NEW YORK — Eric Stonestreet has won two Emmys for his portrayal of Cameron Tucker, the flamboyant half of TV's most famous gay couple, on ABC sitcom “Modern Family.”

But the Kansas native, 44, seems determined to defy expectations. In April, he starred in HBO's “Confirmation” as former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein, and he can be heard in the animated film “The Secret Life of Pets.”

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Q: Is it true that you wanted to work in a prison when you were younger?

A: Right outside of Kansas City is Leavenworth, and there are like five prisons there. It was kind of the tapestry of my childhood. I was always fascinated. I wanted to know what was behind those walls. (In college) I wanted to be an administrator. Then my high school girlfriend and I had split up, and I was rolling in my sadness. I got dared to audition for a play by my best friend, Paul. He got cast in “Hamlet,” and I got cast in “Prelude to a Kiss,” and that changed everything.

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Q: “Modern Family” has been so successful. Are there any moments that stand out?

A: I always get emotional when I think about the show getting picked up for the back nine (episodes). After 12 years of not having a job for anything longer than eight days, it was that moment that I realized I have sustained employment on a great freaking TV show. (Tears up.) Sorry, when I start thinking about that stuff, it really gets to me because I know what that struggle's like for so many actors.

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Q: The show is heading into its eighth season. How long do you plan to stick around?

A: I don't think anyone has any intentions of doing anything else. Jesse (Tyler Ferguson) wouldn't be on a one-man show (“Fully Committed”) on Broadway necessarily without “Modern Family.” Sofia (Vergara) wouldn't be the face of 3,000 products without “Modern Family.” I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you without “Modern Family,” so we're all so appreciative of that.

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Q: What kind of influence do you think the show has had, particularly in its portrayal of a gay couple?

A: It's not we like invented gay characters on TV. Nobody has ever claimed that. But (it's been) seven years, and I still get tweets and fan letters and Instagram messages from people saying, “Thank you for portraying the closest character that I've ever seen to myself on television.” Some people say, “Oh, my God, Cam's too much ….” It bums me out when I hear that because it really discounts people that relate to him.

meredith.blake@latimes.com