“You never want your kids to see you scared. You want to be that rock that they grab ahold of in a stormy sea. Actually, a rock would sink. So a floating rock.”

Deep thoughts from Modern Family’s Phil Dunphy, currently giving Homer Simpson a run for his money as the funniest dad on television. Goofy, geeky, clueless, and gentle-hearted, Phil tries hard to be the cool dad—and he really is. Just before stepping on the plane to begin filming the pilot episode of Modern Family, deadpan maestro Ty Burrell described acting as “the least rational career possible” during his commencement speech to SOU’s Class of 2008.

“You never want your kids to see you scared. You want to be that rock that they grab ahold of in a stormy sea. Actually, a rock would sink. So a floating rock.”

And yet that hasn’t stopped the Emmy-nominated actor and his colleagues from collecting 13 wins and 28 nominations, including 4 Golden Globe nominations and 6 Emmy wins. Most recently, Ty won the Emmy for his starring role on Modern Family. “I credit SOU with my success as an actor,” says Ty, the TV/film star who’s had his share of serious roles on Broadway as well as off, from New York’s Union Square Theater to London’s Royal Court Theatre.