‘Modern Family’ star Eric Stonestreet has opened up about his disappointment after ABC rejected plans for a spinoff centered on his character and his on-screen husband.
During a recent interview with Graham Bensinger, Stonestreet discussed how much he, Ferguson, and the show’s co-creator Chris Lloyd, were excited about the project. “I think Jesse and I maybe felt like they thought of us as the old guys that didn’t seem worthy of keeping those characters going,” he said. “It felt a little hurtful. But people make business decisions.”
The actor said he thinks the spinoff could’ve been very successful. “I think it would have been a slam dunk,” he claimed. “I don’t think it would have not been successful. Because you had one of the creators — who had really taken such great care of making sure that show was great for so long — willing to do it.”
Stonestreet said he no longer sees the spinoff happening due to how much time has passed. “They had their chance,” he said. Still, he wouldn’t be opposed to getting the cast back together. “I wish we’d do a Christmas special,” the actor said hopefully.
The spinoff was to follow Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) along with their daughter Lily and their newly adopted son Rexford, as they moved to Missouri where Cam would pursue his dream of becoming a college football coach.
‘Modern Family’ aired on ABC from 2009 to 2020.