Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Jeff Hiller — On Emmy Win & Going From Bitchy Waiter To Series Regular

Episode Date: April 21, 2026

‘Somebody Somewhere’ Emmy winner Jeff Hiller joined the show. Over baked eggs and an omelet, Jeff tells me about portraying a rare depiction of a gay man of faith in ‘Somebody Somewhere��� and what it was like to audition for ‘Pluribus.’ Plus, we get into the roles that paid the bills for many years, including repeat roles as the bitchy waiter – and Jeff will be the first to tell you, it isn't as easy as it sounds. This episode was recorded at Betty on the Lower East Side, NYC.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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It's New York icon, if you ask me, Jeff Hiller. It was harder to play the bitchy waiter. Yeah. Well, he only has two lines, you know. When you have a whole script, you can find it. You can sit in it. But when you're just like, no, you don't have a reservation. It's hard. This is Dinner's On Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

So today we're at Betty on New York's Lower East Side. This is a place that my friend Jeff has been coming to for years. They're known for their breakfast, which is perfect because I definitely need something to start my day off. I'm eyeing these baked eggs with creamy tomato sauce. That sounds delicious. This place also has a comedy night that Jeff has performed at many times. So I'm excited to sit down and reunite with my friend Jeff, who I haven't seen since he won his Emmy Award.

And it should be a great time. So let's get to the conversation. I know that when you wrote your book, which by the way, okay, I mean, I have it here. It's unsigned. And, you know, my... Oh, you got the typo version. That means you've got it early.

That's so sweet. Oh, I got a typo version? Yeah. I got like a... What does this mean? How do you know? Wait. Yeah, actress of a satane age.

I didn't even notice. What? Well, I didn't either. Wait. Just there. Just there. Not on the front. Here.

Yeah. Isn't that so awful? Isn't that humiliating? My eBay customers like things signed, so I want to make sure that you can sign. You don't have to do it right now, but I'd love for you too, just to get out of the way. And also, like, make sure that you write something nice, and then we can continue with the conversation. But I know a lot of, like, the stories that you've told in this book, I've heard you tell some of them on stage, right?

Yeah, yeah. Right, yeah, yeah. So, I mean, like, a lot of it, I mean... Oh, wait, are we doing it now? Oh, yeah, no. Oh, what's happening? This is very Mark Merrin. You know how they're always like, oh, is it recording? No, we started recording when you woke up at home. There was, we had a small, like,

Oh, no, you saw me without my hat on? A spy cam, yeah. Yeah, no, Neil was really helpful. Your husband was really helpful in getting the cameras. Yeah, yeah, so, no, we have it all. It's like big brother. Do you know, one time, I'm sorry, I don't want to, you had, like, good questions, but my friend, actually.

My friend Katie threw a Halloween party, and she's so twisted that she had, she would, she picked all of the couples, she picked one of them, and asked them to secretly. film their partner, like either from outside a window or like during night or whatever. And then while they weren't aware of it, like one of them filled them outside the kitchen window when he was doing dishes and one of them was just filming her while she was sleeping. And then she showed that on a video at the party. Oh, my God.

All of these people unaware that they'd been filmed. She always makes me go to those universal horror nights because I just don't know. Oh, I hate those. I cannot turn off for like a week and a half. No. Because it's just like, such high adrenaline the whole time. They're traumatizing.

I went one year when modern family just started, and for some reason I got invited with the whole cast of Glee. And we were on a haunted hayride. This is so Hollywood. So Hollywood. Yeah, me and the cast of Glee, we were on a haunted hayride. And I was really traumatized,

and they all wanted to do the corn maze after that. Oh, yeah. And the haunted hay ride was, enough, but you're in like a vessel that moves, you know. Right, right, right. And so I felt protected, and I, like, stayed in the center of the hayride. It's, like, people to come out from, like, the field and, like, with chains. And, like, I was like, I was really traumatized. And they're like, okay, now we're going to do the corn maze. And you're not protected. You're like, they're like, they give you a lantern.

And they're like, and go. So you're in a Scooby-Doo show. I'm a mystery. And so I was like, I can't do it. And just, come on, it's fine. And, like, literally the cast of glee is, like, all like, let's go. And I started to cry. And I was like, I just said, I can't do this, I can't do this anymore. Like, I've tried. I've done enough. I've done enough. And like, I started, like, walk into the car.

And, like, I was like, I'm just going to be, like, like, like, like, with tears of my eyes. And the-Ry-Riley was like, Jesus Christ. Leah and Michelle was like, you. Grow a pair. Grab a lantern, grow a pear. No, I was, I refused. I refused. I don't blame you.

I should refuse. I don't know why. Keep going back. Wait, why do you normally get in there? Well, I don't normally come for breakfast, if I'm being completely honest. I don't really eat meat anymore, but when I did, they had steak frets here that were so good. How long have you been vegetarian or vegan? Are vegan or vegetarian?

Just vegetarian. And you know what I'd do? Because our neighbor brought over a plate of chicken for us, and Neil was like, meals very strict. And I was like, I'm just going to eat it rather than throw it away. Right. And he's like, okay. And so I ate it.

And I was like, oh. I mean, it was like, my body, I almost cried. It tasted so good. I couldn't tell what if that reaction was because your body was rejecting it. No, no, my body was not, it was almost like, eat the bone, eat the bone. So now I like, I do like, chicken bone marrow is my favorite. Exactly. You know how like people do meatless Mondays?

I sometimes we'll do like a meat day. I mean, we've had a few meals together. I don't remember you not eating meat. No. Yeah, that's new. But I guess you don't really make a big deal about it. Although, like, that's all you've talked about since we've sat down. What I want? I think I'm going to do a breakfast. I do too. I want breakfast.

Are you ready to order? I am. Yeah, let's do it. I'm just going to do the Petty Hama, please. Okay. I'm going to have those, the baked eggs. Baked eggs? Yeah.

Awesome. All right. Thank you so much. I'm so happy we're doing this. I haven't seen you since when you're on me. I've talked to you. Yeah. You sent a very, very sweet message. I appreciate it. Well, both when you were nominated and when you won, I sent two really sweet messages.

Let the record show. It's true. You know what? It's true. And like, honestly, and I talked to Michael Yuri about this, too, who was nominated in your category this year. What was so excited. Oh, she couldn't stop talking about it. No, but what I really loved.

and I didn't experience this at all. Like, well, maybe a look. No, I don't know if I did. But there was so many queer actors in that category. When you were nominated, you were the only one? Well, I mean, I keep lumping Eric Stone Street in with me, even though he's straight, but he played a gay character. But I don't know if there were...

An honorary. Yeah, an honorary gay. And Max Greenfield's like gay adjacent. Even he would say that. He's like a drink away. No. A new girl, indeed. It was you, Michael Yuri.

Bowen. Bowen Yang, and then who was... Coleman. Coma Domingo, that's right. Yeah. I mean, that's... It's crazy. But what I do love... We're taking over.

We're taking over. We're coming in. The agenda is coming to fruition. It's working out justice plan. But the absolute joy, specifically, that you're those three other guys who are... were queer in your category. So sweet. Had for you?

I mean, you can fake, like being happy for someone. And this was genuine. But that was genuine. They did really feel that way. Truly, I went back and I watched every... I was like, let me watch this box now. Let me watch this box now. All of them were so excited.

And even the two that were straight. They were all three. It was seven people. Oh my God, that's a very big category. When it was four people that were queer in there, I was like, I wonder if Harrison Ford feels like, it's like wait a glad award or right right yeah yeah what are we going to yeah that's so funny because kerosen was kind of the one that people were talking about because it's like he's had

this he has this queer behind him and like I mean you shut up I've been in I've been in this situation where you're nominated and you're like well the conversations on this other person right and you just kind of go in thinking like well I'll have something ready honestly the first few times I was nominated for an Emmy I don't I don't I really did not have anything ready because I was like, there's zero chance. Yeah. And it could have happened. There was zero chance this one, too.

I mean, that is why, I mean, I'm not trying to discount how beautiful it was that they stood up and clapped because I do think it was so genuine. But a lot of that emotion was about like, I cannot believe this is happening. And I didn't, I didn't have anything prepared. I mean, my- Nothing? Not even like a fantasy speech. My publicist said to say thank you to HBO.

And so I was like, I mean, I guess I had said the joke about sweating middle-aged people, and I had said that joke in my stand-up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But no, I didn't. I really, my manager said to me, you're not going to win? The nomination is the award. Yeah, which is true, and I have to say that because I've lost every Emmy I've been nominated for. See, that's what's crazy.

You don't have an Emmy. That is crazy. I did a show with, um, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, ring Wilson and he told me he didn't have an Emmy. Yeah. And I was like, well, that, then obviously these are memes. But it's not. I mean, listen, it's, it's, that's what, that's what, that's, that's what, that is what's

word about awards. I do want to ask you about this because, you know, after the Tony Ward, like I, you know, there is that expectation that your life is going to change the next day. Like the next day, it's just like the phone's vibrating off that. Right. Of course, in my version of story, it's one of those old phones that just vibrates. A princess phone? Yeah, exactly.

Yeah. Oh, wait, why would I take that? Yeah. But, you know, it's, it's, the reality is, like, it's, it ends up being another day where your, you know, dopamine levels are incredibly high. Right. But it ends up just being another day. Yeah, and another, one over six months. Right.

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Jeff tells me a gutting story from, commercial acting days, and we hear what it was like filming the HBO Critical Darling Somebody Somewhere, you know, that little show he won an Emmy for. Okay, be right back. Hey, sweetie, your mother showed me this Carvana thing for selling the car. I'm going to give it a try. Wish me luck. Me again, I put in the license plate. It gave me an offer. Unbelievable.

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And we're back with more dinners on me. I know you grew up Lutheran, but did you grow up in a religious school? Not until college. Okay, okay. But I went to Catholic grade school in high school. That makes sense. So, yeah, it was very sports-centric.

New Mexico? Albuquerque. Are you from Floribus? I did. Yeah. Have you ever gotten to work? work there again? That would be so fun. But I always think, like, what if, like, I got cast in a show like Breaking Bad, which of course, like, I mean, that shows one of the best on television ever.

But I do keep thinking, like, they had to live in Albuquerque. Like, they had to, like, relocate. And I don't know how that would go for me emotionally. I had a lot of, I know you had a lot of trauma growing up people up, but, like, a lot of trauma growing up as a kid in Albuquerque. That's so interesting. I, because I shot, I mean,

it's not breaking bad, but it was an American Airlines commercial in Dallas, which isn't even, I grew up in San Antonio, wasn't even in Dallas, but. Adjacent.

Yeah. And I remember, that one, that felt almost like reclaiming your terror. Yeah, like coming home, like, see, you thought I was trash,

but look at me, I'm a hawking an airline. But then I did. did do, and I talked about this in the book, I did this, like, I did these series of Snickers commercials and we did these, like, tours of football stadiums. And when we went to the Dallas Cowboy Game, like, I had a horrible experience and I was, like, it was very triggering. It was very, like, actually, it was almost re-traumatizing, I would say. It was, it was bad. So I get what you're saying.

But no, to say what happened, I mean, I read the books right now, but. Oh, I, well, okay. Okay, I was a pilgrim. They might be like, why were you dressed as a pilgrim for a Snickers commercial? It doesn't matter. Don't ask these questions. Exactly. Anyway, people thought I was a Patriot fan or whatever.

And they wouldn't even playing the Patriots. So I don't know why they would think that. There was maybe some beer involved. Okay. And they started just like shouting the F word at me. Oh, gotcha. In the men's room. And then Chris Sullivan, who plays...

And this is why you're in costume to do a... commercial right to work yes chris and sally who who you know from this is us he played toby he was dressed as a viking again i don't know why and they thought he was a minnesota vikings fan and so he like came in and rescued me it was very charming it was very sweet of him rescued by a pilgrim rescued by a viking at a urinal yeah thank you um let's oh look at a fresh toast for the baked eggs. Thank you.

They do retain their heat for a while. So I got a cozy. Yeah, you got a cozy. Yeah, so now I'm like, recommend like using the toast to kind of break it up a little bit. Okay. Yeah.

That's my favorite egg thing we have on the menu. I'm very excited. I was eyeing this. Oh wait, tell me that before we learned. You can have some my egg thing. How do you get around eating on camera? You just do it, Jeff. You just gotta forget.

You go like this. You make eye contact. People just got to deal with it. You know what? Yeah, because a lot of people have that like miso phony hour. Oh, and they'll let you know. They'll let you know in the comments.

Oh, no. Talk about reading your reviews. I really have had to learn not to read the comments. And I'm getting better at it. Are you getting better? Because at first, you know, it's so exciting. and for the most part, 99% of the comments about me are nice. Yes.

And sometimes people will say something and they mean it nicely. And it just comes off wrong. It's so devastating. Yeah. Yeah. You know, like, your hair looks better today. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you very much.

What is hard to avoid are obviously the in-person interactions. And, I mean, you know, I've had a lot of people say to me, oh, my God, you look so much better in person. And I was like, that's, I mean, there's no way around it. There's no way around it. Like, I mean, do I wish that I look better on TV when millions of people were watching me or like better in person with just this one person observing me? I don't know. It's sort of a lose-lose situation.

Like, I mean, but, you know, they meant it well. I know. And I think when they say stuff like that, what it really is saying is, um, Hollywood casts people who are like regular looking. who are actually very attractive. Right. And so they're just, that's why all of our reviews were like, it's so refreshing to see Fuggos on TV. No.

I mean, I'm paraphrasing. But that was basically what they were saying. You know, I had Bridget Ebert on this podcast. I remember. To talk about it when she was, the show was wrapping up. This is before your Emmy nomination. But knowing, your history, knowing like your life and how you grew up, it's astonishing to me that this part

was not written for you. I know, it's bonkers. I mean, having grown up very, like, emotionally connected to religion, and then, you know, being an outsider, obviously, which you talk about so eloquently in your book, but, like, the character Joel is, like, it was such a breath of fresh air, and it's one of the reasons people responded to it so much. It was so multifaceted. You know, someone who is queer, who has a deep connection to religion, and it's not in a traumatizing way. It was in a very, like, beautiful way. Which is something in real life, I know a ton of people like that. Yes, me too.

But I'm never seen it on TV. Never seen it on TV. So it's shocking. And so, like, beautifully and eloquently portrayed. But, I mean, also that show, Hannah Boss and Paul Therine, they wrote it. Yeah, they're really good at it. They're really good at writing. They're really good at writing. But, you know, you and Bridget and Murray Hill and Mary Catherine, I mean, all these people who I've known for years in New York who are just sort of these outsiders, like, are like, you know, kind of these people that are, it's very specifically cast in things.

But, like, you know, it's like, you weren't, none of you, none of you were easily cast in anything. And you all came together to make this, like, It was like the circus came through town. And like, it was like the best, it was the best ensemble of people. I mean, on TV, it was such a breath of fresh air. Yeah.

And I don't know, I just, I just love, have we even said that with the name of the show yet? Do you know what? Somebody Somewhere. It's called Somebody Somewhere. Yeah, that's what we're talking about, by the way. Yeah. It's called Somebody Someone.

But, um, it was, it was such a breath of fresh air. I think that's Bridget, though, too. Like, I think Bridgett, like, And she even said so, like, she really wanted to create, like, the role was specifically written from Murray Hill by Fred Rococo. And she just wanted to have people who were right for the role. I mean, also there was like no budget, so there was no famous people that were wanted to do it. Right. But what was so exciting about it when we got like the second season and stuff is it was a huge deal for all of us.

Nobody was just like, okay, so I got to figure out how to do the second season while I'm in between my Marvel films, you know? Right. And I guess that's always how it is with a TV show. I don't know. I've never been on one that had famous people in it. But for all of us, it was like, oh, my God, I can't believe this is happening. And we live together. And then on Saturday nights, Bridget would, like, barbecue, and we would all go over.

and, you know, drink my burritos. And you knew her before doing the show a little bit, right? Yeah. I mean, I've been aware of her for so long. I was a fan. I was a fan. And then she asked me to do our hip parade, which is like that. Right.

I did that, too. Yes. Yeah, yeah. That's the only way I knew her. We weren't like, like, I'd never been to her house or anything. Right, me either. And people are like, oh, well, you two were best friends, and that's why you're playing this role, but that wasn't the case.

And the role was just, you know, coincidentally exactly, not exactly, but similar to me. It's pretty close to you, yeah. I remember Marcy Phillips. Did you ever take one of Marcy Phillips classes? I don't know if I took her class, I auditioned for her. Well, yeah, that makes more sense. Well, I was stuck taking her classes.

And she was like, you know, you read this audition really well. It was like, how to become a series regular. She was like, yeah, you read the site's great. But really, you're only going to be cast in a role where you're the role is really like you. And I was like, crap. Because all I was playing was like bitchy waiters. Right.

Well, first of all, there's never going to be a bitchy waiter as a serious regular. You never know. That literally might be the title. Bitchy waiter. Got to go. I'm in development. Jeff has won one previous Emmy Award for somebody somebody. This is the second Emmy win for bitchy waiter.

That will be the voice of God. In the digital role. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, you're right. I mean, you talk about that in your book, like how, like, you know, you just, your IMDB page looks like I hate crime. It's just like gay stewardess, gay, like, gay flight attendant, gay waiter, you know, yeah, yeah. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we return, Jeff tells me about the secret of audition process he had for Vince Gilligan's buzzy Apple TV Plus series, Pluribus.

And I tell a story of a hilarious modern family product placement. Okay, be right back. Welcome to Crime Scene, the new weekly show from The Binge, where we tell you the stories behind the world's most unforgettable crimes. I'm Jonathan Hirsch. You may know me as the host of my fugitive dad or dear Franklin Jones watching you. I'm an executive producer of The Binge, the True Crime Podcast Network, where we bring you a new series on the first of every month. For Crime Scene, I'm joined by my producer and co-host Cooper Mall, the reporter and voice behind Fatal Beauty and the Crimes of Mark. We know there are a lot of true crime podcasts out there. I think what makes crime scene different

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Susan's son is wrestling with his mother's legacy to this day. I mean, my mom was, I used the word diabolical. And perhaps the biggest question of all is, did she help convict an innocent man? I do feel like that they got the wrong people. From Sony Music Entertainment and Message Heard, this is My Mother's Lies, available now on The Binge. Search for it wherever you get your podcast to start listening today. subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes all at once, add free.

I want to tell you guys about a podcast that is near and dear to my heart, and I cannot believe it already came out a year ago. And you can all go listen to it ad free by subscribing to the Binge podcast channel. What podcast, Corinne? Tell us. Oh, it's called Blink Jake Handel's story. I created it about a man named Jake who I met, who is the only survivor of a terminal brain illness. brought on by heroin use, but there is a lot of mystery and medical malpractice and true crime elements that are very shocking and surprising and even some supernatural elements. It is definitely an amazing story.

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Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or head to getthebinge.com. And we're back with more dinners on me. You and Neil, I've been together like 20 years now, right? Just 18. Oh, my God. But yes. How long have you and Justin been together? We've been married 13, and I guess together 50.

God, right behind you, I guess. It doesn't, it feels like it hasn't been that long. I know. But the thing is, is that that's funny, you know when you got married, huh? 2013, yeah. That's when we got married, too. But you had a wedding. We had a wedding.

Did you not have a wedding? Did you do a courthouse thing? Yeah. You saved so much money, Jeff. You did. Well, I am very cheap. Did you regret not having a wedding? No.

No. Not at all. No. I think, I mean, there's probably, like, if I'm being completely honest, there's probably like some gay shame in there, but I think I would feel weird about all the attention. I would feel embarrassed. Really? Even my dad, who didn't have a gay wedding, straight wedding, he was like, oh, it was such a stressful day. I hated it.

I would never go back. Yeah. And I think my mom was like, rude. Right, right, right. But he just didn't like that. Are your parents still around? Focus. My mom is not.

my dad is. Okay, right, right, right. Yeah. And was your dad around when you got married? Uh-huh. What was, how were they, were they, were they supportive? Yeah, my mom was still around too. Yeah, no, they really like.

Oh, wait, you say your mom passed away. Right, my mom passed away, but my dad is still living, but they were into it. Yeah. They were really supportive. They were very much, like, performatively righteous to it, you know what I mean? Right, right. Like, I don't think that, by that I just, I mean that they were really, like, wanted us to know that they were supportive.

Yeah. Yeah. I, um, my parents were both very supportive as well. I mean, um, my dad's had like a very interesting relationship with like me coming out, but it's lovely about it. I mean, like, he's really coming up, but he's had his own journey, which I also really embraced. Like I was like, yeah.

The journey's fine. As long as you like, the end place that you're trying to head to is like a good place. Like, take the journey. Like, don't, don't, I'm not worried about that. And I think about how long it took me to accept it to myself, sure. Like, of course it's going to, like, you can't expect other people. The moment I spring it on you is probably really stressful. For sure.

Although were your parents surprised? No, not even slightly. No, I was to say. No. Please. And in fact, they had already been on the journey. Like, yeah, join us on this journey. If you could have, like, your career go in any direction right now.

I mean, you're also such a brilliant writer, Jeff. Thank you. read obviously several of your script we were working on something together at one point I mean is that something do you sort of like where are you at now with next steps

for yourself are you sort of like whatever door opens you're willing to go through are you looking more like trying to create your own stuff or yeah I mean I am looking to create my own stuff just because I'm so hard to cast you know I am specific so I'm developing

stuff but I if whatever Like, somebody called tomorrow and was like, will you play the gay president? I'd be like, sure. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I guess what actor wouldn't say yes to something that falls up to their lap.

Right. And what, how did, was Plurvis something that was offered to you? No. Uh-uh. You audition for it. Yeah. And it was like a really, you know, because they can't tell you what anything is. Right.

So I didn't know what the hive mind was or. Right. And they said, you're Carol's father. And they had released that Carol was played by Ray Seahorn. And I was like, oh, God, I've aged into playing dads. Nobody's going to buy that I'm Ray Sehorne's dad. So I just, but I auditioned and then I just got it. Was it, I mean, that show is so...

With a self-tip and then a callback. It's so conceptual. I mean, I can't imagine getting that script and, like, trying to... Well, I never got the script. Never got, you just got my sides. Yeah. And it's a beautiful scene. It is.

And, like, Ray called me over to her house, which is Bob Lodenkirk's house. Like, he owns it, and she's just living in it right now. Oh, really? Because he, like, bought a place in Albuquerque. It's very dry there. It is so dry. Your poor little childlike nose must have been so runny. I had...

I always had a bloody nose. I always had a sunburn. Oh, that's right. Oh, my God. For you to live in a desert climate. No, I'm thriving now. You're in the coastal towns. Yeah, L.A.

Super not sunny. Never have enough breath support. Just like constantly high altitude, like gasping for air. Yeah. Did you live up in the hills or down in the town? I mean, I lived, we lived by the University of New Mexico. So kind of what was at? I mean, it was fairly, but the whole city's high altitude.

Right, right. And you're up there. I remember, because I went on choir tour and we stopped in Albuquerque with my Lutheran Church choir. And we stayed in a house that was like in the hills. And I was like, this is the most glamorous city in the world. Was it an adobe house? Yes. But it was like modern and fancy.

And they had like a hot tub and stuff. And I was like, this place is bowing. And then when I went back, you know, I was staying at the like, The Conno Lodge or whatever. And I was like, it's not so bawling now. But there was good food there. I went to this really delicious restaurant. Do you remember what it was?

Oh, I don't. Was it traditional New Mexican food? Or was it something else? No, it was like, well, there was a pizza place that was delicious. And then there was a... Artichael Cafe? Yes. Yes.

My neighbors own that place. Oh, it was so good. So good. Yeah, my family's all works there. Oh, you're kidding. Yeah. Uh-huh. I liked it

That's like the place you go If you want to go somewhere nice And I did And you did Because it was like I had a fitting on a Friday And I was shooting on a Monday So I spent the weekend

Do you know if you're gonna be on the next season? No I definitely won't be Really? I mean I guess never say never I haven't even written it yet No I know They're Vince Gilligan said he's going Incredibly solid with it

Yeah Yeah And that's what I mean Even when we were shooting at Ray was like, it might be like a long time between seasons. Yeah. And it's expensive and it's like that, where her house is. That's, they built that whole neighborhood. It's like a, it's a cul-de-sac that is just sets.

So like every house you go in and it's like just an empty husk of a house. That's incredible. I know. I know. So that's like we're holding wise. It was like, we're in this little house. And then you go to the sound stage and the interior of all the houses are in there. Oh, that's so interesting.

Yeah. I would have thought that they would have built interiors if they're moving forward with like... But I guess, you know, they're going to move walls. Yeah, that's true. That's true. That's true. Oh, that's so interesting. I did read that they created that whole neighborhood.

Yeah. Which is unbelievable. It was. It was. What a cool... I mean, it was so excited, too, because it was like, I don't get to normally do drama. And, oh, and Ray called me over on Sunday, and we, like, rehearsed for four hours. Yeah.

Because we kind of ran out like a... play, like the director, Setna Fuentes, like, had us just do it over and over and over again for all the different angles. But we were both on camera the whole time. So we were like, there was like a play instead of like a scene where it's like,

now the camera's in my face, now the camera's in your face. It's so refreshing. It was. And we were like kind of nerding out about it too. It was very... Yeah. I mean, she's also, Raya is, you know, a theater actress, or at least that's where her roots are. That's how I met her. So I, you know, it's so funny because with modern family, I remember Eric Stone Street would always make fun of me because I wanted to rehearse. Like, oh, we got to rehearse it for Ferguson.

You mean other than camera blocking or like? Yeah, I mean, like, yeah, if I wanted to like run something and figure out like, you know, if like you're in a kitchen, you want to like be, you're someone like, you have to have motivation to move around. Right. And Eric would somehow, he was brilliant at like figuring out how to like plant himself in a spot. and just like make it have it make sense. And I was like, I don't know how to do that. And so I would just, I would have to like, I would be placing things. Like I would, I'd be the person I was like placing things from refrigerator.

I would get the milk and then I'd, I would be moving things around. Like props would be. But then you'd remember to do that every time. I know. It's so hard. I needed to do it. Yeah. It worked for me.

That's how you found, Mitchell. Listen, I, that's how I lost five Emmys. Did Eric win? Yes. He won twice. He won twice and Ty Borel went twice. I wonder if it's like, oh, he's straight and he had to pretend to be gay, so that's harder acting than a gay guy pretending to be gay. Maybe.

I mean, also, you know, both Eric and Ty were the flashy, funny people. And like, I, I mean, I knew in the first. Was it just those two of everybody? And Julie Bowling got. got two Emmys as well. But we all got nominated at some point. Never Ed, never Ed O'Neill. I know, which I mean, TV icon.

I know. Sophia? Sophia, yeah. She also had the fun wild part. She did, yeah. But you know what? What? Oh, she is from Columbia, so she's not acting.

Right. I mean, I think that, you know, there is that stigma that, like, you know, if you're too close to who you are in real life, you know, that people are thinking you're not doing enough. Right, which is another reason I was like, I'll never win. Because you were basically playing. Yeah, I mean, not that I'm saying it's not still acting, but it's, it was harder to play the bitchy waiter. Yeah. Well, it only has two lines, you know, because you can, you can, when you have a whole script, you can find it.

Right, right. You can sit in it. But when you're just like, no, you don't have a reservation, it's hard. I remember we, modern family. shot an episode where we got to use the very first iPad. Oh, wow. Yeah, and I can remember that actually. We wrote a whole episode. It was like a

cross-promotion thing. You never had to do this with somebody somewhere. Nobody was like, yeah, your viewers are going to buy stuff. Yeah, you didn't have to integrate product into your show, which happens a lot. Maybe like for coals or something. Yeah, yeah. We have a partnership with Jesus

just as a brand. But we they had like someone from the, you know, Apple there. Oh, wow. Like, like, when you, like, when you go to the Oscars and, like, people were, like, fancy jewels and, like, they have, like, security guards standing around. That was us, but, like,

for iPads. And, um, like, because it was new. No one had them before. And also, I remember, like, we're, like, iPad, like, they couldn't have thought of, like, a bet. Now it's, like, of course it's an iPad. But, like, at the time, I was, like, that's a terrible name. Well, I remember. It sounds like a feminine product.

I remember that. That was, like, a big deal when they announced it. But now. And now it's like, well, yeah, it's an iPad. But, yeah, we had someone that, like, they had, like, white gloves, and they'd showed it to us. Like, this is what you're going to be working with today. And then, like, they'd bring it to us. Like, basically, they'd set up the whole scene. Right.

And then they, it was, like, having, like, a baby on set where, like, the baby was the last to arrive and they put it in your arms. And you'd be like, and action, and here's the baby. It's, like, that's what they would do with the iPad. Like, we're flying in the iPad, and they would put it in our hand, and then we could do the scene. But I remember thinking, like, this is absolutely insane. That is kind of exciting, though, that you were a part of that. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

I held the very first I've had. Yeah. It must be so fun to be on, or maybe there's bad things about it too, but to be on just like, just an undeniable hit. Just a hit, baby. We're a hit. I've always been like, it's a critical darling. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Even like in my theater stuff too. Like, I've never been just in like a, man, these tickets are flying off the shelves. Right. No, it is crazy when that does happen. I mean, I've been on the other end. I've been on both sides of that. Or it's like, you know, you want something to go well and it's just not. Or it's just, you know, it's, yeah, when the critics are saying that it's wonderful

and then the audiences are like just not showing up and it's really, it's very frustrating. I was, when I was doing a show before Modern Family, called Do Not Disturb. It was a sitcom that ran maybe three three episodes and they canceled us. And it was not great. Like a hotel? About the hotel. Yeah.

God, you got a good memory. I kind of do remember that. We still working. I think we're good. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you so much. This is delicious.

Oh, thank you. Love that. So it was my omelet. Say something nice, Jeff. I wouldn't clean that plate if I didn't have a camera on my face. It's really wanted to have my not chewing moments. Do we want to save it so you can lick

plate later. No, I'm not desperate for food. I'm not trivet. We were out, I was at some events and you know, they have your, they write your name on a card and they sort of show it to the people on the red card, like the

photographer. Oh, yeah. So that they could take a picture of it and then like, you know, they know who you are. Right. And again, this is worth us. Worth me. It's like, yeah. Who? Well, no, this isn't even worse. I got you top of this one. I mean, maybe you have a story like this, I don't know. But I take all the photos. you know, and I have you have someone who's handling you

who walks you through the thing. It's like some young teenage intern. And then we get to the part with the cameras, like Access Hollywood and, you know, the Hollywood Reporter and E and all these cameras for interviews. And they put up my name to see if, you know, anyone wants to talk to me.

And someone looks at the name and they go, pass! And I started laughing. And the poor teenage kid who was like, you know, the volunteer who was like walking me through the line was like, oh my God. I am so sorry. I was like, don't, don't apologize. This is just, this is showbiz in a nutshell for you, kid. Exactly.

One day you're tops. One day you're not. Well, because also. They did this. Kill it. Kill it. Well, because I hired a publicist for my book. And so I still had her for the Emmys.

Yes. And so she was a way, you know, she knows how to go up to them and be like, He's actually nominated tonight. You actually do on top of it. Yeah. But I've had, when you don't have a publicist, it is like that. Or like, I hate it when they make you hold the little microphone. I know.

And I hate it when they clearly don't know who you are at all. Yes. But they feel obligated to do everyone. or like somebody who knows who you are, told them to do it. And so they're asking you questions that are like, this doesn't happen for you anymore. It sometimes does.

Oh, come on. At an opening of a Broadway show. No, I mean, there I'm, there's a whole new red carpet that rolls out for me now. But sometimes I have no idea. Like I just went to the opening of Giants and no, people didn't know that I was working. They're like, so, like, when are you going to get back on stage?

I'm like, I'm literally on stage right now. so I made them feel like an asshole but yeah you know it's all relative to us so let's say like in our heads like we are it's so true

it's we're in a different place and then you know in the real world people have in my head I'm not though in my head I'm like I'm fully aware of it I'm C mostly D

oh no come on you are an Emmy Award winning yeah that bump me up to C for a minute that bump you have to be mine but I'm moving back to D if I don't get another job soon. No, listen, after this podcast,

we're like, that charming, that charming, charming, charming six foot five, joy of a human. We got to... Jeff Hitler. Jeff Hitler. Pass.

And that's where we're ending. I love it. I love you so much. Thanks for doing this. Of course. This is fun. This episode of Dinners on Me was recorded at Betty on Manhattan's

Lower East Side. Next week on Dinners on Me, You know her from Broadway shows like Wicked and Waitress and Hell's Kitchen. It's Shoshana Bean. We'll dive into the powerhouse performances that made her a fan favorite, how her journey from theater to solo artist shaped her signature sound, and why she's very excited for her latest project, The Lost Boys on Broadway. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen,

you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinner's On Me Plus. As a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week, early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad-free. Just click try-free at the top of the Dinners-On-Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinners On Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Bear engineered this episode. Hans Dale She composed our theme music.

Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kalasni and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.