Modern Family wasn’t just a hit sitcom but a full-blown cultural phenomenon. The mockumentary style format and lovable cast offered a refreshing take on what it means to be a ‘modern’ family. Among the many dynamics on the show, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett and her precious son Manny had one of the most wholesome relationships.
Played by Sofía Vergara and Rico Rodriguez, respectively, their mother-son chemistry created many hilarious moments. But it seems like some of their on-screen relationship seeped into real life too, but not really in the way you would expect.
Sofía Vergara and Rico Rodriguez were much like their Modern Family counterparts
Modern Family introduced us to Sofía Vergara’s Gloria, the bold and beautiful Colombian woman who married an older businessman, Jay Pritchett. We loved her character for the loud fashion, louder voice, and her unapologetic pride in her roots.
Manny, played by Rico Rodriguez, was her son from her previous relationship, who was not a typical kid, but an espresso-drinking, poetry-reading, and heartbroken romantic with an old soul. Gloria was overprotective of her son at times and showered him with a lot of affection. Manny, on the other hand, was sometimes overly dependent on his mother’s approval.
In some episodes, one could see how easy it was for Gloria to have her way and get Manny to do something. Turns out that their characters were so closely intertwined that their real-life rapport also echoed their scripted relationship. Rodriguez revealed on the Dinner’s on Me podcast about one instance where Vergara relied a little too much on the young actor.
“I love Sofía, but I, I got played. I got played by Sofía,” Rodriguez said during the conversation as he recalled an incident when he marked Vergara’s lines on her script because she was absent during the table read, but this kind gesture quickly became an expectation, and the actress wanted him to do it even when she was present in the room.
Gloria and Manny’s relationship in Modern Family
From the very first episode of Modern Family, one could tell that their bond was going to be both comical and deeply emotional. Gloria adored her son, and maybe a little too much. She went to extreme lengths to protect him, and her affection often crossed the line into overbearing.
Her actions came from a place of deep love and affection, but some fans felt that she was smothering Manny and holding him back emotionally. In the later seasons, people complained about his character arc, saying that he was still overly reliant on his mother, even as he entered adulthood. But despite all the criticism, some viewers still cherish the love between these two.
Rico Rodriguez described how their mother-son dynamic was also playing out in real life. He felt like they were extensions of their characters, and if he ended up marking a few more scripts than what he bargained for? Well, that’s just the cost of being TV’s most loved mama’s boy.
You can now watch Modern Family on Hulu (USA).
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