Jesse Tyler Ferguson goes from 'Modern Family' to Broadway

NEW YORK (WABC) -- After 7 years on "Modern Family" Jesse Tyler Ferguson was looking for a challenge while on summer hiatus.

He found it on Broadway in a new version of "Fully Committed," a one man show he performed in 1999.

For Ferguson it is a return to where he began his career.

Jesse says, "It's what feeds me and gives me my big shot of adrenaline. It's my 1st love."

In the play Ferguson plays a clerk answering phones in the basement of a fancy restaurant.

On TV he's part of an ensemble but in "Fully Committed" he's alone onstage talking to 40 different people on the phone.

Ferguson says, "It's well written. It's funny. And there's an added element of watching an actor toggle between all these characters."

For each character he adopts a different voice. But the main character of 'Sam' hits close to home.

Probably because he's an aspiring actor just as Jesse once was.

"I worked in various gift shops in Times Square," Jesse says, "I bar-tendered at The Winter Garden Theater when 'Cats' was there."

That's where he learned to be nice to everyone and now advises theater patrons to do the same.

"Who knows?" Jesse adds, "The bartender who served you that vodka tonic might be starring a one man show on Broadway in 15 years."

Jesse Tyler Ferguson will be starring in "Fully Committed" through the summer.

And he can be seen on "Modern Family" Wednesday nights on ABC.