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A
Okay, this happens every holiday season. I get a little depleted and off my routine after the holidays. Listen, I don't know why I did it, but I decided to double down on the eggnog this year. Double down on the eggnog and I'm feeling its effects. So Prolon's five day fasting mimicking diet really makes it easy to reset heading into the new year. Prolon's fasting mimicking diet is a revolutionary plant based nutrition nourishes the body while keeping it in a fasting state. It works at the cellular level to support fat loss, glowing skin, sharper focus, all that good stuff. And with its simple structured plan, you can really build momentum in just a few days. Prolon is Based on over two decades of research from USC's Longevity Institute and backed by top medical centers. Everything comes prepackaged. Five days, five boxes, no guesswork, and three consecutive cycles have been shown to reduce your biolog age score by 2.5 years and your waist by 1.5 inches. Plus, Prolon is the first and only patent nutrition program to support longevity through cellular rejuvenation. Just in time for the new year, Prolon is offering dinners on me listeners 15% off their five day nutrition program for your post holiday. Glow up when you go to prolonlife.com d o m that's P R-O-L-O-N life.com d o for 15% off. What I love about staying at a home on Airbnb is that feeling of walking into a place that already gets what you need. The thoughtful touches, the little comforts, the sense that someone really prepared for you to be there. I'm about to experience that again on a trip up to wine country with my family in Napa. I booked this beautiful home with all these views over the hills of Napa. But what I really love about the place is that it has this big kitchen so we can have family breakfasts and meals there. And it has enough space for the entire family to spread out. And it just reminded me how much those little details make a place feel special. You walk in and there's fresh coffee on the counter, there's a note with the WI FI password and the font's big enough that you don't need a magnifying glass to read it. You know, those thoughtful little touches that really make a difference. And it made me think about hosting my own home on Airbnb when I'm away. But the idea of getting my place guest ready with all those thoughtful little touches is a bit I Don't know. Overwhelming. That's where Airbnb's co host network comes in. You can hire a local co host to help with all those behind the scenes things that make a stay run smoothly. Guest communication, handling check ins, and even design and styling to make your place feel lived in and cozy. So if you have a place that you've been thinking about hosting, I don't know, a guest room, a studio over the garage, even your whole home, while you're away, a co host can help you actually pull it off without adding more to your plate. So if your New Year's resolution is to earn a little extra money or finally make use of that space, start the easy way with Airbnb's co host network. Hi, it's Jesse. So today on the show, you have all been asking for this. Finally, he's here. My husband. My husband, Cam Tucker is on the show. It's Eric Stonestreet.
B
I was at the Grove and I heard, excuse me, sir, I'm a graduate of Ringling Brothers in Barnum and Bailey Clown College, and let me tell you, your costume and your makeup is perfect.
A
Shut up.
B
And I was like, get in here. Of all the compliments that we each have gotten, that is at the top of my compliment list.
A
This is Dinners on Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. So I am so excited to finally have Eric on my show. We are coming to a place that he has recommended that he loves. It's Tony's Mexican Grill. He's been coming here since the late 90s. He even has his own booth, apparently. And so I'm so excited to meet up with him. He is just in town for a few days. This is a place he comes all the time. He has all of his favorites here. So I'm so excited to catch up with Eric Stonestreet. All right, let's get to the conversation.
B
The food here is freaking phenomenal.
A
You've been coming here since 99. 99, yeah.
B
So I getting my dog groomed and I dropped him off and they were having lunch delivered and I was like, ooh, lunchtime. And they were like, yes, from the best place ever. Like, well, where's that? She goes, tony's Mexican Grill. Magnolia, cold water. Like, all right. So my sister was in town, so I go out into the car. I'm like, mexican sound good for lunch? She's like, yeah, Avi. So we came over here and had corn soup and green chili enchiladas and have been coming back ever since.
A
Green chili enchiladas yeah, well, verde.
B
They're not green chili. They're verde. But they're. They're. They're. They're great. It's. It's a carnival in your mouth.
A
Yeah. I mean, they all know you. Look at. They're all so excited we're here.
B
I mean, I used to give them Christmas. Like, they were on my Christmas gift list.
A
That's so cute.
B
Yeah. Tommy's not here. Tomasina, she's going to be mad. But Polo's great. Polo, I mean, they. They watched me. My career.
A
They said they were like, Eric used to come here when he was little.
B
Yeah. Like, well, never little. Oh, here's a good one for you. So they all. Once the show started, they're like. All the cooks are like Sofia Vergara.
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
And they're like, you think she come in sometime? I was like, well, I don't know. Maybe. So I got. I had her autograph a picture to Tony's, and I said, hey, I'm bringing Sophia in tomorrow. They're like, no. I walk in for the phone, it hung back in the kitchen. I'm sure it is. I'm surprised it's not still there. Oh, my God.
A
It's not. You don't think it's still there?
B
No, it's not.
A
That's so good. I. Because you've been. Well, when did you move to LA?
B
It was 98.
A
Okay. So, like, right after that, you've been coming here basically the entire time you've been in la.
B
Yeah.
A
Yeah.
B
And I'm not kidding you when I say this, and I'm not ashamed at it at all. There were times I ate here twice a day. Yeah. I would come for lunch and for dinner because it was on my way home from 20th.
A
I mean, listen, I grew up in New Mexico. First of all, the breakfast in New Mexico is probably the greatest breakfast I've ever had.
B
I love it. I love it.
A
All the green chili and, like, the enchiladas and, like, that's all. I mean, I want that for breakfast every day. So, I mean, I get it.
B
Well, you'll love this. I brought my dad here for the first time for lunch. He. He stared at the menu and he goes, well, don't you ever come here for breakfast? And I said, no, I've never been here for breakfast because, well, I'll bet it's damn good. And I said, well, I guess we could come back. So Tony was alive. Tony's passed away, but Tony was alive. And I said, tony is breakfast goodies. He's like, yeah, I'm sure.
A
It's incredible.
B
So we came for breakfast because my dad was like, well, why in the hell aren't you going for breakfast, too?
A
So I love when you talk about your dad. First of all, I mean, you just posted about your dad. It's four years. Four years ago, he passed. Crazy Vince. But I love when you talk about it, because I was like, he really is. You are cut from the Vince claw.
B
Oh, yeah, Very much.
A
So much.
B
I mean, this is a Vince place. Like, growing up, this is where he explored all the little places, like. And that's why my curiosity of places like this, you know, is what it is. I always, always, always, always know you want that soup. Well, they make my own. They make my own salsa.
A
They make your salsa, so.
B
Well, there's salsa, there's table salsa, then there's Tony's salsa, and then there's Tony's Eric salsa. So this is the one he would make for me because he called me his Mexican gringo.
A
Why is it different?
B
Cause it's spicy.
A
Oh, it's spicy.
B
The ratio. The ratio to chili and tomato is greater.
A
Okay. Oh, that is spicy.
B
Yeah. So there's more. Wait, I feel like you brought in.
A
A jar of this to work one time.
B
I probably did. I probably did. The salsa.
A
I'll have a Diet Coke. Thank you.
B
Their Diet Coke is phenomenal. They follow the rules. No, I'm kidding. I'm not kidding you. Because they don't cheap out on the syrup or the carbonation. They follow the exact rules that Coke tells them to follow. So it will be which.
A
Does Coke have a recipe that they sent 100.
B
That's why McDonald's Cokes are so good. Really?
A
Yeah.
B
You have to use exactly the right carbonation, the right syrup, and then the right amount of ice. You're about to have a delicious life.
A
Coke approved.
B
This is, like, I haven't had this food here in, you know, months. So when I come in here, it's, like, nostalgic. And now the boys are jealous that I'm at Tony's. They're guacamole here.
A
Lindsay's twins. Yeah.
B
Lindsay's twin boys. Thirteen now, and they've adopted the Tony's as their favorite place to go. But they're obsessed with their guacamole here because it's just avocado, lime, and salt. It's simple. It's whipped.
A
By the way, this is very good. Tag. Yeah, this is right.
B
It's perfectly effervescent. It's perfectly sweet. It Tastes like a good diet cake. And I'm. I've seen Diet Coke.
A
I really miss about you. And I would get this every day on the show is just how you have such a relish for things you love. Like, there were those. Those. There were those grapes that you would always bring in that tasted like cotton.
B
Candy for the first 10. You know, the first 10 cotton candy grapes taste like cotton candy.
A
Yeah. And then you're like, yeah, yeah. But you would be so proud of, like, when the cotton candy grapes were, like, in season, you'd bring them in and be like, you gotta try these cotton candy grapes.
B
Cotton candy grapes. They're unbelievable. They taste like cotton candy. That's Vince Ism right there. I mean, that is dad. It's like, just passionate about things that are good and that you love and that I love. And I have to work on myself because one of my flaws, one of my many flaws is when other people don't enjoy the things that I want them to enjoy. It bums me out. And it shows. And so I know I've had to live my. I've had to learn to like what I love isn't what everyone loves. And I have to appreciate that some people don't like what I like or.
A
Aren'T going to show it.
B
Right.
A
That way. Yeah.
B
Okay. Yeah.
A
Oh, wait. They don't normally make these.
B
Well, you have to ask for them. They don't just. They're not on the menu.
A
Okay.
B
No, you can't do this.
A
I can't.
B
If you're freaking out over that, you can't do this.
A
It looks like a pickle.
B
It's not.
A
Is it super hot?
B
Yeah.
A
Are you dying?
B
Not yet.
A
Jesus Christ.
B
Have you had everyone on the cast.
A
And crew except for Ariel? That was the thing. You wanted to be the last one. I know, I know.
B
You've had Sally and Stefan craft service at some point. I sent you a text. It's like. So are you just gonna have the entire crew on before?
A
No, you said you wanted to wait. You said you wanted to be the last one. Ariel has not been on the cast. Arielle is the only one that hasn't been on El.
B
She's great.
A
I heard about this.
B
Every time I send people to Tony's, I always say, whatever stuff they have, get it. So good.
A
It's so sweet.
B
It's so good. Yeah. It's called sweet corn soup.
A
Oh, really? This is fucking crazy. And it's hot.
B
It's so hot.
A
It's supernormally hot.
B
Yes, it is. And liquidy.
A
Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Eric tells me about his surprise wedding, which he kind of even kept a secret from me. I mean, I only found out a few days before everyone else. And he tells me about the Emmy after party that led to him realizing that he was actually ready to settle down. Okay, be right back. Big thanks to HomeServe for sponsoring this episode. You know, owning a home, it's amazing. Until it's not. One minute you're enjoying your morning coffee and the next you're ankle deep in water from a burst pipe. Oh, here's a true story. I had a near miss with a faulty water heater a while back, and I kept thinking, if this had gone out over the weekend, how much would this have cost? Repairs? They don't care about timing. They definitely don't care about your budget. That's where HomeServe comes in. It's like a subscription for your home, covering the things your regular homeowner's insurance usually doesn't, like plumbing failures, H Vac breakdowns, or electrical issues. For as little as $4.99 a month, they've got your back. And the best part? You don't have to panic searching for a contractor. You can just call HomeServ's 24. 7 hotline and schedule a repair with a reliable local professional. They've been helping homeowners for over 20 years. With a network of 2,600 contract across the country and with 4.5 million customers, a 4.8 out of 5 post repair rating and an A BBB rating, you know they're the real deal. If I had needed this, HomeServ is what I'd use. Knowing that peace of mind is just a call away is worth it. Help protect your home systems and your wallet with HomeServe against covered repairs. Plans start at just $4.99 a month. Go to HomeServe.com to find the plan that's right for you. That's HomeServe.com not available everywhere. Most plans range between $4.99 and $11.99 a month for your first year. Terms apply on covered repairs. Managing your finances takes time. Like way more time than anyone actually wants to spend. Canceling old subscriptions, tracking expenses, trying to stick to a budget. It adds up. That's why I love Rocket Money. It really does the heavy lifting for you and simplifies the whole thing. Rocket Money is a personal financ app that helps find and cancel unwanted subscriptions. Keeps an eye on your spending and even helps lower your bills so that you can grow your savings without turning it into a second job. Their dashboard lays out your full financial picture all in one place. Dates that bills are due, paydays, all of it. And they do it in a way that's actually easy to understand. Also, you can create custom budgets based on how you've really been spending, not how you wish you were spending. Okay, now this part's really cool. Rocket Money will even try to negotiate lower bills for you. The app scans your bills, looks for opportunities to save, and then goes to work getting you better deals. They'll even talk to customer service so you don't have to, which honestly, feels like a gift. And it works. Rocket Money has saved users over 2.5 billion, including over 880 million in canceled subscriptions alone. Their 10 million members save up to $740 a year when they use all of the app's premium feature. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com Dinner today. That's RocketMoney.com Dinner RocketMoney.com Dinner okay, this happens every holiday season. I get a little depleted and off my routine after the holidays. Listen, I don't know why I did it, but I decided to double down on the eggnog this year. Double down on the eggnog and I'm feeling its effects. So Prolon's five Day Fasting Mimicking Diet really makes it easy to reset heading into the new year. Prolon's Fasting Mimicking Diet is a revolutionary plant based nutrition program that nourishes the body while keeping it in a fasting state. It works at the cellular level to support fat loss. Glowing skin, sharper. Good stuff. And with its simple structured plan, you can really build momentum in just a few days. Provon is Based on over two decades of research from USC's Longevity Institute and backed by top medical centers. Everything comes prepackaged. Five days, five boxes, no guesswork and three consecutive cycles have been shown to reduce your biological age score by 2.5 years and your waist by 1.5 inches. Plus, Prolon is the first and only patent nutrition program to support longevity through cellular rejuvenation. Just in time for the new year, Prolon is offering dinners on me listeners 15 off their five day nutrition program for your post holiday. Glow up when you go to prolonlife.com Dom that's P R O-L-O-N life.com D O M for 15 off. And we're Back with more dinners on me. So you've just finished this house in, in Kansas City. Not married, which looks incredible. Got married at the house I saved.
B
Talking about getting married for you.
A
I love that.
B
Yeah, Lindsay. Lindsay was the one. She's like, you have to do Jesse's podcast now because you haven't had to go on any talk shows and talk about anything. We. I refuse to do a talk show. So the week somebody wanted me to do it and we knew we were getting married and I told Carol and everybody, I'm like, not doing a talk show.
A
And they're like, why?
B
It's like, just trust me, I got something personal.
A
Well, this is what happened with Twelfth Night. Because you were going to come to New York to see Twelfth Night because you also know Peter Dinklage. You had just worked with him in Dexter and we were both like, you know, expect you to come. And then, you know, you were looking at dates and it looked like you were maybe able to come one day. And then you're like, it's just not going to work out. I can't tell you why. And you know, that was fine. Life happens. And then when I found out that you were getting married. Cause you called me the day like the day before, maybe two days before. Yeah, a week before, maybe.
B
I hate saying it, but like we didn't invite anyone to our wedding other than our family. So the equivalent to an invitation to our wedding was a phone call before the wedding which was like, hey, this is your non invitation, but this is because we love you and we want you to, to know about it first. So there was a group of people that we called and told and then, then we got married and I had a text all set up, ready to go. And then the moment we got married, we just sent it out to everyone. Other people because, you know, I'm a popular person, you know.
A
Well, you are.
B
Well, we are. And I didn't want to offend anyone, but I also didn't want to tell anyone. We wanted it to be a secret because we were keeping it from our family. So it's not like, like now all of a sudden I'm gonna let everyone know and not my mom, but I just couldn't imagine us getting married and you not knowing about it and other people not knowing about it.
A
I'm definitely glad you called me. I would, I would have been, I don't know, I don't think hurt's the right word, but I would have been rightfully so surprised.
B
It was a full on conversation. We had of how to do it.
A
And.
B
Excuse me. Yeah, it was great. And we, you know, and also, I.
A
Mean, I love the day that you pick, because you were born on the 9th, because my husband was the 10th, you were the 9th, and then Lindsay's is the 11th, right?
B
7Th.
A
7Th. So you wanted to get married between those two days.
B
Yeah. Which is the 8th.
A
Which is the 8th, Eric. That's how numbers were. 7, 8, 9.
B
Sure did. Yeah. And we knew we wanted that. Lindsey had wanted that date forever.
A
Right.
B
And we didn't want to wait another year because.
A
And you had just finished the house.
B
Yeah. And so hopefully now we'll. We're married and we'll have a party at some point and invite everybody to come.
A
And you didn't tell the twins?
B
No, they didn't know till the day of because we didn't want them to have to lie or be weird at school.
A
Right, right.
B
So we told them when they got home from school, they got measured for students. What say?
A
Well, we was the day of your wedding.
B
Monday.
A
It was a Monday.
B
So they.
A
Very popular day for us.
B
Yeah, very popular day.
A
All the.
B
All the. All the. All the venues were completely unbooked. But when we came out here one time, we had Tiana measure them for suits, and they were like, why are we getting measured for suits? It's like, oh, we have a wedding coming up that we have to go to, and you got to look nice at it. It's kind of a dress code. Like, okay. And then I took them to Anto, who made all cam shirts.
A
Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
Lindsay didn't know this because they made my shirt for my wet for the wedding, and it said EAS and the date in it. And then I secretly had them measured. So the three of us had matching Anto shirts. And so when those got mailed, she was like, oh, my God. So they got measured. And then that day.
A
Did they have flary cuffs?
B
Oh, yeah. No, no, no. My purse. This is an Anto shirt. This is not a capture.
A
I mean, yeah, he does great shirts.
B
They're amazing. So when they got home from school, we sat him down and just had a talk with them and told them, you know, not going anywhere, you know, and this is. This is what's happening. And they were just like, what? Like, yeah, we're having fun.
A
So they got him from school, and then you're like, in a few hours.
B
We'Re going to get married.
A
We're going to get married.
B
You're going to go down. You're going to change into those suits you got measured for that. You didn't know why. And then so everybody got to the house. My mom, her parents.
A
And your mom didn't know? No one knew.
B
No one knew. No one knew. And so they all got there, told them a time to be there, and.
A
Said, what did they think they were.
B
Going for a family picture and a meal, A first meal in the home. Like, we want you guys to come over first. We have a chef gonna cook for us. And so they all got there. We walked into the living room and said, well, you know, we just wanted, you know, you all closest family to be the first people to have a meal with us here. And we want to do a family picture to commemorate this almost three year process of building the house. And we also wanted you to be at our wedding. They're just like, the photographer got a picture of my mom that is so camp.
A
Like it is hilarious.
B
And captured the moment. And they're like, what? Wait? I'm like, yeah, we're gonna get married.
A
Okay, so tell me who was there? It was your mom, my sister, my.
B
Brother, his wife, my nieces, and nephew. My nephew wasn't able to come. And again, we didn't tell him. We said, hey, we request your presence at our house at 6 o'.
A
Clock.
B
We want you to come, but if you can't come, no big deal. But you can't surprise us and like walk in, right?
A
Are you guys ready to order?
B
Yeah, we can.
A
Yeah. What are you gonna get?
B
Well, you should definitely have a cheese. Cheese enchilada. Guide me because they're green.
A
Oh, I would love the verdict.
B
I go between a tostada with chicken or with steak and shrimp, which is in an edible bowl, which I used to eat the whole bowl. Now I just eat a couple pieces of the bowl. I love the cheese enchiladas. Their specials are incredible. What's the fish tonight? The fish is the mahi mahi with the mango salsa, the black bean mango sausage. So good.
A
Okay, should we get a piece and let's have a little.
B
Well, yeah, let's do that. It'll look like I'm eating healthy. You guys want to do the mahi one for the table? No, it is. That's what I'm saying. It'll look like I'm eating healthy because I'm going to order something else too. Okay.
A
Okay.
B
Yeah, bring that and we can just try it. And then bring him a cheese enchilada.
A
With sauce, sour cream with. So can top. Yes, perfect.
B
What should I have? I'll Do a toscada just so Jesse can see it. Steak and shrimp refried.
A
And sour cream guacamole if you go to guys.
B
Okay. Oh, and guacamole.
A
Okay.
B
A little bowl of it for Jesse to try.
A
Was your mom, like able to sort of process what was going on? Did she make a speech? Did she?
B
No, I mean, our vows were very random. Just talked about like her changing my life and how her coming into my life. You remember, she came into my life and we had like three or four months before both my parents were diagnosed with cancer.
A
Right.
B
So like Lindsay literally walked into my life at the exact right moment that, you know, it sounds self serving that I needed her the most.
A
I mean, she's a nurse.
B
Well, and just a calming. I mean, you know, my anxiety, you know, my attention.
A
Do I ever. Yeah.
B
And I don't think there's any question that if you guys all got together on set and talked about it would say Eric really calmed down once Lindsey was around. Like he's just different person. And she just, you know, took. She was what I was missing in my life.
A
I do know. You know, first of all, I remember that, that hiatus. You met her, you met her over a hiatus, if I recall correctly. In the summer, right?
B
Summer, yeah.
A
And when you came back, I think you told me that you had met. Met someone and that it was, you know, someone from your hometown and which was so different. Obviously, you know, the people that you had been meeting and dating. Naturally, of course you would because you're in this business with people in Los Angeles. And I just know how connected you are to your. Your roots in. At home and how. What a family person you are and how dedicated you are to your dad and are to your mom and how close you are to your sister and your siblings. So it made so much sense when you met someone kind of in your backyard, which was so sweet.
B
And I know you relate to this, which is I just didn't want somebody that wanted to be at the party more than me. You know what I mean?
A
Yes. Oh yeah. I do relate to that.
B
You know what that means. And like I had this really.
A
And it for the wrong reasons.
B
Right. I had this really vivid moment at a CAA Emmy party. I couldn't remember if it was the year I won or not one of the years I won anyway. But we were at a CAA party and Ty Burrell and Holly Rich, Summer and his wife were over there sitting down and I'm bebopping around the room, you know, talking to people and meeting people and, you know, doing what you do. And I have this very distinct memory of looking over and being like, I want to be those people. I want to. I want the comfort of coming to a party and knowing I'm like, have my person.
A
Yeah.
B
And I just remember thinking, like, well, that's what I. That's what I want to do. I've told Tyler. I told him that when I called to tell him that we're getting married, I said, you know, you don't know it, but you and Holly are. Meaning. Look at this. And then cheese.
A
Wait, what is this?
B
This is mahi mahi with black bean. And we'll share. We'll take Each. Take a bite of that. But this looks great.
A
You see? Told you. Told Ty that.
B
Yeah, I told Ty. Like, you don't know this, but you are very prominent in, like, me getting on that shift. Yeah. The direction of what I wanted to do. I take my meat off.
A
I mean, I was always very grateful that I met Justin at the beginning of the Modern Family journey. I mean, we. We met right after the show aired. We started dating basically the year that we were all nominated for our first Emmys.
B
Right.
A
Was the year that I was. Right, like, three weeks after we started dating. And I wasn't gonna bring this kid that I just started dating to the Emmys, so I took my brother, but he, like, you know, came by the apartment and, like, apartment house and, like, doing. Watch us get ready. And, like, I. He was, you know, around. And so I've known. I've had him in my life since the very beginning.
B
Right.
A
But there's also a bit a piece of me that was jealous of, you know, my friends who did have this moment in their lives and their careers. And you were one of these people, like, that that also had. Were free to, like, date people and meet people, and, you know, there's that excitement around you, and, like, it would be a fun time to be single as well.
B
There was also just a real loneliness with it, too, because it's like our lives change, but the normalcy gets amplified because people's expectation is like, I'll bet life's great for you. And it's like, well, yeah, sometimes. And then other times, it's real shitty, just like it is for everybody else. But people don't allow it to be because they don't think you have. You have the right to have, like, a crappy life. You know what I mean?
A
Right.
B
Well, you have everything going for you. It's like, well, sure, yeah, but also, I'm gassy you know, or whatever it is, or my, you know, my. Our parents, like are sick. You know, we suffer and deal with the same exact things. Yeah, I think people take that for granted a little bit that life doesn't continue to happen.
A
Now let's take a quick break, but don't go anywhere. When we return, we get into why playing Fizbo the Clown was so meaningful to Eric and how he demonstrated that. And we reminisce about Eric's late father, Vince. Okay, be right back. I've talked pretty openly on this show, but you know, therapy actually has been really a very important part of my life. Not because of some big thing that happened, but because having a space to check in and get honest and talk things through actually makes everything else feel so much more manageable. The hardest part, though, can be getting started. I literally think I had start therapy on my to do list for, well, longer than I would like to admit. Grow Therapy makes it way easier to check off the list. It's covered by insurance and care can start in as little as two days. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, Grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. They connect you with thousands of independent licensed therapists across the United States offering both virtual and in person sessions, nights and weekends. There are no subscriptions, no long term commitments. You just pay per session. And if something comes up, you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance at no cost. Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Sessions average about $20 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.comdom today to get started. That's growththerapy.comdom availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.
B
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A
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A
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B
Yeah.
A
And, you know, I was always wondering when you were going to get engaged, and then you finally got engaged, and then there was a, you know, when to get married, and there were so many things happening. You know, life things happening. You know, your dad passed away, and you were, know, your, your Covid. Covid happened.
B
The show ends showing.
A
It's like, when do we fit in something that feels as important as a wedding into that, like, how does that slot itself in, in a way that you're not feeling. You're taking away from that as well? So, I mean, I'm just so happy that it's happened and that it's something that I, I, I knew was it was just a matter of time, time before you guys were gonna get married. And I also love that her kids were old enough to, like, be a part of it in, like, a meaningful way and didn't feel like just like.
B
One was her best man and the other was my best man. I mean, they just walked in and he. She stood here and they said, who we'd let them choose, like, whose side, so. Well, not really in that way, but you know what I mean. I love it. And we really made it as though who wants to hold whose ring, right?
A
Oh, it's so sweet.
B
Yeah, it was great. It was exactly. And you know what blew my mind? I thought of every person whose wedding I've been to. It was stressful for 13 people. I can't imagine how stressful it was to host wedding in soho.
A
Yeah, you have no idea.
B
I couldn't do it. I mean, in retrospect, like, Lindsay and I both were, like, we wouldn't have survived, like, a normal, like, a huge wedding.
A
Eric, you also get so stressed out so easily. I do.
B
I know. I do. I know.
A
I mean, I think so many people. It's been certainly well documented that, you know, you modeled Cam off of your mom and, you know, found, like, a way to ground that character that's so different from you and this person that you know so well. And, I mean, when you meet Jamie and when I Met Jamie, I was like, oh, yeah, that's absolutely who Cam is. And I know. I think also about, like. And also I think the first time I met Jamie was when we were doing the first Fizbo episode. Yeah, she was there and she was there and knowing at how, you know, meaningful. Bringing FSBO to Modern Family was for you. I don't know, I just, I felt like there was an appreciation for the moment that you really had in the moment.
B
Oh, my God.
A
And a lot of people don't have that until afterwards. You know what I mean? Like, I think they like, look back and be like, that was really cool that I got to do that. But I just remember you that week with your mom there and being able to do FSBO and like doing, oh my God. Then every time we do fizzbos, like, here goes Eric with this, the makeup. And we have to talk about the clown makeup all week. But, like, you know, you have to do it yourself. Oh, yeah. You know, you wouldn't let hair and makeup do any of it.
B
And I'm still not credited on IMDb for makeup. I keep thinking I need to submit myself of makeup to.
A
Oh my God.
B
You know, listen, all I wanted to be was a clown in the circus. I mean, it's a line from the FSBO episode. And look, you lived out your dreams. I mean, you have pictures of you in a Phantom of the Opera mask when you were a kid and you've done it. And like I say, I got to. I never made the circus, but I got to be in the biggest circus of them all, which is Hollywood. And I have a very, very, very, very, very clear memory of getting that script from Brad and Paul. It's sitting in my truck on the lot right there in front of our trailers, and it's raining. And I called home and told my parents, like, you're not gonna believe this. The script we're reading is called Fizbo Fizbel. And my dad was just like, what? Like, I mean, just a crazy moment.
A
And didn't they use the photo of you as a kid? Oh, yeah, yeah, in the episode.
B
A lot of them.
A
Cuz I remember they used some of the, the photos of, well, all of us, especially in that first season. And there's some really embarrassing pictures of me. Obviously, I submitted to that purse.
B
There's one with you with a purse that's on the porch.
A
Oh, that's right.
B
You have a big white purse or something.
A
Yeah. Why did I have a. I remember.
B
Why did you have a purse?
A
Why Did I have that? Well, I needed something to carry my lipstick in. Sure. For touch. No, but there was. I remember there was a photo of me, like, camping with my family, and it was, like, me up against a rock, and I had planned, like, an outfit for the. For the day of camping. And for some reason, I don't know what, this was not something people were doing, like, in the world. But I. I tied a shoelace around my buttoned up polo shirt to be, like, a tiny little thin tie. I thought, that's cute.
B
Where is this picture?
A
Oh, it's in the episode.
B
Oh, okay.
A
And I don't know if you can actually see the. It's not super clear, but, like, that photo exists in the episode.
B
I mean, let's bring that back.
A
Yeah.
B
Right.
A
I mean, it could be a thing. Just a little sass, just a little flare for around the neck. But I remember being so proud of the fact that this version of me that I was kind of ashamed of, and certainly I remember, like, kids made fun of that version of me that now I was being able to, like, share it with the world through this show that I was so proud of as a character that I felt was gonna do so much and, like, with you, a character that, you know, that had this relationship that was obviously gonna do so much for the LGBTQ community, but, like, it just felt very full circle and very empowering. And I can only imagine. I mean, I felt that with just, like, literally a flash of a picture that they used in an episode. Like, I can only imagine what that must have been like for you with this carrot, with this alter ego that they strung through the entire series.
B
Think about, like, all the things that we wish would have happened in her life. You know, one of the things I wish would have happened in my life, or I used to wish would have happened in my life, was that I got accepted to Ringling Brothers and Bonham and Bailey Clown College, and I got rejected twice, and I was devastated both times. And so for me to continue an interest in clowning and do birthday parties and, you know, in college and continue doing it and having that in the back of my mind, and then to get to do it at the level that I got to do it, I was ecstatic. I mean, we had the saying there. Are you happy or are you happy as Eric on a Fizbo day? Yeah, because there's a difference. There's happy and then there's happy as Eric on a Fisbo.
A
If there was, like, a joke that we would pitch or something, and you would like you would have an idea and you're like, you would always say, well, you know, that's just. That's clowning.
B
That's clowning.
A
What if that is. It's clowning.
B
It's basic clowning.
A
Basic clown.
B
Jesse, all we're doing is clowning here. Well, Steve Levitan and I got into some very impassioned conversations about what FSBO needed to look like. And I told him it was a non starter. I said, and he'll tell you.
A
What did he want?
B
Well, it's not that he wanted anything. I just told him from the. He didn't have a conception of it. I just told him, if we're going to do this, it's. It's my. It's my vision of what the clown looks like.
A
Right?
B
Because my. I had a huge pet peeve. I have a huge pet peeve on how drums are set up on tv and I have a huge pet peeve of what clowns look like on tv. It drives me crazy. They don't look like, like real clowns. Yeah, circus clowns. They look like, you know, and, and we have a town full of talented makeup artists.
A
Oh, let me ask you, like, look at a picture. Let me ask you this though, cuz there was an episode where Bobby Cannabali.
B
I designed his makeup.
A
Oh, no, you did.
B
100%. I designed his costume. I told him what wig to get. I told him everything that Bobby would look like. I did all that.
A
My God, I don't think I knew that.
B
I did your makeup on that one picture that we did. Remember the picture that we did of the circus theme?
A
Right? Yes, yes, yes. And we did the promo.
B
I made you like a character hobo.
A
That's right. Oh my God, that's right. Because you came in that day, you're like, so listen, we have to have different time. Yeah, but you're like, there's several different types of clowns. Right. And you were like. There was an agony, a goose, which.
B
Is what Fizbo is.
A
And what was I? I was you.
B
Well, you were a hybrid. Because what I said to you is we have to embrace your beard. We can't try to cover up your beard.
A
Right.
B
And I didn't want you to be like a straight up hobo, like a, like a Emmett Kelly type of clown from Kansas. So we just kind of came up with a little bit of a hybrid for you. We'll find that picture. It's one of our gallery photos.
A
I remember that picture. It's a great.
B
But no, Steve, Steve, Wasn't against anything. It's just that I told him, like, hey, it has to be a real looking clown. Like, it has to be like, what a circus clown would watch and be like, well, that guy knows what he's talking about.
A
Right?
B
I'm not kidding you. I was at the Grove, and I was at Barnes and Noble. And I'm there in the back walking around, and I heard, excuse me, sir. Like, yeah. It's like, hey, I'm a graduate of Ringling Brothers in Barnum and Bailey Clown College, and let me tell you, your costume and your makeup up is perfect.
A
Shut up.
B
And I was like, get in here. Like, it was. Of all the compliments that we each have gotten, that is in the top of my compliment list. An actual clown from the circus said, good job.
A
So listen, that paid off. I get. I mean, and it's not like, I think, you know, Steve. Steve's like the type of guy. It's not like he's okay with you having a vision, but I think it's just the idea of knowing that he has nothing to do with it.
B
And I told him, and I said, for him. Yes.
A
Like, he's gonna have to be completely hands off.
B
Yes. And I said, steve. Yeah. You gotta just. No matter what you think of my costume, no matter what you think of my makeup, like, don't have an opinion about it. This is. It has to be this way. And he was like, of course. Like, he was always very fine about it.
A
Yeah.
B
But I just had to set that tone with him with the clowning from the beginning because I couldn't. I couldn't imagine me sitting in the makeup chair and then them deciding what FSBO the clown looked like. Right. That was not gonna happen.
A
Oh, God.
B
Oh, everybody's tense.
A
Oh, my God. That was great.
B
Incredible.
A
What do you miss most about doing the show?
B
What? This is a. I mean, just. This is a good example. Just, like, chatting. I mean, talking.
A
I mean, I always think about, like, when you're talking about being in the makeup trailer and, like, the fizz. Putting the Fizbo makeup on. Like that time in the makeup trailer and just, like, having time with the cast.
B
Yeah.
A
We actually started working craft service.
B
Jeff Greenberg walking into the glass that day. It's the greatest moment ever.
A
No, we taped off his face mark.
B
Remember his facemark lit lived that whole season.
A
I can't believe that happened.
B
And he just walked right. He just walked right towards us.
A
Do I tell the story in case it stays in the podcast?
B
Yes.
A
So season two.
B
No, three. Because they built. They didn't build the craft service thing until we were on for sure.
A
Normally on set, the craft service area is like a table in the corner. And because we were a hit, quote unquote, they built, like, this tiny little glass box in the middle of the stage. And it was like. It was like a little kitchen. And, like, that's where they put all the food and, like, they had the coffee machine and.
B
But it was glass windows.
A
It was a glass box. It was a glass box with doors and windows. And we were inside having breakfast, and Jeff Greenberg, our brilliant cast and director, came strutting across the way, walking right towards us and face planted into the glass.
B
And we watched it coming from a mile away and didn't do anything about it.
A
Realized that there was a glass box around this craft service. And we.
B
And then when he walked away. When he walked. When he walked away, we went. His face print was still on the glass, so we blue taped his face print, and it just lived in memoriam.
A
For like, a deceased, if you might. And then they finally put, like, I think because other people started running into the glass door, so they put, like, Modern Family like, or like some sort of signage on it, like craft service. So, like, you could see that it.
B
Was a window moment. There was, like, love, Jeff.
A
Yeah.
B
No better person could have walked into that glass in that moment than Jeff. It wouldn't have been as funny. Poor Jeff.
A
Right?
B
Wait. Oh, oh, oh, oh.
A
I remember. This is what I wanted to talk about. Cause I don't remember this at all. You told me, and I kind of vaguely remember because you'd always bring in people. You had, like, the most interesting friends that you're like, this is the lead singer of such and such. And like, he just wants. I mean, I know Weird Al Yankovic through you.
B
Yeah, yeah.
A
Like, you had just, like, the coolest friends.
B
Friends. Ooh, what do we have? This is our famous dessert.
A
Let me have one more bite. I'm just. No, I'm. You can take this now.
B
That cold tomorrow out of the refrigerator.
A
Cold now. It's so good.
B
Thank you.
A
Thank you. What time to forgot on the fruit Is our sweet cream that we've had.
B
Special recipe since forever. Did your dad or your grandma.
A
My dad made it. My dad created it.
B
Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's. It's.
A
Oh, my God.
B
My friend Gary, who I bring here.
A
That's delicious.
B
He just wants a bowl of the cream. He doesn't believe it or not. We've had a lot of people just.
A
You should. The cream really? You could bottle that, right? Yeah.
B
He said that the, like, the real recipe actually includes alcohol, but you can't.
A
Get people drunk here, so. Oh, I could see how, like, a little, like, bourbon in there would be nice. Only he knows the rest of these. Really?
B
I was just telling somebody about our audition because they wanted to know, have you worked with Pam Freyman?
A
I like her, though.
B
She is so nice.
A
Is she doing Revo? Yeah, she's great.
B
She's so nice.
A
She did all of How I Met yout Mother, right? Yeah.
B
And she. It wasn't her, but another one of the producers was asking about the audition process, and I just told him about, you know, how you'd gotten your part first. And then I came in late to the process, and it was so stressful at that point.
A
Like, was the biggest thing. You had done csi and, like, I.
B
Had a couple good little parts in, like, Almost Famous.
A
Right.
B
And then. And then I'd done, like, 16 episodes of CSI, and then I had done lots of good guests star roles on.
A
Procedural dramas like West Wing.
B
West Wing and all the killing shows and NCIS and Cold Case and all those type of things. I had gotten to do parts on that. But mostly, you know, your comeuppance was through Broadway and mine was through commercials.
A
Right.
B
And so I always, you know, tell people we. We arrived at the same location, but from very, very different. Different places.
A
Yeah. Yeah. No, I still remember when we came in, I was reading with, like, I think three different people that day. And it was back when you. You know, we still read in front of people. People live. It wasn't, you know, zooms. And it was such a obvious shift in, like, the room. Like, it was just, like, it worked. The pairing worked. And then I always tell people, you know, that we, like, went out to, like, get to know one another. And we realized halfway through Valentine's Day. It was Valentine's Day. We were both single at the time, so neither one of us had Valentine's Day on our minds. Neither.
B
Neither of us knew. Like, we walk into Cafe Intelligente in Silver Lake, and we're like, there's a lot of couples in here.
A
Yeah, it's Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day.
B
It's how lonely we each were. We didn't know that other lovers were there. I know. And we literally broke bread for the first time.
A
That's, like, literally how we used to be. Started getting to know one another.
B
And I remember calling my dad on the way home saying, well, I met. I met Jesse, and, like, had actually had Lunch and stuff. And do you remember when my. One of my favorite moments when my dad basically told you it was okay to be gay?
A
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
B
It was unbelievable. I was so, like, mortified, but also, like, knew what he was meant at the same time. And that's test. That's credit to you, like, also being a good person, because it's not like you questioned at all what he was trying to say. You just knew. Oh, that this is a good place.
A
Well, I have a parent from, like, the same era. Like, you know, I was like, that's true. You know, I got. I get it. I knew what he was saying, and I knew it was coming from such a good place.
B
And my cousin has a very similar story with his partner. I can remember hearing it. It's like, well, David, you and your. But your friend Brett are welcome in our business anytime.
A
Your friend, Brett.
B
Yep.
A
Sweet.
B
David, you're welcome in our home and in my business anytime you're friends and you would come over, you're welcome.
A
Oh, that's so sweet.
B
Is there any, like, questions you ask people at the end?
A
Like a speed round? Yeah, no. I usually just say, like, something like, do you have any cash?
B
Okay.
A
And you'd be like, no. And I'd be like, that's okay. Dinner's on Me. And then we go. We joke. Cause that's the name of the podcast. And then it's like the music comes in on the credits. This episode of Dinner's on Me was recorded at Tony's Mexican Grill in Sherman Oaks, California. Next week on Dinners on Me, you know him as Jacob Hill. On Abbott elementary, it's Chris Perfetti. We'll get into his background in theater as well as his pivots to television and so much more. 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 Mitk Calf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week. This is not a drill. For the first time in Lipstick on the Rim history, a real housewife has entered the studio. And not just any housewife wife, Rachel Zoe, the fashion legend herself. Did we expect styling stories, glam chaos stories from the past decade in a full cat eye at all times? Yes. Did we expect her to open up about divorce, rediscovering herself, joining Housewives with zero prep and what it feels like to finally feel like her again. No, it is vulnerable, iconic, hilarious, and one of our favorite conversations ever. The Real Housewives have officially entered the chat. Listen now.
Release Date: January 13, 2026
Location: Tony’s Mexican Grill, Sherman Oaks, CA
Host: Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Guest: Eric Stonestreet
In this heartfelt and hilarious conversation over a meal at Eric's longtime LA haunt, Tony’s Mexican Grill, Jesse Tyler Ferguson welcomes his beloved Modern Family co-star Eric Stonestreet ("Cam"). They reminisce about their friendship, the heritage of Tony’s, Eric’s surprise wedding, and the deep personal significance of his iconic role as Fizbo the Clown. The episode offers behind-the-scenes Modern Family stories, insights into Eric’s Kansas roots, and touching reflections on family, career, and identity.
[03:34] Eric (on getting the perfect clown compliment):
“I was at the Grove and I heard, ‘Excuse me, sir, I’m a graduate of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, and let me tell you, your costume and makeup is perfect.’ I was like, get in here. Of all the compliments we’ve gotten, that is at the top of my list.”
[25:51] Eric (on relationships):
“I just didn’t want somebody that wanted to be at the party more than me.”
[26:41] Eric (on what he wanted from love):
“I want the comfort of coming to a party and knowing I have my person.”
[35:51] Eric (on Fizbo):
“All I wanted to be was a clown in the circus… I never made the circus, but I got to be in the biggest circus of them all, which is Hollywood.”
[41:34] Eric (on being validated as a clown):
“Excuse me, sir. I’m a graduate of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, and let me tell you, your costume and makeup is perfect… That is in the top of my compliment list.”
[43:08] Eric (on what he misses about Modern Family):
“Just, like, chatting. I mean, talking.”
[48:46] Jesse (on their first meal together):
“That’s how lonely we each were. We didn’t know that other lovers were there.”
The conversation is warm, open-hearted, and frequently hilarious—filled with mutual affection, inside jokes, and the relaxed back-and-forth of real friends who’ve shared an extraordinary, life-altering journey. Eric’s passions—whether for salsa, clowning, or his family—shine through, while Jesse provides gentle, thoughtful prompts and his signature blend of humor and sincerity.
Next episode preview: Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary)—theater background, TV pivots, and more.