'Modern Family' Star Eric Stonestreet Joins Comedy 'Identity Thief' (Exclusive)

Eric Stonestreet, an Emmy-winning star of ABC’s Modern Family, has joined the cast of Identity Thief, Universal’s comedy starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy.

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Seth Gordon is directing the feature, which centers on a milquetoast family man (Bateman) who gets a life lesson in stepping up when his identity is stolen by a mess of a woman (McCarthy).

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Also among the growing cast are Amanda Peet, John Cho, Jon Favreau and Genesis Rodriguez.

Stonestreet will play Big Chuck, a realty broker with an outsized personality who has a run-in with McCarthy and Bateman's characters.

Scott Stuber and Pamela Abdy are producing the movie, which is shooting in Atlanta.

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Stonestreet has been twice Emmy-nominated for his work on Modern Family, winning in 2010 for the best supporting actor in a comedy series. He appeared in last year’s comedy Bad Teacher, which starred Cameron Diaz, and has the ensemble indie The Loft -- which counts James Marsden, Wentworth Miller and Karl Urban among its cast -- in the can.

He is repped by ICM and Thruline.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com

Twitter: @Borys_Kit