Ferguson, Stonestreet to Host WGAW Awards, 2/5

Modern Family co-stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Eric Stonestreet have been tapped by the WGAW to co-host the 2011 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony on Saturday, February 5, 2011, at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel-Grand Ballroom.

Ferguson & Stonestreet currently co-star as gay adoptive parents Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker on ABC's hit comedy series Modern Family, the critically acclaimed show that's helped usher back the sitcom on network primetime television. Co-created by executive producers Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, in its first season, network TV's #1 new comedy earned six Emmy Awards, including Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Last year, the show also took home two Writers Guild Awards for New Series and Episodic Comedy for the series' pilot co-penned by series co-creators Levitan & Lloyd.

"I am humbled, honored and excited to be asked to host the WGA Awards. I'm also thankful that the WGA has recognized me as an individual apart from my co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. I am very fond of Jesse but also very sick of him. Did you know we're not an actual real couple? And I'm tired of people thinking I can't exist without him. Anyway, I look forward to a great evening," said Stonestreet.

"I am honored to co-host the WGA Awards with Eric. I love Eric so much and any opportunity I have to be around him in the public eye or in private I will jump at. I love that he can't exist without me. I feel like we are an actual couple sometimes. He doesn't know it yet but I am having a custom three-legged tux made for us later today. Anyway, I look forward to a great evening. With Eric," said Ferguson.

"Eric and Jesse are on Modern Family every week, but audiences don't know these guys can sing, dance, juggle, clown, and have done everything from motion pictures to Broadway. They're a pair of old-fashioned entertainers, and I'm looking forward to cutting them loose," said 2011 Writers Guild Awards L.A. show Executive Producer Spike Jones, Jr.

For his work on Modern Family, Stonestreet received a 2010 Emmy Award for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, while Ferguson received a 2010 Emmy nomination in the same category. Both actors shared 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. That same year, Stonestreet also received a Television Critics Association/TCA Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Comedy. Most recently, Stonestreet received a 2011 Golden Globe nomination for his role on Modern Family (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television).

In 2006, Ferguson received rave reviews and was honored by The Hollywood Reporter as one of "Ten to Watch" for his role on the CBS sitcom The Class. His additional television credits include Ugly Betty. Ferguson's film credits include Untraceable, Griffin & Phoenix, and Wonderful World.

Ferguson first made the decision to become an actor when he was eight-years old and soon after joined the Albuquerque Children's Theater, where he remained a member for six years. After graduating high school, he moved to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and began performing in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, the most notable of which were the critically-acclaimed, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" (Outstanding Ensemble Performance winner, Drama Desk Awards, 2005; Distinguished Performance nominee, Drama League Awards, 2005), in which he played Leaf Coneybear, and the Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Distinguished Performance nominee, Drama League Awards, 2008). He recently returned to the Park in the 2010 productions of "The Merchant of Venice," where he performed alongside Al Pacino, and "The Winter's Tale."

Born and raised in Kansas City, Stonestreet was first introduced to acting after a friend dared him to audition for the play "Prelude to a Kiss" while he was studying at Kansas State University.

After graduating with a degree in Sociology, he moved to Chicago to study and perform theatre and improv, spending two years doing television commercials and studying with Improv Olympic Chicago, whose alumni include Amy Poehler, Mike Meyers, and Chris Farley, among others, and The Second City, whose alumni include Steve Carell, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert, among others, before moving out west to pursue his acting career.

While continuing to book commercial work, Stonestreet built an impressive resume of memorable characters, appearing on hit TV shows such as ER, The West Wing, Bones, Malcolm in the Middle, American Dad, Monk, Crossing Jordan, Party of Five, and Spin City.

Perhaps his most notable character was his recurring role as Ronnie Litre, the dubious documents technician on CSI. More recently, Stonestreet guest starred on such TV shows as The Mentalist, NCIS, Nip/Tuck, and Pushing Daisies. On the big screen, Stonestreet has appeared in Almost Famous and starred in IFC's indie cult film Girls Will Be Girls. Next up, Stonestreet co-stars with Cameron Diaz, Jason Segal, and Justin Timberlake in Columbia Pictures' comedy Bad Teacher, due in theaters on June 17.

Additional presenters/talent will be announced closer to show date.

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