Jesse Tyler Ferguson Says Son Beckett 'Loves to Perform as Well': 'Maybe He Caught the Bug Early'

jesse tyler ferguson/instagram

Jesse Tyler Ferguson is raising a Broadway baby!

The actor, who was nominated for his first Tony Award this week for his performance in the Broadway revival of Take Me Out, told PEOPLE that son Beckett Mercer, 22 months, "loves to perform as well."

"Maybe he caught the bug early," Ferguson, 46, said at the Tony Awards nominees press event on Thursday. "We're starting him with Sesame Street. We've shown him some videos of me performing. He's excited to see me on stage. It's exciting for him."

Ferguson welcomed Beckett with husband Justin Mikita on July 7, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic — when Broadway was shut down and Take Me Out was postponed.

He said that the cast "came back completely different" when the Richard Greenberg play resumed rehearsals ahead of its April 4 opening at the Helen Hayes Theater.

RELATED: Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Husband Highlight Each Other on Father's Day, Share First Pic of Son's Face

"We were different people. I had a kid," he told PEOPLE. "There were big changes in our lives, and also the world had changed. So we started that rehearsal process on completely different footing, and we kind of threw everything out that we had done two years before because we couldn't even remember what it was and started it fresh. I think it was a really lovely way to work on a play."

Last month, the former Modern Family star shared a picture of Beckett in his stroller pointing up to a life-size photo of Ferguson outside the Helen Hayes.

"Beckett isn't sure why papa is all over this block in nyc," Ferguson captioned the adorable snapshot.

Ferguson is Tony-nominated in the featured actor in a play category alongside costars Jesse Williams and Michael Oberholtzer, and said that it is an honor to be recognized.

"To be a part of this season that's also bringing Broadway back after a year and a half of nothing is really profound," he said.

He jokingly added, "I've professionally lost a lot of awards. I've lost five Emmys, and I always tell myself after each time I lose, 'Awards are not important, and it doesn't mean anything,' but this means something to me. I would watch the Tony Awards in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and that was my window into this world. To be honored amongst that community that I admire so much is just really profound."

RELATED VIDEO: Jesse Tyler Ferguson on New Cookbook, Moving on From 'Modern Family' and 'Most Surprising' Thing About Being a Dad

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Ferguson made his Broadway debut in 1998, but his performance in Take Me Out garnered him his first nomination for theater's highest honor.

"I have never been nominated for a Tony Award, [though] some people keep thinking I have just because I've been around," he said. "I've never been honored like this, so it's just a huge deal to me."