Emmy Winning Funny Man: Ty Burrell ’91

Parade Magazine recently profiled the actor with a question about choosing acting as a profession…

When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?

I had dropped out of college and was sort of coasting. Soon after my dad passed away, I decided to see what I might actually be interested in, and I went back to the University of Oregon. I got into a grad-level acting class, and the first day we had to come up with a Shakespearean-type character and improvise for three minutes. I pulled out a wooden box and stood on it to play a guy who thought he was really great, who was full of bravado but was a total idiot—which is a bit Phil-esque. I got a laugh, and it felt like I was in a love bath. I ran off and changed my major.

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