Casting choices can sometimes surprise even the most dedicated fans because there are things you’ll never see coming. You know what they say, a casting choice can either make or break a movie. While some people wear their roles like a second skin — case point, Heath Ledger as the Joker or Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool — others simply don’t fit the bill. But we’ll never know if this was the case for the role of Phil Dunphy. Before Ty Burrell owned the role, there was someone else in the running to play the cheesy. lovable guy.
Friends‘ Matt Le Blanc was a top contender and while it’s hard to see anyone besides Burrell step into your favorite TV dad’s shoes. However, there’s something about Le Blanc’s ability to embrace goofy characters that would have done a lot for the role. So, if you’re wondering why he didn’t scoop up the role at first offer, here’s a detailed lowdown.
Why Matt LeBlanc Passed on ‘Modern Family’
After Friends ended in 2004, Matt LeBlanc was a tad bit lost. He had spent ten years playing the lovable Joey Tribbiani and was looking for new roles. It was during that time that a role in Modern Family came a-knocking. The role in question was Phil Dunphy, a happy dad who brought humor and heart to the show. Probably considering his comedic chops, the show’s production believed LeBlanc would be the perfect fit. However, when the actor read the script, he was sold on the character but just couldn’t see himself in the role. According to him, Phil Dunphy needed a different type of energy and he wasn’t sure he could deliver it.
Besides his suitability for the role, LeBlanc explained that he had just finished a decade-long run on Friends and wasn’t ready for another long-term commitment. It was clear to him that the role was vital to the show’s success and he didn’t want to take it on because he wasn’t sure if he could give it his all. In a discussion with Vulture, Matt LeBlanc said “I remember reading it thinking, this is a really good script, but I’m not the guy for this.” He also said that he had great respect for the writers of the show, but he believed that someone else would do a more fantastic job as Phil Dunphy. Well call him a fortune teller because, boy, was he right.
Enter Ty Burrell: The Perfect Fit for Modern Family’s Phil Dunphy
Once LeBlanc passed on the role, and the search for Phil Dunphy continued. The show’s writers finally found their perfect match in Ty Burrell, an actor who brought a contagious vibe and energy to the character. Burrell’s portrayal of Phil Dunphy was so natural that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. His performance got him critical acclaim— including two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Ty Burrell captured the character’s goofy, loving, and occasionally clueless personality, making him instantly likeable. He equally had a unique way of balancing Phil’s silliness with genuine emotion. So, while Phil was mostly a huge source of laughter, he was as relatable as they come in his role as a loving father and husband.
Besides that, his chemistry with his co-stars was a major reason why the role simply clicked. Julie Bowen, who played his wife, Claire, had excellent comedic timing alongside him. Their back-and-forth banter sold their on-screen relationship on more levels than one. Besides that, Burrell had unique dynamics with just about every character from Sofia Vergara‘s Gloria Delgado-Pritchett to Eric Stonestreet‘s Cameron Tucker. In every interaction you could sense that he was a full-faceted human, balancing a realistic blend of goofiness, insightfulness, confidence, and vulnerability that anyone would want their dad to have. Just call him “every-dad” because fans of the show quickly fell in love with Phil Dunphy, and the show became a back-to-back hit, running for 11 seasons and winning numerous awards. It’s interesting to think how different things could have been if Matt LeBlanc had taken the role.
Would ‘Modern Family’ Have Worked With Matt LeBlanc?
There’s no sure answer to this one, after all, both Matt Le Blanc and Ty Burrell are comedy Kings in their own right — albeit their different styles. Nevertheless, the story of Matt LeBlanc almost playing Phil Dunphy is one of those fun, what-if moments in TV history. While it’s fascinating to imagine what Modern Family would have been with LeBlanc as Phil, one thing is certain — Ty Burrell was definitely the perfect choice for the role.
Since his role as Joey in Friends, Le Blanc’s future roles sort of watered down the goofy side to him. Was he still funny? A hundred percent, but it was clear that he was setting a precedence in terms of the kind of roles he wanted to play. It’s safe to say that the role of Phil Dunphy didn’t quite fit the bill in terms of the tone he was trying to set. However, he did go on to play a handful of comedic roles down the line, if you place them alongside “Phil Dunphy”, his decision to turn down the role makes sense.
The Friends spin-off show Joey, had him reprise his iconic role, but let’s say he was a tad bit mature — emphasis on “tad”. While Joey didn’t reach the same level of success as Friends, Matt LeBlanc didn’t let that stop him. In 2011, he made a return to television with the show Episodes, where he played a fictional version of himself. The role earned him a Golden Globe Award. As a fun thought exercise, next time you watch Friends or Modern Family, take a moment to think about how close we came to seeing Joey Tribbiani as Phil Dunphy.
To see Ty Burrell do his thing as Phil Dunphy, you can watch Modern Family on Hulu.
