‘Modern Family’ Star Eric Stonestreet Opens up About Taking Mounjaro for Type 2 Diabetes, Weight Loss

Emmy Award-winning actor Eric Stonestreet, known for his portrayal of Cameron Tucker on ABC’s hit sitcom Modern Family, has revealed his private health journey with type 2 diabetes and how medication transformed his well-being.

In a candid conversation with People magazine, the 53-year-old performer disclosed that his diagnosis coincided with his career breakthrough in 2009 – a bittersweet juxtaposition of professional triumph and personal health challenges.

“It was like this crazy happy moment cut with this diagnosis that I truthfully didn’t take very seriously,” Stonestreet explained to People, recalling how his initial medical guidance consisted of minimal instruction: “I had a doctor that sent me on my way with a couple pills and said, ‘Take care.’”

The actor admitted that shame surrounding his condition led him to conceal it from virtually everyone in his life, including those closest to him. “I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to tell anybody,” he confessed. “I knew my mom and dad were both type 2 diabetics and didn’t share it with them. If I was dating a person, I never shared that with them. I didn’t tell my two best friends for a long time.”

This secrecy extended to his Modern Family colleagues as well. “I would dare say the only person probably in the cast that would even know I had Type 2 diabetes is Jesse [Tyler Ferguson]. It’s not anything I ever talked about,” Stonestreet told USA Today. His reluctance stemmed from insecurity about public perception: “I just kind of was ashamed and embarrassed, because, ‘Of course, a guy that looks like me has Type 2 diabetes.’ That’s what everybody thinks.”

According to the outlet, Stonestreet even withheld his diagnosis from his now-fiancée Lindsay Schweitzer until several years into their eight-year relationship. “I would hide my injectables and my pills from her. I didn’t want her to open the fridge and see something in there,” he revealed to People.

The turning point came when new medical professionals emphasized the gravity of his condition, compelling him to take decisive action. Memories of his father’s painful diabetic neuropathy – nerve damage typically affecting the legs and feet – served as a powerful motivator. “He passed away from leukemia, but the thing that was the most painful for him was his diabetic neuropathy. And I just decided, well, I can’t go down that road,” Stonestreet explained.

Another significant factor in his health transformation was his relationship with Schweitzer’s 13-year-old twin sons. “They’re her kids but I’ve known them since 3 so they’re my kids as well,” he noted. “And just like every parent, I want to be around.”

In 2022, Stonestreet’s endocrinologist recommended the FDA-approved prescription medication Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a weekly injection for type 2 diabetes that also promotes weight loss by reducing appetite and improving sugar and fat metabolism. “It’s a game changer,” Stonestreet enthusiastically told People. “It has just been incredible. It’s changed my lifestyle, changed my approach to eating, changed my approach to exercise.”

Now partnering with Eli Lilly and Company, Mounjaro’s manufacturer, Stonestreet, aims to destigmatize diabetes treatment. The medication’s effectiveness inspired him to make complementary lifestyle adjustments, he explained: “I felt like, well, if I don’t do something along with it, I’m disappointing it. I’m letting it down.”

Though Stonestreet doesn’t specify exactly how much weight he’s lost, he told USA Today he’s “down a couple shirt sizes, for sure” and emphasizes that appearance wasn’t his primary motivation. “I’m not all of a sudden going to be Brad Pitt over here and chiseled at 175 pounds. Let’s be real clear about that. I’m always going to be a big-boned, Kansas, corn-fed dude,” he joked to the outlet.

Most importantly, the actor reports dramatic improvements in his overall quality of life. “There’s a pep in my step,” he told People, adding that he recently completed a 4.4-mile walk through New York City. “I’m just lighter on my feet. It feels good.”