I gave myself two months to book a job. One month later I was cast on 'Modern Family.'
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
My very first job was working on a TV show that was a prestigious TV show and well done - was called 'Family.'
I really wanted to do 'Modern Family,' and I really liked the script, and I liked the people.
I had a very special family life. My mother and father made sure when we were home, we were part of the family, not a TV star. And the other thing: my father was fully employed while I was doing the series.
A lot of the traditional sitcom stuff I did - I think I could have gone that route when I was younger as a staff writer, and I just didn't want to.
As an actress, there were so many months, years even, when I didn't get work, when I wanted to quit.
A friend of my mom's was a casting director so, really as kind of a lark, I had a couple of acting jobs that had just enough exposure to give me the option to continue if I wanted to. I followed through with it.
I got a job as a series regular on a television show when I was in my 20s. It didn't get picked up. It only went for 13 or 15 episodes, but it was huge. It was just absolutely huge, and it made me put money in the bank, and I didn't have to worry about bills.
I went for endless auditions for tiny parts in obscure plays, and never got one job until I was in 'Four Weddings'.
My first job was in pantomime; I was a chorus girl in 'Dick Whittington' at 16. I got the part by ringing the director daily to see if anyone had dropped out, and it paid off eventually, when I was cast as a rat!
My first series regular was on a TV show called 'Starved,' which was so many years ago, and I was the only guy they brought in. So I go in, I read, it goes well. The next day I hear I got the job, and I rejoiced.