How Eric Stonestreet spends his 5 to 9 — from cooking outdoors to unwinding with 'Wheel of Fortune.'
Some of the biggest jolts came in 2009 when he was cast as Cam Tucker on "Modern Family" and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Stonestreet spoke to Business Insider in partnership with Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the GLP-1 drug Mounjaro, which he uses to treat his diabetes.
Big life changes are often accompanied by smaller but no less significant ones: going from a night owl at college to an early riser when shooting "Modern Family," and realizing his parents were onto something watching "Wheel of Fortune" religiously after dinner.
That's how he, his fiancée Lindsay Schweitzer, and his 13-year-old twin step-sons wind down in the evenings, he tells me on a Zoom call from his home in Kansas.
The transition Stonestreet seems most excited about? His new home that will enable him to grill marinated meats and veggies in an outdoor kitchen again.
"I've kind of been deprived of my grilling in the last few years, but that's about to change when our house is done," he says like a true Kansan.
He may have moved from the state to LA and back over the years, but some things never change.
In BI's latest installment of "5-9," Stonestreet shared how else he spends the hours he's not working.
What time do you get up most days, and what does your morning routine look like?
Usually I'm up by 8 a.m. Tomorrow is going to be an early start because I'm shooting "Dexter" — I haven't got my call time yet, but it's going to be early, I fear.
Eric Stonestreet as Cam, with Sofia Vergara as Gloria, in an episode of "Modern Family."
Tony Rivetti via Getty Images
When we were on "Modern Family," I looked forward to getting up early, getting to work, and beating traffic. I was up at the crack of dawn for 11 years. It became a game. I preferred to get to work early and nap in my trailer rather than sit in traffic for an hour and a half. Often we'd be shooting at 7.45 a.m.
My mornings have changed a lot over the years. People used to make fun of me in college because I loved sleeping in. If I had a class before 10 a.m., I would usually drop it because I never made it to campus in time.
Do you have a go-to breakfast?
I love breakfast. Breakfast out is one of my favorite things. I'm a savory guy more than sweet, but I do love pancakes. Pancakes are one of my Achilles' heels when it comes to things that you should definitely have in moderation.
I love oatmeal. When I was a kid, my mom always had cream of wheat. I never could understand why she liked that, but as I've gotten older, I love it too. I love a parfait. I like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, maybe one piece of toast.
Delicious. Do you eat before you go to set?
If I'm on set, they always know to have a couple of scrambled eggs, a couple pieces of bacon, one piece of toast, and a coffee or water for me. I was never really a coffee drinker until "Modern Family." And then I realized, "Oh, I need this." I don't crave coffee every morning. I'll have it because it's there, and that's what people are drinking to stay alive and stay awake.
I was a big diet soda drinker. I've cut down a lot, but I do have one Diet Coke a day, and I love seltzer water.
Treating cooking like an art form
I know you try to fit in 150 minutes of movement each week. What does that look like for you?
I take a couple of laps around the hood. At the moment, we're building a house not far from our house, so it'll just be walking there, walking around the property, and doing what I can.
We have some exercise equipment in our basement that Lindsay, my fiancée, uses more than I do. But I have my own program and, every once in a while, I'll get inspired to go down there and pull and push some weight around.
What do you have for dinner, and who cooks it?
Eric Stonestreet and his fiancée Lindsay Schweizer.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Well, Lindsay's a baker. And I love to cook. I love to grill.
I've kind of been deprived of my grilling in the last few years, but that's about to change when our house is done. I had a great outdoor kitchen at my house in Los Angeles, and I'm not there as much as I used to be.
I really enjoy marinating meats and grilling vegetables. My favorite thing is to grill asparagus, zucchini, carrots, and onions with good seasoning. I love a piece of steak, but I also love chicken, sausages, and all that stuff on the grill.
I like making one-pot meals — in Kansas City, it gets cold. You're in England, so I guess you know?
I do know. It's surprisingly not cold today, though.
You know how nothing sounds better than a Sunday roast on a cold day? Right. Well, that's how it is in Kansas City. So I love making jambalaya or chili. Everybody loves my chili. I love making baked beans on toast, too. Does that sound familiar?
Yeah! I love it.
Beans on toast with a little cheese. That's delicious. I just introduced the boys to that not long ago. They couldn't believe that that was a proper English meal. And bangers and tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast. They were like, "We're eating real English food."
I wouldn't say I do most of the cooking, but well, I would say I do most of the cooking.
Brilliant. Does that mean you don't have to do the washing up?
Yes, it does mean that, which sometimes I feel bad about because I make a mess. The other day, Lindsay said, "Can you use salt and not end up with it everywhere? It's like it snowed in the kitchen." And that's a fair point. But cooking is an art, baking is a science, and I'm an artist, salt, whatever.
Meditating his own way
You can't question art. Do you have any particular relaxation techniques? Are you into saunas or massages, or anything like that?
When Lindsay and I first got together, I booked us a couple's massage at the Four Seasons in Maui. We were there to shoot an episode of "Modern Family" and we were just getting to know each other. We're in the room together, and the masseuse asked us, "How hard do you like it?" And Lindsay said, "Oh, please get in there. I can take elbows and everything else".
Eric Stonestreet in April 2025.for Norwegian Cruise Line
And I said, "Just a little bit more than a tickle." She's never let me forget that. I've never felt super comfortable getting massages, but I've gotten better, and it always surprises me how great I feel afterward.
I do love a Swedish spa, going between the hot and the cold. In Los Angeles, I go between the hot tub and the pool with the boys; it's so refreshing and relaxing.
I've never done yoga. Everybody who knows me says I'm a perfect candidate for yoga, but I don't know if I have the attention span. I don't like being in the movie theater during the day because I'm worried about what I'm missing outside. I can imagine being in a yoga studio during the day, wondering what's going on outside.
I get what you mean.
I'm also my own sort of meditator. I've certainly never been taught to meditate, but I think I do my own version at different times of the day.
Prioritizing sleep
How do you like to spend your evening, and how do you wind down for bed?
It's changed. I used to think it was funny that my parents watched "Wheel of Fortune" after dinner every night. And wow, here we are doing the same thing. So we have dinner, we usually watch "Wheel of Fortune," and then the boys go off and do their homework, dance classes, football, or whatever it is.
We usually go to bed by 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. I was a night owl as a kid, but "Modern Family" turned me into an early-to-bed guy because I was an early-to-rise guy, and I've kind of stuck with that. So anything past 11 p.m., and I'm yawning.
Very sensible.
Sounds very exciting, doesn't it?
It sounds healthy.
Well, that's one thing I can say that I'm very good at as far as health is concerned. You can't underestimate the importance of getting proper sleep, and I get my fair share when I need it.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
8 hours ago
- Business Insider
Elon Musk says Grok's latest feature is the new Vine
You might soon have a new favorite Vine video — or see an old favorite return to the timeline — thanks to Elon Musk 's new AI-powered text-to-video generator, Grok Imagine. "Grok Imagine is AI Vine!" Musk wrote in an X post on Saturday, touting the latest feature from his chatbot, Grok. Grok Imagine — now in beta — allows users to type out images or scenes they'd like to see the AI bot animate into video. It then generates clips with sound to the user's specifications. Before TikTok — and long before Grok — there was Vine. The beloved short-form video service, which allowed users to create and upload 6-second videos, was owned by then-Twitter shortly after its 2012 founding until its shuttering in 2017. It was the source of many early viral videos and the subject of numerous compilations of "the best Vines of all time." While Grok Imagine offers a new AI spin on short-form clips, Musk also appears to be eyeing a comeback for Vine itself. "Btw, we recently found the Vine video archive (thought it had been deleted) and are working on restoring user access, so you can post them if you want," Musk added in his Saturday post. It's unclear whether restoring the Vine archive would allow users to access their old accounts or if it would be a temporary measure allowing access to old files from the service. Musk and representatives for X did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. For now, access to Grok Imagine is being slowly rolled out to subscribers of the chatbot's $30-monthly premium tier, SuperGrok, though any user of X can sign up to be added to the waitlist.
Business Insider
10 hours ago
- Business Insider
Millennial hustle culture defined my early career. My daughter made me realize I needed to shift my priorities.
As a toddler, my daughter started mimicking some of my hustle culture tendencies. That's when I decided I had to change my priorities. As a toddler, my daughter started mimicking some of my hustle culture tendencies. That's when I decided I had to change my priorities. Courtesy of Ann Dunning. As a toddler, my daughter started mimicking some of my hustle culture tendencies. That's when I decided I had to change my priorities. Courtesy of Ann Dunning. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Some years back, I overheard my then-toddler tell her dolls that she was sorry that she couldn't talk because she was on a work call. It was something I had said to her more than once before, and my heart sank. That moment stopped me in my tracks and shifted my perspective on parenting. I decided that I didn't want hustle culture or toxic productivity to be something that I passed down to her. I wanted my daughter to see success differently, which meant I needed to make some major changes. My work ethic has always been strong When you grow up in a Latin family like I did, or you're an immigrant kid, you're likely to see family members working around the clock. There's a common saying that all immigrants have 12 jobs. That stereotype is not an understatement in my community. I grew up understanding that rest is a privilege — for the rich. Working multiple jobs or around the clock is just something that you do to feed your family. This immigrant work ethic helped me get far in my career in San Francisco's tech and startup ecosystem, where hustle culture and things like the 996 work method are common, not to mention my millennial drive. Toxic productivity took hold of me While hustling may help you get ahead, it has a darker side. It can harm your relationships and mental and physical health. After a few years of working what seemed nonstop, I ended up with stomach problems, nighttime teeth grinding, crazy periods, and anxiety. My self-worth was wrapped up in toxic productivity; it was the way I coped with the emotional ups and downs of life. I thought this was what being an American was all about. Related stories Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Things got a bit better when I had my baby during the pandemic, but old habits die hard. I am a consultant focusing on growing technology businesses and CPG brands, and juggle multiple clients at a time. When you are your own boss, work boundaries often go out the window. My daughter saw me work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days. It was during those times I'd say, "Sorry, I can't, I have a work call." Hustle sounds like hard work and raw ambition, but now I know it's actually just a corporate status symbol that glamorises a lack of free time. It can mask insecurity, corporate or startup exploitation, or trauma, as I learned from Dr. Mariel Buqué, a Columbia University-trained psychologist when I interviewed her for my book about Latinas and hustle culture. For immigrants and BIPOC people, hustle is sometimes a necessity, and a way out of your social class. I wanted something different for my daughter Many people say hustle is needed to build a business, but there are plenty of startup CEOs and billionaire investors who prioritize family and wellness. I wanted my daughter to avoid chronic anxiety, over-caffeinated, frantic days, perfectionism, and having her career tied to her self-worth. Her doll play showed me that I was modeling behavior that wasn't healthy. I introduced slower mornings, set boundaries for work, and took on fewer clients. Some hours of the day, I just can't work, because my daughter needs me. I do recognize there is a lot of privilege in that. My daughter, now 5, hopefully won't need to hustle much because she will have an easier time in life than me. I hope her future self works hard and builds things or loves her career, but I want her to stop working at 5 p.m. and enjoy her family. I still work hard, and love my job — and I'll always have deadlines. But I know when to clock out, because now I have a little one who needs me more.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
A Navy SEAL vet turned CEO shared his morning routine for longevity: Sunlight, low-impact cardio, and drinking salt water
A veteran Navy SEAL turned CEO said his morning routine for longevity helps him stay fit and focused. The routine includes intermittent fasting, journaling, morning sunlight, and swimming workouts. His exercise habits include a mix of low-intensity cardio like Zone 2 and walking with VO2 max training. Not so long ago, Brian Valenza woke up at 4:30 a.m. every morning to tackle the day head-on, a habit he inherited from his years of service with the Navy SEALs. At 48, he's sleeping in. Valenza, the CEO of a security firm and co-host of a network of longevity retreats said he still keeps a disciplined routine, but he has changed up his lifestyle with a goal of extending his lifespan. Now, he prioritizes recovery, a healthy social life, and stress management more than ever. "As I get older, I realize the importance of sleep for me. Our kids stay up a little late, we want to spend time with them before they go to college, so we find ourselves sleeping in a little bit later," he told Business Insider. For a veteran SEAL, sleeping in means waking up between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., usually to swim for a few miles before starting his day. Exercise is a core part of his day. He trains every year for the Navy SEAL Foundation NYC SEAL Swim, a test of endurance involving open-water swimming in the Hudson River with rounds of push-ups and pull-ups to honor veterans. To keep his heart in shape year-round, he logs hours of low-intensity cardio, too. Valenza shared his morning routine with Business Insider — stacked with healthy habits like fasting, hydrating, and meditation to help him maintain peak performance and focus as he gets older. Morning routine: Fasting, exercise, and sunlight Morning is a crucial time to set the tone for a successful day, Valenza said. His typical day includes: Wake up between 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. — depending on how late Valenza stayed up to spend time with his family, he aims to get a full night's sleep even if it means a later start to the day by SEAL standards. Journaling and meditation — Valenza starts each day with a gratitude practice, writing down or mentally reviewing what he's grateful for, and often meditating. Get some sun and time in nature — he swears by seeing sunlight early in the morning to enhance energy and focus. Hydrate with water and a pinch of sea salt — drinking enough water improves physical and mental performance, and salt helps to replenish electrolytes lost to sweat during exercise. Swim — Valenza swims several miles or about 45 minutes several days a week. Swimming is a great exercise for cardiovascular health and is also a low-impact way to strengthen multiple muscle groups, such as the back, core, and legs. Start the workday around 8 a.m. — after a cup of coffee, Valenza said he's ready to start work, but takes periodic breaks to stretch and move around to avoid sitting for too long. Eat the first meal of the day around noon — Valenza practices intermittent fasting, abstaining from food for 14-18 hours a day to give his digestive system a rest. Research suggests some types of fasting may have some benefits for longevity by reducing inflammation and supporting metabolic health. Later in the day, Valenza makes time for relaxation and social connection. Every day after dinner, he takes a long walk with his wife. Low-intensity cardio like walking is a great way to maintain health and fitness and reduce stress. These days, he said, lower-intensity exercise and time for recovery are more important than ever. "If you asked me 10 years ago, I was still trying to beat the 18-year-old," he said. "As you get older, you really have to calculate the long game." Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
