Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Lea DeLaria have lent each other thousands of dollars

Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Lea DeLaria have lent each other thousands of dollars over the years.

The ‘Modern Family’ actor was struggling to “live” when trying to make it in showbiz so his 63-year-old pal offered to give him money to stop him having to give up on his career aspirations.

Speaking at the premiere of Jesse’s Broadway show ‘Take Me Out’, Lea told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column: “I gave him $4,000 so he could live. Maybe it was $2,000, now that I think about it. He was going to get a day job and I said, ‘I will pay you not to get a day job because you need to be concentrating on what you’re doing.’”

Years later, the 46-year-old star – who met Lea when they performed in ‘On the Town’ together in 1998 – was able to return the favour when his friend was having some tax issues.

The ‘Orange Is the New Black’ star explained: “We’ve always gotten each other’s backs. It’s always been that way with the two of us. I know that I can call Jesse at 2 a.m., 3 a.m., even if he’s in LA and Jesse will be on the first plane back to NY, it’s that kind of friendship.”

After his performance in ‘Take Me Out,’ Jesse confirmed the money loaning between the pair, though he remembered different numbers than Lea had said.

He revealed: “For some reason, I remember [the amount she lent] it being like $50,000.”

Jesse added that he’s not sure when he got around to paying Lea back, but it probably took him longer than it should have.

He said: “Probably it was a longer time than I should have paid it back. It was probably the third season of ‘Modern Family.’ No, I probably gave it to her before that. It was probably when I made my first pay cheque in TV that I was able to pay her back. It was a hefty sum she lent me.”

When asked how much money he later lent Lea, he revealed: “It was more than she lent me, that’s for sure!”