Jesse Tyler Ferguson Gives Husband Justin Mikita a Father's Day Shout-Out from 2024 Tony Awards Stage

The actor and his husband Justin Mikita have been married since 2013 and share two kids

Jesse Tyler Ferguson speaks onstage during The 77th Annual Tony Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on June 16, 2024
Jesse Tyler Ferguson at the 2024 Tony Awards. Photo:

Theo Wargo/Getty

Jesse Tyler Ferguson found a sweet way to honor husband Justin Mikita at the 2024 Tony Awards.

This year’s festivities fell on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16. Ferguson was a presenter at the event, which he attended with his husband. When the Modern Family alum took the stage to present the award for best performance by an actor in a featured role, he stole a moment to pay tribute to his husband.

“Happy Father’s Day, Justin,” Ferguson said as soon as he stepped up to the microphone. He received a handful of cheers from the crowd.

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Justin Mikita and Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Justin Mikita and Jesse Tyler Ferguson at the 2024 Tony Awards.

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Ferguson received his first Tony nomination and win in 2022 for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play for his role in Take Me Out. He made his Broadway debut in On the Town in 1998. Mikita, 38, has also worked as a Broadway producer and is a two-time Tony winner, for 2019’s Oklahoma! and 2020’s The Inheritance.

Ferguson and Mikita share sons Sullivan "Sully" Louis, 1½, and Beckett Mercer, who turns 4 next month. The couple have been married since 2013. 

Ferguson also posted a tribute to Mikita on Instagram earlier in the day. “Happy Father’s Day to this stone cold fox of a Daddy!” he wrote alongside photos of the lawyer with their children. "I love you @justinmikita.”

Ferguson opened up to PEOPLE in April 2023 about life with two kids. "It's really nice settling in and seeing his daily changes," Ferguson explained. "I kind of forgot how quickly babies change. Every day, it's something completely new."

He added that Beckett was sometimes frustrated with his little brother. "He's excited for Sully to slowly do more than just lay there. He actually said, 'Sully, do something!' the other day, and I explained he just needs a little bit more time," he said. "But he does like telling people he's a big brother."

Ferguson shared during a May 2023 episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show that he and Mikita are not planning on having more kids. “We’re busy,” he said. “Beckett’s potty training right now … but that’s going good! He’s so interesting, he has so many interests and he’s funny.”

“And [Sully] is sort of just like, you know, babies are blobs and they don't really do a lot, and so I think we’re all kind of like waiting… like ‘TikTok we’re ready to have fun with you,’ ” he joked. “'Like anytime you’re ready to get up and join the party.’ But it’s been fun. It’s been great.”

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