As Phil Dunphy, the "cool dad" on ABC's breakout comedy Modern Family, Ty Burrell is fast becoming one of primetime's funniest, most delightfully awkward actors in the budding mockumentary format.

Burrell has worked with the show's creators (Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan) before on the short-lived comedies Out of Practice and Back to You, but this time, it seems like something's clicking.


On the show, which depicts a multi-generational dysfunctional family, Burrell's character struggles with typical father things -- getting old, raising kids, keeping his wife Claire (Julie Bowen) happy -- but does so in a spirit that's both guilty and youthful (well, in his own mind, anyway).

We spoke with Burrell on the phone from his home in Los Angeles about what makes Modern Family a success, as well as whether he actually got hit in the head with that remote-control plane.



This is the third show you've done with Christopher Lloyd. What do you think is working this time?

I think that there's something -- if I must be so pretentious to use this word -- something in the zeitgeist of this style of show.

I just don't think we've seen a family comedy sprung this way. Chris and Steve [are] getting to write jokes that don't have quite as much pressure on the punchline. But I also think ... that they built this incredible machine -- a structure to the show of the three families. It's so open-ended and so infinite as far as having possibilities for storylines without exhausting them or having the well run dry.

Each storyline ends of being five or six minutes apiece per show, and it's a perfect construct in the age of the Internet and five-minute videos. For [Chris and Steve], the funny part isn't the issue. The real stroke of genius, and I just bow down to their ability, is how they built the vehicle of the show.

These folks love each other even though they're constantly messing up or stepping on each other or hurting each other's feelings. It's not so snarky that it keeps you at arm's length.




The mockumentary format is popular these days with shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation.

What about this style has been hardest for you as an actor?

I would say you have to pace yourself in a way.

Modern Family is a very drawn-out process. The preparation at night has been really learning how to get your sleep, how to get my rest and prepare properly so that you're basically ready every day.

The cool thing about the form, if you have some ideas, you can throw it on the wall and see if it sticks. I don't want to lose that spirit and I think that's one of those things that's made me want to come in prepared every day so I have the energy to want to add things and not just getting into a place where you're punching a clock.

Luckily, I'm playing a guy who is so well intended and such a positive force while he's wreaking havoc.




Is there a lot of ad-libbing that you all do?

No, not a lot. It's been like 90/10. We get the script done and there's usually a few tweaks from all of us, and we'll do a take or two of us winging it.

Especially with the interviews, where you can just do whatever is on your mind. Some of those things stick and some of those don't. But it's more of the spirit of it that comes across in the show, that just enough of it is different in every take.

That's a fun day in, day out energy that I appreciate.




Your chemistry with Julie Bowen feels very natural. You play off one another well.

I feel like those things are luck of the draw -- I got lucky enough that I got Julie Bowen [laughs].

You just don't know who you're going to be working with job to job. There have been plenty of times, for whatever reason, you can't get into sync with each other.

But Julie is such a gamer -- she's up for whatever silliness, we just had a blast from the get-go. When chemistry is good -- and it's across the board here with this cast -- there's a level of ease in going in and out of scenes.




Do you watch a lot of reality TV?

I don't. I don't have anything against them, my television hours getting divided up between sports and stuff like Mad Men, I guess. I'm a sports freak and watch far too much sports.




The interview cutaways that you do, how long do those go for?

We usually go about five to ten minutes of getting the scripted stuff. Then depending on how my own personal gibberish is going, that can be either equal time or it'll be a few minutes and we're done.

I usually try to work a few of my own lines in. Sometimes they fail miserably.




The plotlines for The Office have been interesting to watch develop over the years.

Do you think that Modern Family has that same gusto in it?

Oh yeah. The first thing that impressed me was the infinite combinations in my mind. That's not including bringing in other storylines, which most shows do pretty liberally.

I think the first few scenes between Manny (Rico Rodriguez) and Claire are a good indication of how much is what's available for storylines. And we've already started to have some pretty cool guest stars.




Shelley Long was fantastic.

Yeah, she was amazing. We have an episode with Elizabeth Banks and Edward Norton and they're both hilarious in it.




How was that plane flying into your nose simulated?

[laughs]. Well it was me out there hamming it up with nothing, and then they brought in the plane and flew it into a green-screen head.

So, believe it or not, it was a blast. I'd stayed up the night before practicing my falls on my bed like an eight-year-old boy.

It's the pure essence of why this job is so good -- a 48-year-old man bouncing on my bed at one in the morning.

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