Eric Stonestreet wins supporting actor Emmy for playing one half of gay couple on ABC’s “Modern Family”

Well, if one of the three openly gay men nominated for the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy, then it’s pretty damned cool to have a straight actor playing a gay character: Eric Stonestreet for Modern Family.

Eric, who plays Cameron Tucker on the ABC comedy, beat out his on-screen husband Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Glee’s Chris Colfer, last year’s winner John Cryer, Modern Family co-star Ty Burrell and Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother.

The actor was thrilled to be getting the award from 88-year-old Betty White and said of his win: “This is really incredible.”

Eric told the crowd that “all I wanted to be was a clown in the circus” and was proud “to be in this industry working with such incredible people. … I get to work with Ed O’Neil everyday, Ty Burell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It’s incredible.”