Phil Dunphy (Modern Family)

"My boy was in trouble. So, I put my fears aside and came to his rescue. Does that make me a hero? Yes, it does." (Modern Family, "Heroes")

Phil Dunphy, played by Ty Burrell, is one of the many characters in the ensemble cast of Modern Family. He is the father of the Dunphy family, and husband to Claire.

At first glance, the Dunphy family is easy to perceive as the typical sitcom family. The doting mother, beautiful yet not-so-smart daughter, middle intellectual child, a mischievous and foolish youngest son, and a goofy dad to top it all off. This formula, or at least elements of it, has been used throughout dozens of shows. The Simpsons, Full House, and numerous other family-centric shows have all used some of these character foundations. Phil Dunphy, while at first glance being another Homer Simpson or Tim Taylor, actually subverts a lot of these tropes, and becomes a more subtle and well rounded character. He is shown to be a genuinely good salesman, and in some instances, such as in regard to real estate or technology, smarter than his wife, which is a huge departure from his character foundation. Phil's presented "stupidity" is more of a goofy naïveté, as he never makes truly irresponsible mistakes or decisions that would hurt his family.