RICO Rodriguez has come a long way since finding fame as a pre-teen on Modern Family.
The actor played soft and sensitive Manny Delgado on the long running show.
Manny was the son of Sofia Vergara’s character, Gloria.
Rico was with the show right from the start, when he was just 11 years old.
The now 25-year-old stayed with the show through it’s final episode in 2020.
By the last season, Rico was banking $125,000 per episode, giving him quite the nest egg, and allowing him to follow his passions and dreams in other areas.
Rico and sister Raini, 30, were recently spotted getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday by shopping at Pavilions Market in Los Angeles.
The Texas native passed on any Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers merch, and instead wore the jersey of quarterback CJ Stroud of the Houston Texans.
His long hair was cropped above his head, and he sported a full beard and mustache.
Rico was decked out in glasses with a gold chain around his neck.
His sister walked next to him in a brown spaghetti-strap blouse, bike shorts, and a pair of sunglasses.
The former child star pushed a cart full of groceries through a parking lot.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Rico continues to act in movies and TV shows.
He also is a voice-over artist, with starring roles in cartoons like The Lion Guard and the upcoming Sneaks.
When he’s not auditioning for his next big role, Rico can often be spotted at major sporting events – especially his beloved Texans.
Rico is also a big wrestling fan, and attended Wrestlemania in 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
But he never strays too far from his Modern family – especially his stage mom, Sofia.
SURPRISING SOFIA
In 2021, he surprised Sofia on the season finale of America’s Got Talent, on which she serves as a judge.
Rico joined magicians Mat Franco and Dustin Tavella, the eventual winner, for a special trick.
“Last night was one for the books!” he reflected at the time on Instagram. “It was so awesome being able to share the stage with the super cool @matfranco, and last night’s WINNER, @dustintavella!! Thank you @agt for having me!”
But before playing magician’s assistant, Rico had to say hi to his “mom.”
“One of the things that made last night so special was the fact that I was able to surprise @sofiavergara on LIVE TV!” he shared.
“Everyone backstage was trying so hard to keep it a secret and she literally had no idea.
“Thank you @agt for the awesome opportunity for a Modern Family mini reunion.”
He capped the note with a special shoutout.
“Love you, Sofiaaaaa.”