Beloved former child star looks unrecognisable 16 years after soaring to fame
We can't believe it's been so long!
Modern Family star Rico Rodriguez is barely recognisable these days, 16 years after soaring to fame.
The actor played Manny Delgado on the beloved sitcom between 2009 and 2020, starring alongside the likes of Sofia Vergara and Sarah Hyland.
He was nominated for and won several awards for the role, including four screen actors guild awards.
Manny also starred in Nickelodeon and Disney shows iCarly, Cory in the House and Good Luck Charlie, and more recently appeared as himself in The Substitute and Unfiltered.
His first role had come on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2006, where he was a ‘kid prankster’, before his starring role as Manny three years later.
But the now-26-year-old looks worlds away from his breakout role.
Rico was pictured on Wednesday at the premiere of Cobra Kai’s final season, alongside his twin sister, fellow actress Raini Rodriguez.
Rico Rodriguez played Manny in the sitcom (Picture: SKY TV) Modern Family first aired 16 years ago (Picture: Disney General Entertainment Con) He’s all grown up now! (Picture: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)He’d swapped his short hair for longer curls, and wore glasses, sporting a beard too.
Dressed in a denim jacket and looking all grown up, he looked nothing like his 11-year-old self when he first appeared as Sofia’s character Gloria’s onscreen son.
When Modern Family came to an end in 2020, Rico shared a lengthy post explaining how ‘life-changing’ his time on the programme had been, ‘growing up before everyone’s eyes’.
He said: ‘When I was 9 years old, I started work on a pilot called “My American Family”. As an actor, you go through a long process for a job. Class after class, audition after audition, just hoping to get that right opportunity in front of the right casting director so you can show them your skills.
Rico and his twin sister Raini were pictured at the Cobra Kai premiere (Picture: CraSH/imageSPACE/Shutterstock) He grew up on Modern Family (Picture: Eric McCandless via Getty Images) It’s been 16 years since he first starred in the sitcom (Picture: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock)‘Filming the pilot, then all of season one of what we now know as “Modern Family”, I knew we were working on something special. I could feel it.
‘Coming to work every day with my cast and crew never actually felt like work, it felt more like hanging out with my extended family. 11 years later and here we are airing our final episodes tonight.
‘Words cannot even begin to describe the life changing experience I have had on this show. I have, quite literally, grown up right before everyone’s eyes.
‘Starting @abcmodernfam, Manny was someone who was very opposite to myself, but overtime our personalities have rubbed off on each other. Our fan base here and around the world is something I appreciate so much.
Rico played Ed O’Neill and Sofia Vergara’s onscreen son (Picture: ABC Inc/Everett/Shutterstock) Modern Family ran from 2009 to 2020 (Picture: Mario Perez/ Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)‘A big reason why I loved working on this show, was the family atmosphere on and off the camera. We are showcasing something that will forever be relatable, family. When fans come up to me and say “can I hug you? I feel like you’re my son, or nephew, or cousin.”
‘It makes me laugh, because that’s what our show’s true message has always been. Family.’
In recent posts, fans can’t believe how grown up he is, with one writing on Instagram: ‘No matter what, you’re still Manny in my eyes.’
‘This is what manny looks like now???!!’ @vincentshann said, with several others commenting he looks ‘different’.
@briloveslola added: ‘When did you grow up so fast.’
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