Eric Stonestreet played the role of Cam Tucker in ABC's Modern Family featuring Sofia Vergara, Sarah Hyland, Rico Rodriguez and others. The show ran for 11 seasons, from 2009 to 2020.
During a recent interview with Deadline, Eric said that it was "hurtful" for ABC to reject his spin-off series.
In the interview, Eric mentioned that there had been plans to potentially develop a spin-off series based on his character, Cam and his husband Mitch, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson. In the spin-off series, Cam and Mitch move to Missouri with their daughter Lily and newborn son, Rexford.
"I don't think it's potential anymore. They had their chance. Chris Lloyd and a couple of writers wrote a really great script that spun Jesse and I off in our life in Missouri, and they said, 'No.' They just said, 'We don't want to do it.'"
The spin-off idea was rejected by ABC and suggested that reason behind the rejection was because he and Ferguson were though of as "old guys."
"Jesse and I maybe felt like they thought of us as the old guys, or something that didn't seem worthy of continuing. It felt a little hurtful, but people make business decisions."
"I think it would have been a slam dunk" says Eric Stonestreet about spin-off series
While talking about the spin-off series idea featuring Cam and Mitch, actor Eric Stonestreet mentioned that he disagrees with ABC's decision and believes that spin-off series would have been a "slam dunk" and noted that one of the creators was "willing to do it."
"I think it would have been a slam dunk. I don't think it would not have been succesful."
Eric Stonestreet also recalled that the parent series' co-creator Steven Levitan was concerned about the spin-off to have just been another spin-off just for the sake of doing one.
However, Eric disagreed with his concerns and said that "we had the right people in place" and that "it would have been great." Eric also noted that if ABC would have given a green signal, "I think we'd be on right now."
In the interview, Eric also mentioned that he loved his character, the show and his co-star and that he had "great working relationship" and "amazing chemistry" with Jesse.
Although Eric noted that it has "been so long" since the show ended, he hopes to reunite with his on-screen family and wishes the show does a "Christmas Special."