“Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson will speak Tuesday at Goldstein Auditorium.

“An Evening with Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson,” presented by University Union Performing Arts, is cosponsored by the LGBT Resource Center and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Television-Radio-Film department.

Ferguson will speak at 8 p.m., and doors open at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are required and cost $5 for Syracuse University and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students, faculty and staff. They’re available at the Schine Student Center Box Office.

Ferguson plays an openly gay lawyer, Mitchell Pritchett, on the ABC Emmy Award-winning show. “Modern Family” is a popular comedy series that made its debut in 2009. Its most notable features are its intricate and comedic family webbings and its “mockumentary” style — characters talking directly at the camera.

For the past three years, Ferguson has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Pritchett.

“His successful career represents how much any gay individual can make their voice heard and achieve their goals — an individual’s success should never be limited or hindered by their sexuality,” said Sarah Fleisher, a senior public relations major and director of public relations for University Union.

Ferguson is also a widely recognized activist and philanthropist for the LGBT community, evident from his “Tie The Knot” campaign, which Ferguson founded with his fiance, Justin Mikita.

The campaign produces limited quantities of bowties, whose proceeds aim to achieve marriage equality.

“We always aim to keep the campus entertained with diverse programming, but we also hope Jesse’s talk will go beyond pure entertainment,” Fleisher said.

The premise of Ferguson’s discussion will be the actor sharing his experiences in the entertainment industry — both on and off Broadway — and working his way to Hollywood. Another focus will stem from his experiences as an openly gay actor.

Said Fleisher: “We hope this event informs students on how to be activists in any industry, and we also hope this event shows students issues like gay marriage rights deserve our attention, discussion and support.”

Published on October 23, 2012 at 1:02 am

Contact Allie: ajcaren@syr.edu