‘Modern Family’ Actor Ty Burrell Reveals Why He Relates More To His ‘Finding Dory’ Character Than Phil Dunphy
Some know him as Phil Dunphy, others know him as the voice of the beluga whale named Bailey. Throughout his career, Ty Burrell portrayed several comedy characters. When it comes to which one he relates to the most, his Finding Dory animal comes out on top.
Here’s what we know about this former-Modern Family star.
Ty Burrell portrays Phil Dunphy on ABC’s ‘Modern Family’
It’s one of ABC’s longest-running comedy series, known for its iconic cast and heartwarming episodes. Modern Family tells the story of one extended family as they face everything from love to loss together.
In this television show, Burrell portrayed the father of the Dunphy family, the cheerleading, upbeat realtor named Phil. Throughout Modern Family’s run on the television network, the actor earned several Emmy awards and nominations, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Ty Burrell voiced one character for the Disney and Pixar animated film, ‘Finding Dory’
Aside from his work with Modern Family, this actor appeared in a Disney and Pixar animated sequel, the story of Dory’s family, Finding Dory. There, Burrell portrayed a “sick” but always lovable and friendly beluga whale named Bailey, whose echolocation was apparently not working.
He wasn’t the only Modern Family cast member voicing characters in this film. Ed O’Neill, who portrayed businessman Jay Pritchett on the ABC comedy series, voiced a surly septopus named Hank. (Ariel Winter also worked with Disney for the Disney Junior animated series, Sofia the First.)
This actor relates more to Bailey’s ‘neurotic’ side
Although Phil Dunphy and Bailey are both pretty fun-loving and energetic, there are differences between Burrell’s well-known characters. When it comes to who the actor relates to more, Bailey comes out on top.
“I’m just such a fan of Pixar and there’s also a practical side to doing animated film too,” Burrell said during an interview with Stuff. “Which is that it’s not a crazy demand on your schedule, so you can actually be with your family a little bit more.”
“But actually, it’s just because he’s neurotic, so it’s not a stretch for me,” he continued. “I’m absolutely prone to idiocy, like Phil, but Bailey’s sort of neurotic and he’s got self-doubt, and I relate to that a little bit more.”
When Burrell’s daughters watched the Disney and Pixar movie, they knew their father voiced Bailey. They didn’t understand, though, that he didn’t make the entire movie. Or tell Destiny when he saw a wall.
“So they basically spent the whole movie blaming me for everything that Bailey did wrong, they’d just constantly turn to me during the screening like, ‘Come on, dad! Just, please, tell her where the wall is already,'” Burrell said.
Although Modern Family has since premiered its last episode, Finding Dory is available for streaming on Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+.
