Ty Burrell Is In ‘Pit-Crew’ Stage of Parenthood

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For new dad Ty Burrell, stepping into the role of Phil Dunphy on Modern Family is anything but a stretch.

“I’m more neurotic than Phil, but I screw things up just as much as he does,” the actor, 42, reveals in Redbook‘s September issue.

“At this stage, my parenting consists of being a pit-crew member, where I step in and I wash and feed.”

Earlier this year, Burrell and his wife Holly welcomed their first child, 6-month-old daughter Frances, through adoption and according to the doting dad, the addition has taken their relationship to a whole new level.

“There’s lots of problem solving in any marriage, but when you have this collective goal that is a human being, it’s an inspiring rally point,” he explains.

And fortunately the united front is allowing the first-time parents to navigate their way through raising their daughter on their own — despite the unsolicited advice along the way!

“People discuss parenting the way they talk about denominations of faith. They say, ‘The other camp [is] absurd, and why would you ever do fill-in-the-blank with your kid?’” he notes. “Then you go to the other camp and they’re making fun of the other people. We try to stay out of the fray.”

– Anya Leon