'Modern Family' Sweeps Emmy Awards 2011
ABC’s sitcom “Modern Family,” featuring a gay male and an interracial couple, swept five statuettes during Sunday’s Emmy Awards ceremony, including the best comedy award.
The show, created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, won that important category for the second time in a row, and landed multiple other awards, including best supporting actor, best supporting actress and best writing and directing.
"Modern Family" is a story of a father, Jay Pritchett, and his son and daughter, as well as their children, partners and all the complicated issues surrounding their lives. The action takes place in suburban Los Angeles.
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The show features a male gay couple, Mitchell and Cameron, who have adopted a Vietnamese baby, Lily Tucker-Pritchett.
“Modern Family” also touches on a controversial topic after Jay, the elderly head of the family, marries a much younger Colombian woman, Gloria.
Ty Burrell, who won the best supporting actor in a comedy award for his role of Phil, Jay’s son in law, expressed an enthusiastic opinion about the message that the sitcom sends in regards to gay marriage and adoption.
"It feels very, very good to be on a show that seems like it's changing a lot of minds," he said.
Another “Modern Family” laureate, Julie Bowen, winner of the best supporting actress in a comedy award, talked about how having children of her own influences her role as Claire in the show.
"I think if I wasn't a mom, it would be harder to look at a child and understand how you can hate and love them all at once,” she said. “There are times when I really wouldn't mind if there was a giant hook pulled [my kids] off the stage of my life."
Among other awarded celebrities were Melissa McCarthy and Kate Winslet, winner in the best actress in a mini-series or movie category for her role in “Mildred Pierce.”
Winslet thanked her Mom in a speech. Melissa McCarthy from "Mike & Molly" has received the best actress in a comedy award.
Martin Scorsese has won the best drama direction award for his HBO hit “The Boardwalk Empire.”
Jane Lynch, the actress who was nominated for her role on Fox's “Glee,” hosted the awards gala for the first time.
Charlie Sheen made an appearance in which he apologized to the staff of his ex-show, “Two and a Half Men,” for his previous behavior that got him fired in March.
