Once again, the Emmy category for actors in a comedy series is dominated by nominees from Modern Family. It’s a fantastic ensemble cast, but it wouldn’t be the same without “cool dad,” loving husband and self-assured real estate salesman Phil Dunphy, played by Ty Burrell. We’ve collected our favorite Phil Dunphy quotes on a variety of topics from the first three seasons of Modern Family below.
20. Supporting Roles
“Oh yeah, everybody loves Michael Jordan, but nobody thinks of Scottie Pippen. The only reason I remember him is because he’s named after my favorite musical.” (Episode 2.11, “Slow Down Your Neighbors”)
19. Cheerleading
“Cheerleading in my college was cool. The football players were so jealous they wouldn’t even let me and my buddies, Trevor, Scotty and Ling go to their parties. (Episode 1.13, “Fifteen Percent”)
18. Dancing
“Always keep the rhythm in your feet and a little party in your shoulders. (Episode 3.24, “Baby on Board”)
17. Foreign Films
“Why do I have to watch a French movie, I didn’t do anything wrong.” (Episode 2.12, “Our Children, Ourselves”)
16. Chinese
“Alex is teaching herself Chinese so she’ll be useful when they finish buying us.” (Episode 3.21, “Planes, Trains and Cars”)
15. Perfectionism
“Claire’s a perfectionist, which sometimes is a good thing, like when it comes to picking a husband.” (Episode 1.24, “Family Portrait”)
14. Idiot Friends
“I’ve always said that if my son thinks of me as one of his idiot friends, I’ve succeeded as a dad.” (Episode 3.4, “Door to Door”)
13. Courage
“I am brave. Roller coasters? Love ‘em. Scary movies? I’ve seen Ghostbusters, like, seven times. I regularly drive through neighborhoods that have only recently been gentrified. So yeah, I’m pretty much not afraid of anything…Except clowns. Never shared that with the fam, so…shh. Do have an image to maintain.I am not really sure where the fear comes from. My mother says it’s because when I was a kid, I found a dead clown in the woods, but who knows?” (Episode 1.9, “Fizbo”)
12. Cowboy Skills
“I’ve been practicing like crazy all of my cowboy skills, shootin’, ropin’, pancake eatin’. Why? Because sometimes I feel like Jay doesn’t respect me as a man.” (Episode 3.1, “Dude Ranch”)
11. Testing
“So Laura’s trying to test me? Bring it on. I’ve been tested my entire life. They could never find anything.” (Episode 2.11, “Slow Down Your Neighbors”)