{alltv} Emmy Nominee Ty Burrell: Community Deserved to Be Nominated

The Modern Family team may be on cloud nine right now after scoring 17 Emmy nominations, but Ty Burrell can only think of those who didn't make the cut.

"I definitely feel like Community is really strong and falls into that category of shows that deserved to be nominated," he tells TVGuide.com. "It's a great show and should be up there with us. I was really happy to see Parks and Recreation nominated. Several of the actors on that deserved to be nominated. It's true of most shows. I feel like they should rotate nominees. We just feel lucky we were able to get in there."

The ABC sitcom and reigning Emmy champ nabbed six acting nominations — the most of any series — for all its adult cast members. Yes, that includes Ed O'Neill, who at long last received his first Emmy nomination after being snubbed last year and during Married... with Children's 11-year run.

"I did a whistlestop tour in the Midwest on the back of an old train. That seemed to have paid off," Burrell jokes about his campaign to get O'Neill a nod. "It was me in a top hat. That pushed the votes over the edge! Ed was so deserving last year and we were all really conflicted about being there last year without him nominated, so it feels amazing now."

After O'Neill was overlooked, there was talk of him possibly submitting himself in lead instead of supporting to avoid his co-stars and the loaded category. O'Neill opted to stick with supporting, but Burrell says the cast may change its Emmy tactics in coming years.

"I wouldn't be shocked in the future if we mixed it up a little bit. This is sort of once-in-a-lifetime, with all of us being nominated," he says. "The show's nature is an ensemble, but I think it's about understanding that this kind of situation probably doesn't come around too often. I have a feeling we'll mix it up. I don't know how we'll do it. Maybe we'll draw straws or something. I wouldn't be surprised if we actually did that! It's hard to identify who'd be a lead."

For now though, Burrell is just relishing the show's good fortune and hopefully even better material in Season 3.

"I know for our family vacation, we're going to Jackson Hole to, like, a dude ranch, which I think will be hilarious," he says. "Phil will be on a horse. I'm pretty positive he'll be riding. So I can only imagine what's going to happen!"