“ |
If this were the '60s, we would be confirmed bachelors and Lily would be a yorkie |
” |
—Cameron talking about his and Mitchell's lifestyle |
Cameron Scott "Cam" Tucker is Barb and Merle Tucker’s son, brother of Pam Tucker and two unnamed siblings, the husband of Mitchell Pritchett and adoptive father of Lily Tucker-Pritchett and Rexford Tucker-Pritchett. He is one of the main characters on the show.
Biography[]
Before the show[]
Cameron was born on February 29, 1972 to Merle and Barb Tucker in Grasshopper, Missouri. He has three siblings, including Pameron "Pam". He grew up in the family's farm, taking care of livestock he refers to as his brothers & sisters. Many of Cam's anecdotes come from his life in the farm, including the usual tornadoes and the animals. His first crush was a straight guy named Bo Johnson who is also from Missouri ("Farm Strong").
When he was 10, Cam's Halloween was traumatized when his friend Timmy blamed him for the entire bucket of candies that he took. This caused Cam to wet himself in front of the other kids and got chased around dressed as Quasimodo ("Halloween").
Cameron was also an achiever as a child on a wide range of fields, starting with winning Cutest Baby at the 1974 Jasper County Fair[1]. He also won awards on music, sports, an art show, a science fair, and a chili cook-off ("Lifetime Supply"). Adept in football, Cam was a starting offensive lineman at the University of Illinois[2] ("Coal Digger").
Shortly after the death of Princess Diana[3], Cam went out on one date with Pepper. They remained friends and Cam would eventually meet Mitchell in one of his charades parties. They bonded after Cam was the only one able to guess Mitchell acting out 'Casablanca' ("Come Fly With Me").
Cameron was a music teacher before adopting Lily and deciding to become a stay-at-home dad. He would later teach music again as a substitute teacher for Mr. Namagachi at Luke and Manny's school ("The Butler's Escape").
Fizbo[]
When Cam was a teenager, he developed an interest in clowns after he found out they were just people with make up. He subsequently went to train under Professor Ringmaster Al Uzielli, and made up his own clown persona he called Fizbo ("Send Out the Clowns"). According to Cam, Fizbo is an Auguste Clown[4], an "innocent whose only drive is to bring people joy and laughter and balloon animals," ("Fizbo"). He would later team up with another clown named Lewis to be part of the duo "Fizbo & Lewis.” Cam left after he met Mitchell as he claims it is difficult to have a relationship and a clown career.
Rivals[]
Being a talented and competitive person, Cam is shown to have several rivals, much to Mitchell's chagrin. This includes:
- Señor Kaplan, the Spanish teacher at the high school Cam teaches at. They have been competing for the attention especially after Cam took over Kaplan's class while he was away ("Spring-a-Ding-Fling").
- Andrew, a member of the A Capella group Cam formed called “The Greensleevers.” However, Cam got ousted by Andrew who renamed the group The New Greensleevers ("Undeck the Halls").
- Martin Sherman is Cam's rival at bowling ("Knock 'Em Down").
- Todd the bag boy who always puts Cam's canned goods over his produce.
Personality[]
Cameron has a very big personality and a flare for theatricals. His bubbly outgoing personality contrasts to Mitch's uptight manner. Their opposite dispositions often lead to hilarity and them being at odds with one another. Cam is also shown to have a big heart, with an uncontrollable desire to help anyone or anything that may seemingly need help, even at the cost of his time with his family.
Cam fosters many unusual hobbies such as collecting antique fountain pens, being adept in Japanese flower arrangement, filming home movies, and clowning at children's parties. He was also an accomplished and passionate football player in that he is extremely proud of his football career because it earned him immense respect for his talent. He is extremely easily insulted if he is likened femininely because he is gay - though he admits that he likes the color pink. Cam is compassionate, empathetic and extremely kind, with a heart as big as a whale, and Mitchell remarks how he feels immediately compelled to help any distressed person within earshot of him.
Growing up as an overachiever in many fields, Cam tends to enjoy being the center of attention, and is seen to be emotionally sensitive and unable to handle criticisms especially concerning his figure and his talents. In "Farm Strong" his sister Pam admits that the whole family thinks he is the fragile one (the "Cam" of the family) and is not tough enough to handle bad news. After the rest of Mitchell's family reluctantly confirms he is very sensitive, Cam breaks down and locks himself in the bathroom.
His political correctness is often a running gag in the show. Such as when he calls the American civil war the "war of American aggression," an antiquated term for the old war. In addition to that he once used homophobic language to describe some of his "gay friends". Finally the most common examples of these is Lily, who he often makes racist remarks about, such as when he writes a story about Lily's adoption. Him and Mitchell are monkeys and she's a panda because she's Asian, even though she's from Vietnam, not China. Once, when he did Lily's nails, and continuously made comments about the situation being "ironic" due to the stereotype of asians painting people's nails.
Appearance[]
Cameron is often the target of insults because of his weight, mostly by Mitchell's mother, DeDe. However, it’s implied that before they were expecting Lily, prior to the beginning of the show, Cam was considerably thinner. Cam often wears dress shirts, preferring to dress in light colors. Whenever he is seen wearing a suit on formal events, he always wears a carnation.
Cameron has been shown to be very conscious about his appearance. In "Strangers on a Treadmill", he wore bike shorts (which were censored), before Claire told him they did not look good on him, causing Cam to cry. The censorship of the bike shorts in this episode sparked controversy, although both Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays Mitchell, confirmed that the censorship was intentional and not an act by the network or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Cameron grew up on a farm in Missouri. He was a starting center for the University of Illinois football team (which he and Jay bond over) and is a very big sports fan.
Throughout the series, Cam is shown to be very emotional, often crying when even the slightest bit upset and reacting dramatically to startling news. In multiple episodes, he often feels betrayed by Mitchell in some way, be it Mitchell forgetting to send out invitations to a party he was throwing or participating in a flash mob without inviting him, and he invariably responds by dramatically saying "How could you, Mitchell!” In "The Bicycle Thief", Cam became very upset when a woman at Lily's playschool criticized a performance by Meryl Streep, claiming that "(she) could play Batman". He is also shown to be a bit of a wimp (except when somebody threatens or harms him or his loved ones), though Mitchell has been shown to be an even larger one. He is also portrayed as clumsy in social situation's such as Mitchell's job interview, when interacting with Lily's pediatrician, and when he had to explain to Gloria a misinterpreted remark.
Season Summaries[]
None Assigned yet (Please write a Season 1 summary here for Cameron).
None Assigned yet (Please write a Season 2 summary here for Cameron).
None Assigned yet (Please write a Season 3 summary here for Cameron).
None Assigned yet (Please write a Season 4 summary here for Cameron).
None Assigned yet (Please write a Season 5 summary here for Cameron).
None Assigned yet (Please write a Season 6 summary here for Cameron).
None Assigned yet (Please write a Season 7 summary here for Cameron).
Relationships[]
Family[]
Mitchell[]
Mitchell is Cam's boyfriend for 5 years at the start of the series. He eventually becomes his husband in "The Wedding (Part 2)" after gay marriage was legalized in the state of California. Mitchell and Cam are shown to be foils of each other. Mitchell, who often acts reserved and mature is the opposite of Cam's carefree and dramatic personality. Mitchell frequently argues with Cam regarding their ways in raising Lily, such as Ferberization. Nonetheless, the couple are shown to have an understanding and healthy relationship.
In "The One That Got Away", they decide to have adopt a baby boy but things get awry while they try to find a donor so they decide to postpone it and adopt Larry instead.
In Season 11, they adopt a new child, Rexford Tucker-Pritchett, they just moved into a new house before moving to Missouri.
Lily[]
Lily is Cameron's adoptive Vietnamese daughter born in 2009 in Vietnam. Cameron is extremely protective of his daughter, as seen in episodes where he toughens up or goes hysterical when he thinks Lily's welfare is jeopardized, describing himself similar to a mother bear ("Up All Night").
In "The Big Guns" Cam tries to train Lily to be a clown (like him), but she doesn't think they're funny, so she lets her father down easy and quits.
Lily is named after Cam's childhood pet pig. (see Lily the pig)
Rexford Tucker-Pritchett[]
Rexford is Cam and Mitchell's adoptive son. They adopt him in season 11. He is named after the street of the house they moved into right before bringing him home.
Jay[]
Jay is Cam's father-in-law. Supportive of his son's relationship, Jay often spends time with Cam, usually over football which they are both fans of.
Cam's sexuality sometimes becomes an issue to Jay such as in "Moon Landing", where their buttocks (accidentally) press against each other (called a "moon landing") in the locker room; and in "Fifteen Percent" where Jay introduces Cameron to his friends as a friend of Mitchell to prevent an awkward conversation.
In "Express Christmas" Cam reveals that he saved the wine bottle that they both drank while watching their first game together.
In "Coal Digger", after Jay asked if gay men would find him attractive, Cam admits he thinks Jay is "smoking hot" and is the complete package, awkward to Mitchell's disbelief.
In "Knock 'Em Down", Jay helps out Cam's bowling team by pretending to be gay to be able to play.
Biological Family[]
Most of Cameron's family remain in Missouri where they own a farm. They visit from time to time and on special occasions such as Cam's wedding. In "Mother Tucker", it is revealed that Cameron has three siblings, at least one of whom has a child, as in "En Garde" Mitchell mentions his nephew's christening celebrations.
Barb[]
Cam is extremely close to his mother Barb, calling her "the greatest woman who ever lived" She first appears in "Mother Tucker".
Merle[]
Merle is Cam's tough but loving father. Similar to Jay, he views his son's partner as the "woman" in the relationship.
In "A Hard Jay's Night", he sends Cam and Mitchell a statuette of the two carved out of soap, with Mitchell in a quite effeminate pose. Cam claims it represented Merle's acceptance of their marriage, though it was revealed that Cam set it all up to gain control over the wedding plans.
Pam[]
Pameron, more commonly known as Pam, is Cam's sister. Before the events of "Farm Strong", he views her as somewhat emotionally sensitive. However, when she reveals she is engaged to Cam's old crush, Cam gets upset and she argues that the whole family thinks he is actually the fragile one (the "Cam" of the family). They reconcile after she acknowledges that though Cam is sensitive to bad news, it is what makes him always appreciate good news.
Gram Gram[]
Although she appears in "ClosetCon '13", her character is not named. Until the events of the episode, she did not know Cam was gay. She is Cameron's Grandmother. They are shown to care for each other despite Gram Gram being homophobic. Cam mourns her when she dies and he inherited a bent buckle after her death.
Calhoun[]
Calhoun, more commonly known as Cal, is Cam's nephew. Cam is shown to care deeply for his nephew, even becoming Cal's temporary legal guardian while his mother, Cam's sister Pam is away at prison.
Trivia[]
- He, Jay, Gloria, Phil, Claire, and Mitchell are the only characters who have appeared in every episode.
- Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cameron is straight in real life.
- He dressed as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex for one of Pepper's parties.
- He had to pick up a hundred rocks as a child before he could have breakfast.
- His pinkies lift up when he is excited.
- Cam was born in Missouri. There is actually a city named Cameron within Clinton and DeKalb counties in the state of Missouri. However, he is from Jasper County as he mentioned he won their cutest baby contest and the 2011 Joplin Tornado was referenced in Leap Day.
- Cam plays the ukulele ("Dance Dance Revelation"), the drums ("Travels with Scout"), and the piano ("Egg Drop").
- Cam is a fan of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" ("Leap Day").
- Cam is a fan of theater musicals. This is shown in the first episode (Pilot) when he holds up Lily to The Lion King’s "Circle of Life". Also, when searching for Stella, he screams out, ‘STELLA!’ from A Streetcar named Desire. Another time, although Mitchell was referring to the city, he told Cameron that someone was in Chicago, followed by Cam’s response: Which character is she?
- His first celebrity crush is Richard Gere from An Officer and A Gentleman (1982) ("Boys' Night").
- He used to have difficulty struggling not to masturbate to Bo and Luke Duke (and possibly even Coy and Vance Duke) from The Dukes of Hazzard ("No Small Feet").
- Cameron has met Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg is unawarely the voice of Cameron's voicemail. ("The Prescott")
- In a short scene from the episode "The Day Alex Left for College", it's implied that Cam is allergic to dogs, becoming congested. This may be false because in the episode "Rash Decisions" he's seen several times holding and even cuddling Stella without showing any signs of allergies.
- He used to shampoo dogs in West Hollywood. ("Kiss and Tell")
- Cameron's birthday is on the 29th of February, which means that he has technically only ever had 14 birthdays
Quotes[]
I've got a daughter who bites and a partner who stings |
— From "Dance Dance Revelation"
— From "Diamond in the Rough"
Cam: What else does it say? Mitchell: [Reading from parenting blog] "My son was biting, so I put a little pepper in his mouth. He cried and cried, but never bit again. Smiley face." Cam: Oh, well that makes everything better, doesn't it? "I just [Waterboarded] my child, LOL." |
— From "Dance Dance Revelation"
If she were a hot guy, I would never be that smooth. It's ironic. It's like the gift of the Vagi. |
— From "Treehouse"
You're an amazing girl, Katie. You are the full package. I just prefer someone who has one. |
— From "Treehouse"
[commenting to Mitchell on Lily having dressed herself and walking in to the living room with the whole family] She looks like she was dipped in glue and dragged through a flea market. |
— From "When Good Kids Go Bad"
— From "When Good Kids Go Bad"
Jay: First you tell them I'm gay, and now I have a boyfriend? All these lies just to win a trophy? Cam: Yes. Jay: I can respect that. |
— From "Knock 'Em Down"
Cam: Am I stacking the deck against Claire? No, I would never be so.... Genius. |
— From "The Wow Factor"
Claire: [Spills water on her shirt] Oh, what have I done? Now my shirt is all see-through. Cam: And so are you. I know what you're doing. Pam: So do I, but I am enjoying this show immensely. |
— From "The Wow Factor"
— From "The Day Alex Left for College"
Appearances[]
Appearances |
Episode | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Total | |
Season 1 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 3 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 4 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 5 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 6 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 7 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 8 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 9 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 10 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 11 | 18 |
Please go to here for color coding.
Gallery[]
References[]
v • e • d Modern Family characters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
|