Jesse Tyler Ferguson knows firsthand that it can be hard to find the right words in times of distress.
He recalled putting his foot in it on Tuesday’s episode of his “Dinner’s On Me” podcast, detailing an encounter he had with “Modern Family” co-star Nathan Lane after Robin Williams’ death in 2014.
“I hope this is funny to someone,” the actor deadpanned to guest Josh Hutcherson.
The five-time Emmy nominee starred as Mitchell Pritchett on “Modern Family” for 11 seasons, and Lane joined the beloved ABC sitcom in Season 2 as a recurring guest star, playing Pepper Saltzman for 10 episodes. Ferguson said on Tuesday’s episode he was filming with Lane in 2014 after Williams’ Aug. 11 death and momentarily forgot that the two had a well-documented friendship and beloved working relationship after co-starring in 1996’s “The Birdcage.”
“I was with Nathan Lane, he was working on ‘Modern Family’ when we found out that Robin Williams had passed away, and I was like — I hope this sounds, I hope this is funny to someone,” Ferguson said. “But I was like, ‘Nathan did you ever work with him? Did you know him?’ He’s like: ‘He played my husband in “The Birdcage.”‘ I was like, ‘Oh my God. That’s right.’ Of course he did — which is, like, one of my favorite films. But I was just sort of in shock.”
“Did you know him? He’s like, Yes, I knew him!,” Ferguson concluded. “I was like, I’m such an idiot. Of course you did.”
To this day, one of Lane’s most memorable performances is as the eccentric, gay nightclub performer Albert, husband to Williams’ Armand Goldman in Mike Nichols’ “The Birdcage.” It’s a role that shot Lane, a Broadway veteran, into the mainstream Hollywood spotlight — and one that built a lasting friendship between both actors.
“He was a movie star. He could have said, ‘I want Billy Crystal,’ or another big movie name to do the film,” Lane recalled earlier this year of his casting. “I know they showed him the screen test and he did not know who the hell I was. And he was like, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’ He was, as you heard, an incredibly, generous and sensitive and kind soul and we were sort of kindred spirits in a way.”
Following their work together on “Modern Family,” Ferguson and Lane maintained a friendship, as well.
“He’s a hero of mine and someone I admire greatly,” Ferguson said on “Dinner’s On Me.” “I actually had him over for dinner last night, I made him dinner. I hadn’t seen him in awhile.”
Listen to the full episode of “Dinner’s On Me” from Sony Music Entertainment here.
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