Eric Stonestreet is best known for playing the lovable Cameron Tucker on ‘Modern Family‘. He isn’t one to hide his feelings, especially when it comes to that scrapped Mitch and Cam spinoff idea.
After over a decade of laughs, heartfelt moments, and pure joy that was Cam and Mitch, fans were crushed when talks of a follow-up series fell apart. But none were more disappointed than Stonestreet himself, who recently opened up about how ABC’s decision to pass on the project stung.
Eric Stonestreet Says “We Weren’t Ready To Say Goodbye”
In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Stonestreet delved into what could have been a continuation of the Tucker-Pritchett family’s journey. Alongside Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who portrayed Mitch, and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, their on-screen daughter Lily, the spinoff would have followed their family’s new life in Missouri after Cam fulfilled his dream of becoming a college football coach.
But ABC wasn’t having it. “They had their chance,” Stonestreet said. “They just said, ‘We don’t want to do it.'”
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“It felt a little hurtful,” he admitted. He added that he, Ferguson, and ‘Modern Family‘ co-creator Chris Lloyd were excited about the project. “We had a great working relationship, amazing chemistry, and it just seemed like we were seen as the ‘old guys.’ That was tough to take.“
It’s hard to imagine ABC passing on such a beloved duo. The spinoff, which would have focused on their new life in Missouri, seemed like a “slam dunk” in Stonestreet’s eyes.
“I think it would have been successful,” he said. He pointed out that Lloyd and other original writers were fully onboard and ready to make magic happen. “We had the right people in place. If ABC would have said ‘Let’s do it,’ I think we’d be on right now.“
The Modern Family That Could Have Been
So, what happened? According to Stonestreet, ‘Modern Family‘ co-creator Steven Levitan was worried that a spinoff might dilute the legacy of the original show. And, fair enough, nobody wants to ruin a good thing.
But Stonestreet insists that wouldn’t have been the case. “We had the right story, the right team. It would’ve been great,” he said.
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Jesse Tyler Ferguson echoed similar sentiments in a previous interview with ET, where he praised the spinoff script, calling it “very good.” Even Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, now 16 years old, said she’d be down for the project. But, alas, Stonestreet doesn’t see a path forward for the spinoff anymore.
“I don’t know how it works anymore because it’s been so long,” he said. Still, ever the optimist, he added, “I wish we’d do a Christmas special.”
