Although you gained’t discover it on the 2025 TV schedule, there’s no query that Trendy Household’s place in peak TV historical past nonetheless has followers recurrently revisiting its most interesting moments. Whereas we nonetheless don’t know if that hypothetical Dunphy/Pritchett revival collection is going on, a real-life journey story appears to have confirmed that actor Ty Burrell would not take lengthy to get again into character as Phil Dunphy.
On an episode of the podcast Dinner’s On Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the host (and fellow Trendy Household alum) talked about a backpacking journey to the Grand Canyon that Burrell and his spouse had taken together with his co-star Nolan Gould. In accordance with his TV dad, the actor who performed the youngest Dunphy, Luke, is a little bit of an adventurer, which makes the next involving some tough waters throughout kayaking a bit much less scary:
We begin out, and [Nolan], not having kayaked in his life that I do know of, determined to kayak the Grand Canyon. By the best way, Nolan is somebody who may do this. It was not like, ‘What are you considering?’ I used to be like, ‘If anyone can do that, it’s Nolan.’ I feel it was the primary day he went below. He bought tipped — and he can right me if I am unsuitable right here — and bought out comparatively shortly and bought again in and wished to proceed doing it. So he’d already been within the water. It is chilly, chilly climate and, you recognize, like, not fairly hypothermic, however very shut.
Ah, youth. The need to leap again right into a kayak on tremendous chilly waters isn’t for everybody, and Trendy Household’s father-son staff was studying that the arduous manner at this story’s begin. Those that revisit this legendary sitcom with a Hulu subscription can completely perceive why Ty Burrell would really feel protecting of his younger colleague and situational journey companion.
By way of eleven years of enjoying a household, good casts are likely to undertake that form of mindset as a part of the bonds that kind whereas making historical past. This was in all probability why convincing Burrell to hitch 2024’s Trendy Household reunion for that 12 months’s SAG Awards concerned some gentle peer stress and concern on the a part of Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Whereas one may applaud Mr. Gould’s daring methods, you’ll be able to already see the place this story would require Ty Burrell to enter full dad mode. For that a part of the story, we flip again to the Daybreak of the Lifeless ‘04 star’s continued remarks and the second he sprang into motion:
After which a little bit bit later within the day, he tipped and went below and was below for — this does not sound like a very long time — however I feel he was below for, like, 16 seconds. He was being held down by, no matter that’s, a hydraulic system for 16 seconds. And he got here up, you recognize, I may see him begin to kinda come up and attain his hand up and [I] pulled him onto the boat, and he was white as a ghost. He nonetheless wished to get again on… I stated ‘No, no extra.’ I bought to play dad. I bought to play TV dad. I used to be like, ‘You are performed. You are performed.’ However that was in all probability probably the most dad second I bought to be with Nolan.
This could be a type of moments the place the intense Phil Dunphy would come out, permitting Ty Burrell to take this lovably dopey TV dad into the extra severe corners of Trendy Household. Anybody else that remembers when Phil confronted Haley (Sarah Hyland) for going to that faculty get together in “Go, Bulldogs,” or any of the opposite scattered events the place that form of break from being one of many funniest reveals on Hulu was required would know that.
Good associates and companions are virtually household, and Mr. Burrell is an individual that family members may belief in both capability. So should you’re a fan of his work as Phil Dunphy, and it is advisable think about a voice of conscience that stops you from making a reasonably large mistake, let this TV realtor/dad information you in your time of want. Simply don’t be bizarre about it, okay?