Key Points

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson embraces simple, healthy meals like roasted salmon with sriracha, maple syrup, and lime.
• Ferguson’s podcast, Dinner’s on Me, highlights great restaurants and meaningful conversations with guests.
• Partnering with Lysol, Ferguson promotes "Address the Mess Day," encouraging enjoying moments before cleanup.

After spending more than a decade making audiences laugh on the 22-time Emmy-winning sitcom Modern Family, actor and producer Jesse Tyler Ferguson has since started a family of his own. A father of two kids under 6 years old, we got to sit down with Ferguson to talk about his collaboration with Lysol and how he’s planning to celebrate "Address the Mess Day," a holiday dedicated to embracing the chaos and leaving the cleanup for after the party.

We also asked Ferguson about his recent return to the stage as Truman Capote in the one-man show Tru, along with his favorite meals he’s shared with celebrity guests on his hit podcast Dinner’s on Me. Plus, find out what he makes for the family when he doesn’t feel like cooking in this exclusive interview.

What does Father's Day look like in your household?

It's fun when the kids are this young because every Father's Day is different. At the beginning they didn't know what was going on. Now they kind of get it, they're doing things at school and talking about it with friends. Every year it becomes more meaningful because they're putting effort into it. They're still young, so we'll get an abstract card they'll explain, but that's amazing and probably my favorite thing all year.

I share Father's Day with my spouse, so we're both celebrating. I want to make sure he feels special. I've been working a lot this year, and he has been holding down the fort. This Father's Day is really a celebration of how much he's stepped up so I could focus on my career. I love spending the day with him and celebrating it together.

You recently returned to the stage for the production of Tru. Did you have any pre-show routines or superstitions?

I've never been an embracer of superstitions, but I did a vocal warm-up because I had to speak like Truman Capote. Warming up with the words in the script didn't really help because I was going to say those words anyway, so I would pick up a piece of writing or a Shakespeare monologue that wasn't associated with the play and do that in Truman Capote's voice, or talk to my kids as Truman Capote on FaceTime. That was my warm-up and it was very helpful. I also rode a Citi Bike to the theater almost every day. That was a nice time to be in the fresh air and go over some of the script in my head. Every day was a little different for me.

What's your favorite easy dinner when you don't feel like cooking?

If I think far enough in advance, a Crock Pot's always a great idea to start something in the morning and come home and it's done. A lot of great stews start that way, or you can roast a chicken in a crock pot and it's ready when you get home. The house smells amazing.

I also do a really simple roasted salmon dish with sriracha and maple syrup and lime juice. It's super easy and healthy, and I can do it without the sriracha for my kids, and they love it. I have a little kitchen garden and like to whip up a fresh salad. I love being in the kitchen, but there are days where I'm exhausted and don't want to spend a ton of time. We're lucky in LA with so many great restaurants, so a pizza is always a great idea too.

Dinner’s on Me is a unique podcast. How did you decide on that concept?

It was actually pitched to me. I was approached by Sony to do something in the culinary space, and this was one of the ideas I had and the one that most intrigued me. Some ideas involved me cooking for my guests, which sounded fun, but sometimes you don't want to be doing that, and I don't want to be fully responsible for a meal if it doesn't go over well. I still have mishaps in the kitchen.

So the idea of going to restaurants I've admired or want to try with people I admire or want to get to know is a no-brainer. I get to shine a light on people and the restaurants and chefs who allow us to use their spaces. I also love how fly-on-the-wall it feels. We embrace the sounds and ambience, so every episode sounds different. Sometimes it's quiet, sometimes it's brunch hour in New York City. It sounds different each time, which is the experience people have at different restaurants.

What is the best meal that you've had so far on the pod?

I don't know if I can answer that, so I'm just gonna name the one I recently had because it was very good. I just recorded with Tan France from Queer Eye and we ate at Cinto Pasta Bar in West Adams, and it was absolutely delicious. I had a beet spaghetti, a spicy pomodoro, and a sweet corn agnolotti. I love pasta, so it's hard for me to be mad at a pasta restaurant, but it was a really great restaurant and a cute vibe. I've been really lucky to have some incredible meals on the podcast.

If you could pick one former co-star from Modern Family to cook you a three-course meal, who are you choosing?

Ed O'Neill. That was so easy. Ed O'Neill and Eric Stonestreet are both really great cooks, but I say Ed because he was always talking about a pot roast. He'd put on a pot roast in the morning and come home to a really great pot roast. He would talk about how he was preparing it and what he was going to eat, and we would be salivating over him describing it. He'd have a nice glass of wine and a pot roast or a steak.

I think Ed talking about cooking dinner inspired Eric to be a better cook. So Ed—I would let him make me dinner because he's only cooking for one and definitely has enough for me.

Is embracing the mess a part of your cleanup routine?

Yes, embracing the mess is something I'm learning to do better each day. I'm gonna be honest and say this is something I've had to work at. That's why I love that Lysol asked me to be a part of this because it's helping me embrace the mess and enjoy the moment. I love that they center this around the Fourth of July because we usually have a huge family gathering at the house. We do a barbecue—a pool day—and I've been known to be the person not enjoying the party and constantly cleaning and picking up. Then the day's done and I haven't enjoyed the party.

So this idea of embracing the mess in the moment and then addressing the mess the next day is something I really love. To partner with Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner, which I've already been using, it's already in my house. I love it because it kills 99.9% of germs on surfaces. It's under every one of my sinks. It felt organic.