Behind-the-Scenes on Modern Family
Read more about Kevin’s experience behind-the-scenes of Modern Family!
It has been exactly one week since my episode of Modern Family aired, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some behind-the-scenes stories from my experience filming the 13th episode of the show’s final season, Whanex!
Getting the Part
Modern Family was my first TV audition back when I was finishing training at UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film & Television. Aside from being a milestone, that experience left an impression simply because of Jeff Greenberg (Casting Director) and Allen Hooper (Associate Casting Director). The two were so warm, and I had a great conversation talking about Carrie, UCLA, and Lainie Kazan.
I’ve since auditioned for Modern Family more than half a dozen times over the past five (or so) seasons. The show was also a cornerstone experience for me in the art of “not booking it.” I got close for several parts, even getting “pinned,” and learned the skill of moving on when things fall through from the experience.
One of the final auditions I had for another role on Modern Family.
A few auditions came my way for the final season, but having moved to New York City, I had to send in a self-taped audition — sometimes for characters with less than 10 words to prepare. By the time I filmed my audition for this episode at 8AM before a workday (still wearing pajama pants), I had come to terms with the fact that I didn’t need to prove I could deliver a perfect audition. I quickly filmed the audition, and wasn’t as hard on myself as I usually am. I didn’t even bother re-filming when I forgot the name of the character in my introduction. And it worked.
The audition that got me the job!
Getting to LA
I got word that I booked the job while having a wine night with our new neighbor upstairs. I felt very good about that first impression.
Very quickly after, though, I immediately started stressing about logistics. Because I auditioned like an “LA kid,” I would have to arrange my own travel and accommodations (don’t worry: negotiations were fair). After realizing airline points are essentially monopoly money worth less than a New York coffee, I scrapped together a plan. One of my dearest college friends Jane Papageorge had a sister who offered me a place to sleep at night, and I got a rental car to live out of for the rest of the time.
This side of the experience off-camera was a supreme reminder of how lucky I am to have such a great community to help enable these kinds of experiences. And also that Economy rental cars are not comfortable for naps. That said, it was great to drive around LA again, and catch up with some friends in my down time.
In a bizarre twist of fate, LA got a ton of rain on the morning I flew out. I distinctly remember walking up to the rental car with my luggage only to discover two-thirds of its wheels were underwater, thanks to the excellent drainage of North Hollywood streets. I then dropped my suitcase while trying to drop it, crane-style, into the trunk, and it got swept up in the deluge and started floating straight for the sewage drain. My socks were wet all the way to Manhattan.
Sharing the Make-Up Trailer
Between flying across the country, napping in a Kia Sorento, and worrying about the bags under my eyes, I didn’t have much spare thought for the glamour of the job. Still, working on Modern Family has a certain glitzy excitement around it, and I certainly walked away with some Hollywood memories. One that particularly stands out is how I met Sofia Vergara, whom I played against in my scenes.
The call time for my first day of filming was absurdly early. Even the crew was complaining about it. They film each episode in about 4-5 days, and that rapid pace was further compounded by a location limitation. My first scene at the mall literally took place at on location at a nearby mall, so we needed to finish filming before shops opened. (Although we still had a few bewildered retail workers wandering through an active set on their way to their shift.)
I had to get into hair and make-up around 5:40 AM, along with Sofia (who plays Gloria). Looking at the day’s schedule, I knew I’d likely run into the star in the trailer.
After I moved from the make-up char to hair, the trailer door opened. I wasn’t watching closely who was entering, because I was busy looking upwards while the amazing crew concealed my aforementioned eye-bags. The rest of the artists in the trailer exclaimed “Sophia!!,” and I didn’t think much of it other than realizing this mysterious make-up artist named Sophia must get confused for the star Sofia Vergara a lot. But nope. I was wrong. I was sitting next to Sofia Vergara, it just took me five minutes to notice.
Working with Ty
To my credit, I’m not one to get star-struck at work. While on set, I was primarily focused on being ready to knock out my scenes and help production move forward. Despite that, I unsurprisingly have already gotten most of my questions around sharing scenes with Ty Burrell — and I have to say, it was one of the most memorable and special parts of this experience.
It sounds trite, but Ty really was so generous, nice, and cool to me on set. I only had a few lines on camera with him, but he was great to chat with in between takes. The greatest impression he left on me, however, was his generous playfulness in our second scene.
In a way, it’s a shame my second scene got cut from the episode. As written, I had an exchange with Phil offering him snacks which he promptly scoffed at in true star fashion. As we were filming and resetting each take, I started riffing a bit and making “what if” jokes about the scene with Ty — which eventually turned into him looping in the directors and writers to create space for us to play. We did several versions of the scene off-the-cuff, playing to find just the right way to make the joke land. While the moment ended up on the cutting room floor, it’s honestly at the forefront of my memory of the show. I felt lucky to encounter such a great scene partner (and star, no less) who took time to play with me.
I had such a blast joining Modern Family for this episode. It was extremely satisfying to finally get on this set after so many years and attempts, but moreover I was truly touched by the interactions I got to have on set with Jeff, Allen, Sofia, Ty, Elaine, and the whole crew. It was also particularly special to share the episode with my dear friend Frankie Rodriguez, whom I performed with at Universal Studios. The whole experience — from flying to LA, to the day my episode aired — was above all a cool reminder of how many people I have supporting me in this crazy career as a storyteller. While my Modern Family moment was just a matter of seconds, it’s something I’ll remember for years to come.
Check out more of my performance work at www.kpdoh.com/performer!
On the Air for AT&T!
Don't miss Kevin in the latest national campaign for ATT!
Catch the Masters this year? If you did, a familiar face probably flashed across your screen! 😉
I was thrilled to be a part of the cast assembled by Sonnenberg Casting for AT&T's latest national ad campaign for their Edge-to-Edge Intelligence™ products. The campaign premiered at the PGA Masters Tournament, and continues to run across major networks and online. You may also catch some still images of me behind the wheel, coming soon!
Don't worry — there's no risk of the fame going to my head, as my appearance was just a brief moment in the storytelling for this product. You can catch me (around 0:35) as the Florist Van Driver, peddling fresh blooms through traffic thanks to the power of AT&T's network.
Despite its brevity, the tricky shot I'm in (accomplished with some impressive VFX) was filmed across two separate weekends at multiple locations. That's a lot of baby oil and glycerin to get me all "sweaty."
The ad was directed by Adam Berg (Philips Carousel, 2009) with Director of Photography, Linus Sandgren (La La Land, Joy, American Hustle). The project was produced by Smuggler for the ad agency BBDO Worldwide.
Kevin Patrick Doherty is represented by Brady, Brannon, and Rich in Los Angeles for commercial appearances, and has worked in campaigns for the nation's top brands (Nike, Taco Bell, Bank of America, John Deere, Amazon, SEGA, and more). Book Kevin for your client's project or learn more about Kevin's work by clicking below.
On the Air for Bank of America!
Watch Kevin's new web commercial for Bank of America's Travel Rewards card!
I got to cross an item off my bucket list back in May when we shot this fun commercial for Bank of America in the heart of the Grand Canyon and Antelope Valley National Parks!
It was an amazing adventure filled with beautiful sights, and while I didn't have time to nab a postcard during my travels, I'll always have this quick video as a memento.
On the Air for Taco Bell!
Catch Kevin in a new national commercial for Taco Bell's new Naked Chicken Chalupa!
A few weeks ago, I was enlisted by The Council For Eating Chicken The Same Way You Always Have to appear as "Danny" in a PSA against Taco Bell's new Naked Chicken Chalupa.
Next Up: Merrily We Roll Along!
Catch Kevin as Tyler in Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, directed by Michael Arden and starring Wayne Brady, Saycon Sengbloh, Whitney Bashor, Aaron Lazar, Amir Talai, and Donna Vivino!
Did you catch the announcement?!
While it isn't new news, the cast list for Merrily We Roll Along has been released to the public - and I'm on it! I'm so thrilled to join the awesome team at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in Beverly Hills for this production. The show is directed by Michael Arden, and is lead by Wayne Brady, Aaron Lazar, and Donna Vivino.
Read the full cast announcement on Playbill here!
With all the amazing talent behind this show, it's already been a really special experience - and we're only on Week Two of rehearsals! I'm thoroughly enjoying being a part of this Ensemble, and having a little fun with the role of Tyler.
Keep your eyes peeled for more press updates about the show, which promises to be a great one. I'll try to share some of 'em over on Facebook & Twitter, too!
For a full list of scheduled performances, you can visit my calendar, and hop over to the Wallis's website to buy tickets!
Kevin's Feature in UCLA's Daily Bruin!
Check out Kevin's interview with UCLA's Daily Bruin, and learn more about his journey portraying everybody's favorite snowman for Disney's Frozen - Live at the Hyperion!
I'm super proud to be a Bruin, and even more proud to think that UCLA is proud of me. That's a lot of pride going on!
UCLA's campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin, wrote a feature on me as a part of their series of UCLA Alumni performing in Frozen - Live at the Hyperion. It's always a blast getting to share the stage with some of my best friends, and it was just as fun sharing the news page with them.
In the article, I talk a little bit more about the puppet and my experience "building a snowman" for the big stage over at the Disneyland Resort. Casting Director Michael Donovan also chimes in to talk about my journey getting the part. In addition, we get to chat with our awesome, Tony-winning costume designer - Clint Ramos - about his designs for Olaf!
Thanks, Daily Bruin, for the fun write-up!
On the Air for Pure Protein!
Rumor has it my commercial for Pure Protein is now on the air! If you didn't catch it on cable, watch the video here.
Fun fact: as a commercial actor, I usually have no idea when different projects are going to air. Thanks to some confused messages from friends, though, I was able to discover that my ad for Pure Protein is now on the air across cable!
Keep your eyes peeled for us derailers on your TV screen, and feel free to give a shout-out if you spot it! Check out the video below, and visit my Recent Work to get a glimpse of some other new projects.
Oh, and yeah - I totally got to crash that car myself, for dozens of takes. It was awesome.