRIEND AND WHEN
I FINALLY TOLD THEM THAT BILL
WASN'T MY BEST FRIEND BUT MY
PARTNER AND WHO I LOVED, THIS
KID'S MOM'S FIRST REACTION IS,
WELL, WHO'S MITCH, WHO'S CAM?
AND I'M LIKE, OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME CRY.
>> YOU HAVE THIS PILLOW, TOO.
I'M BEGINNING TO QUESTION OUR
TASTE.
>> DON'T BE RIDICULOUS.
WE HAVE GREAT TASTE.
>> DO PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO BE
CAM WHEN THEY SEE YOU?
>> OH, YEAH.
>> DO THEY THINK YOU'RE GAY,
SOMETIMES?
>> SOMETIMES.
THAT WAS A REALLY DELICATE THING
FOR ME TO DEAL WITH IN THE
BEGINNING.
I NEVER WANTED TO BE EMBARRASSED
IF SOMEBODY THOUGHT I WAS, NO
BIG DEAL, BUT I ALSO WHEN THE
SHOW STARTED I WAS A SINGLE GUY
AND I ALREADY HAD A HOLE TO DIG
MYSELF OUT OF WITH A GUY WITH
GIRLS, I'M A BIG GUY.
I'M NOT LIKE TOM CRUISE WALKING
DOWN THE STREET.
I THOUGHT ME BEING AN ICONIC GAY
CHARACTER ON TV MADE ME -- THE
HOLE A LITTLE DEEPER FOR ME TO
DIG OUT OF.
NOBODY DOES NOW.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA -- I ALWAYS
BLOCK PEOPLE SAY, ARE YOU GAY?
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S AN
INAPPROPRIATE QUESTION.
WHAT, I'M GOING TO ANSWER THAT?
BLOCK.
>> WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
CAM AT THE END OF TEN SEASONS?
>> I'M HOPING THEY WILL HAVE
ANOTHER KID BY THE END OF IT.
I'M HOPING WE LEAVE THE SHOW IN
THE IDEA THAT THE AUDIENCE KNOWS
THIS MODERN FAMILY WILL CONTINUE
ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.
>> AS FOR ERIC'S LIFE AFTER
"MODERN FAMILY," HE SAYS HE
COULD SEE HIMSELF BRANCHING OUT
BEYOND ACTING EVEN RETURNING TO
HIS ALMA MATER KANSAS STATE.
CAN YOU FIND HIM WEDNESDAY
NIGHTS ON ABU QATAC.
FOR MORE OF WILLIE'S
CONVERSATION WITH ERIC INCLUDING
HIS SPECIAL WAY OF BLOWING OFF
STRESS, GO TO TODAY.COM/SUNDAY.
NEXT WEEK, BEHIND THE SCENES OF
THE "TONIGHT SHOW" STARRING
JIMMY FALLON.
WILLIE SITS DOWN WITH THE BUSY
HOST WHO HAS WRITTEN A
CHILDREN'S BOOK.
THAT'S NEXT WEEK ON "SUNDAY