Cameron Scott "Cam" Tucker is Mitchell's husband (as of "The Wedding (Part 2)") and also the adoptive father of Lily.
Biography
Before the show
Cameron is born on February 29, 1972 to Merle and Barb Tucker in 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.
When Cam was 10, his Halloween was traumatized when his friend Timmy blamed him for the entire bucket of candies that Timmy took. This caused Cam to wet himself in front of his friends 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. He also won awards on music, football, art show, science fair, and a chili cook-off ("Lifetime Supply"). Adept in football, Cam was a starting offensive lineman at the University of Illinois ("Coal Digger").
Shortly after the death of Princess Diana, Cam went out on one date with Pepper. They remained friends and Cam would eventually meet Mitchell in one of Pepper's charades parties. They shared a moment after Cam was the only one able to guess Mitchell acting out 'Casablanca' ("Come Fly With Me").
Cam formed an A Capella group called The Greensleevers. However, he got ousted by his rival Andrew who renamed the group The New Greensleevers ("Undeck the Halls").
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 called Fizbo ("Send Out the Clowns"). According to Cam, Fizbo is an Auguste clown, 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 the group shortly after he met Mitchell as he claims it is difficult to have a relationship and a clown career.
Personality
Cameron has a very big dramatic 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 fosters many unusual hobbies such as collecting antique fountain pens, being adept in Japanese flower arrangement, filming home movies, and acting as a classically trained Auguste clown named Fizbo.
Due to his natural over the top personality, and his history of being very successful (in sports, farming, music, clowning, and homemaking) and thus popular back in Missouri, Cam has a constant desire to be the center of attention, often resulting in him trying to steal attention from other people and lashing out when he is not allowed to. For example, in "Princess Party", at Lily's Birthday, Mitch would not allow him to attend the party as Fizbo, because it was Lily's party and not an excuse for him to perform for attention. Cam grew hostile, and began to berate the entertainment (a princess actress) that Mitch had hired for the party.
Cameron is also seen as emotionally sensitive and unable to handle criticisms especially concerning his figure and his talents. In "Strangers on a Treadmill"; Cam cannot take the fact that Mitchell dislikes his bike shorts).
He is also very sensitive, as demonstrated in "Farm Strong" when his sister Pam visited and informed him that she was engaged to his high school crush, and that he couldn't handle the news. Wish to prove her wrong, he asked the family if it were true, which they reluctantly (for the most part) confirmed. This resulted in Cam breaking down and locking himself in the bathroom. Apparently his family back in Missouri call someone who isn't emotionally "farm strong" a "Cam".
Physical Appearance and Typical Attire
Cameron is often the target of insults because of his weight, mostly by Mitchell's mother, DeDe, though it is implied that before they were expecting Lily, prior to the beginning of the show, Cam was considerably thinner. Cam often wears turtle neck sweaters or a dress shirt;he also is shown wearing paisley in many episodes. Whenever he is seen wearing a suit, 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) while beginning to work out again, before Claire told him they did not look good on him, which caused him 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).
Quirks and Personality Traits
Cameron has a bubbly and outgoing personality and is considered a stereotypical gay man. He used to act as a stay at home dad to Lily, though he has resumed teaching football.
In "Travels with Scout", it is revealed that Cam is an experienced rock drummer, and he filled in for Haley's boyfriend, Dylan's, band at the last minute. He was heartbroken when the original drummer returned.
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, much to Mitchell's envy) 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
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Relationships
Love Interests
Mitchell
Mitchell and Cam are shown to be foils of each other. Mitchell, who often acts very mature and does not like to act like a gay stereotype, is the opposite of Cam's outgoing, dramatic personality. Mitchell often does not approve of Cam's actions, such as dressing up Lily (their adopted Vietnamese baby) in diva attire, or auditioning her for commercials at a young age.
Despite their numerous differences, Mitchell and Cam are shown to have a very good relationship and love each other very much. Cam's carefree nature acts as a balance to Mitchell's uptight nervousness, such as in the Pilot, when Mitchell was nervous about presenting Lily to the family. Cam loves being romantic with Mitchell:
In "Suddenly, Last Summer", they get engaged as gay marriage is legalized in California and they officially get married in "The Wedding (Part 2)".
In the "The Long Honeymoon", Cam and Mitch returned from their honeymoon three months ago and Cam has become very overbearing and is over-doing it with romance:
- Mitchell is having his cereal for breakfast, Cam gives him a shoulder massage. (oblivious to the fact that is it making it difficult for Mitchell to eat and he is very uncomfortable)
- Mitchell is at a cocktail party with his new co-workers and is fitting in well, Cam walks in and behaves in an inappropriate manner by grabbing him from behind and eating food out of his hand.
- Cam forces Mitch to dance, attracting the attention of Mitchell's co-workers, and when Mitchell reaches his breaking point, asked him as politely as he can to stop the romance, causing Cam to hold him tightly and aggressively, then storms off.
Family
Lily is Cams' adoptive Vietnamese daughter, Lily was born in 2009 in Vietnam.
Jay
Jay was originally (and is sometimes still shown to be) supportive of Mitchell being gay, and was therefore supportive of Mitchell's relationship with Cam. However, Jay and Cameron have improved their relationship over time, mainly by bonding over their mutual love for sports, much to Mitchell's dismay:
In "Moon Landing", Jay is nervous to go to the gym with Cam because of the locker room, which he thinks would be a "showroom" to Cam, because he is gay. The situation worsens when Jay and Cam's buttocks accidentally press against each other while they are changing. Jay also does not believe that Cam could beat him in a racket ball match, claiming the only reason he lost was because he was still unsettled by the 'moon landing'.
In "Coal Digger", Jay and Cam bond over their love of sports, Jay makes a remark saying that he's going to have to watch the game with 'Dick Buttkiss' when Mitch thinks his Dad is being homophobic Cam corrects him telling him that Buttkiss is an actual player in the football game they are watching. Later on Cameron and Jay get into a basball game position that looks slightly offensive for Mitchell to look at, however this is Jay bonding with Cam over their love of sports again.
Phil
Phil is Cameron's brother-in-law due to Cameron marrying Mitchell after it was legalised for gays to marry and also through Phil being married to Cam's sister-in-law, Claire. Unlike Mitch and Phil, Cam and Phil have never really had any brotherly moments, but Cam tells Phil that his mother was such a kind and whimsical soul when Phil's mother dies in "Goodnight Gracie".
Friendships
Pepper
Pepper is Cam and Mitchs' good also gay friend, Cam met his husband at one of Peppers' game nights and then started dating after they shared a moment in Charades that is talked about in "Come Fly with Me".
Season Summaries
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Interests
Cameron has a wide variety of hobbies. They include collecting antique fountain pens, being adept in Japanese flower arrangement and filming home movies.
Cam is an avid fan of musical theater. He particularly enjoys Meryl Streep and Laura Linney. In "Airport 2010", Mitchell stated that Cameron once cried for an entire flight from New York to Los Angeles (which is at least a five hour flight) because the two were unable to get tickets to see Billy Elliot on Broadway.
It is revealed in "Leap Day", that Cam's favorite film is The Wizard of Oz.
Since Cam is a fan of music during Season 4, he goes back to work as a music teacher at Luke and Manny's school.
Fizbo
One of the most critically acclaimed parts of the series was Cam dressing up as an Auguste clown named Fizbo, in the episode of the same name. Eric Stonestreet created Fizbo himself when he was eleven years old. His performance in the episode featuring Fizbo earned Stonestreet the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2010. He did a reprisal of his character of Fizbo in the season two episode "Princess Party" and another one in the season three episode "Send Out the Clowns".
Family
Cam has a great relationship with his mother, Barb, calling her "the greatest woman who ever lived." In "Mother Tucker", we learn that Mitchell is uncomfortable around Barb because she always seems to "feel him up" when they are alone. Cam eventually solves this problem. In the same episode 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.
Cam's father is called Merle. He formerly clashed with Jay, but later they overcame their differences.
Cam has one sister Pam and 2 other unnamed siblings.
Trivia
- He, Jay, Gloria, Phil, Claire, and Mitchell are the only characters who have appeared in every episode.
- Cam was born in Missouri. There is actually a city named Cameron within Clinton and DeKalb counties in the state of Missouri.
- Cam plays the ukulele ("Dance Dance Revelation") and the piano ("Egg Drop").
- Cam is a fan of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" ("Leap Day").
Quotes
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I've got a daughter who bites and a partner who stings | 
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— From "Dance Dance Revelation"
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[to Mitchell over the phone] I knew that sweater wasn't stolen. You know, I picked blue to match your eyes, but I should have picked black to match your heart... and now I realize you look great in black, damn you! |
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— From "Diamond in the Rough"
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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." |
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— From "Dance Dance Revelation" (waterboarding)
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If she were a hot guy, I would never be that smooth. It's ironic. It's like the gift of the Vagi. |
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— From "Treehouse"
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You're an amazing girl, Katie. You are the full package. I just prefer someone who has one. |
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— From "Treehouse"
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[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. |
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— From "When Good Kids Go Bad"
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Cam: I do not pick her up early from preschool. Mitchell: Lily, did daddy pick you up early from preschool? Lily: No. Cam: See? Case closed. Lily: We didn't go. Mitchell: Case open. Lily: We went shopping. Cam: All right, Lily. Lily: We bought matchy hats. Cam: You're going to your room. Mitchell: You're both going to her room. |
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— From "When Good Kids Go Bad"
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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. |
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— From "Knock 'Em Down"
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Cam: Am I stacking the deck against Claire? No, I would never be so.... Genius. |
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— From "The Wow Factor"
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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. |
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— From "The Wow Factor"
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[Talking to Mitchell about Jay]
Cameron: You know when I saw Jay at the grocery store and I asked them if they were coming, he took a sample meatball and chewed it for a full minute before he said "Yes", so. |
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— From "The Day Alex Left for College"
Appearances
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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 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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