RE-RUN: Rico Rodriguez — 'Modern Family’s’ Manny spills what it’s like to have Sofia Vergara and Ed O’Neill as on-camera parents

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Episode: RE-RUN: Rico Rodriguez — 'Modern Family’s’ Manny spills what it’s like to have Sofia Vergara and Ed O’Neill as on-camera parents
Date: December 23, 2025
Location: Heavy Handed, Studio City, CA
Guest: Rico Rodriguez (Manny from Modern Family)

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Episode Overview

Jesse Tyler Ferguson welcomes his on-screen stepbrother from Modern Family, Rico Rodriguez, for a candid, laughter-filled meal at the burger joint Heavy Handed. They reminisce about growing up together on the Modern Family set, navigating childhood stardom, the tight-knit cast and crew, and share behind-the-scenes stories—especially about Rico’s unique perspective as a child actor, Ed O’Neill’s mentorship, Sofia Vergara’s script antics, family loss, and the Rodriguez family's love for Benihana. This episode offers warmth, nostalgia, and humor for fans of the beloved series.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. Childhood on Modern Family: Growing Up on Set

[03:01 – 04:28]

• Jesse marvels at how the show's duration spanned Rico’s formative years—akin to first grade through high school.
• “That’s basically how long these kids did Modern Family. It was such a huge chunk of their lives.” — Jesse Tyler Ferguson (03:10)
• Rico recounts reuniting with Jesse after years, underlining how meaningful those cast “family reunions” are.

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2. Car Stories & Getting a License

[05:44 – 08:33]

• Rico, once a reluctant driver, was compelled to learn fast for a storyline.
• He only got his license days before turning 21, after a show-required permit test.
• Humorous recall of a promise with Eric Stonestreet about inheriting a truck if the show lasted 10 seasons—"I was like, so, Eric, we made it. And he's like, oh, I don’t have the truck." — Rico Rodriguez (08:27)

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3. Acting Origins: Family Support & Early Auditions

[09:53 – 12:45]

• Rico fell into acting by following his sister Rainey to auditions ("My sister Rainey, she… brought us to California at 11.")
• Saw Rainey guest-star on Disney’s Suite Life, which cemented his passion.
• Credits his family for work ethic and for balancing a normal childhood and professionalism:
  • “My dad was in Texas making money so we could live out here.” — Rico Rodriguez (11:06)

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4. The Modern Family Audition Process

[12:55 – 14:52]

• Rico originally auditioned with a wildly different “player” version of Manny.
• Recalls Jeff Greenberg redirecting: “We see Manny as an old soul, like Antonio Banderas in a kid’s body.” — Jeff Greenberg, per Rico (13:15)
• Connections with Nolan Gould and Ariel Winter prior to the show added to the familial vibe.

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5. Fearlessness & Joy of Child Acting

[15:02 – 17:28]

• Rico admits kids are “kind of fearless” at auditions and on set.
• Shares that being a kid, he just found everything fun, not daunting, even after being made to cry in a prior audition (Ugly Betty), which later became a point of humor with casting director Jeff Greenberg.

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6. On-Set Schooling & Missing Out (or Not) on Normal Kid Things

[21:44 – 24:51]

• Jesse and Rico discuss “child actor” clichés about missing out on “normal” school or social events.
• Rico didn’t feel deprived thanks to his family’s grounding:
  • “When I was on set, I’d make sure I know my lines, be prepared. Then after, I’d go home and be a kid. All that doesn’t stop.” — Rico Rodriguez (23:07)

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7. Balancing Work and Play: Nerf Wars, Parkour, and Set Life

[25:16 – 26:06]

• Crew and cast fostered playfulness: Nerf wars, screenplay writing, and parkour between scenes, especially with Nolan Gould.
• “Ty and I used to think, if I could just have an ounce of that [kid] energy...” — Jesse Tyler Ferguson (25:24)

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8. Best Shoot Memories: Travel & Adventure

[26:11 – 27:18]

• Season 1 Hawaii trip was a highlight (“I’ve never... gone to Hawaii, and we just did it!” — Rico Rodriguez (26:07))
• Also fond of Jackson Hole, Australia, Paris—“I was so lucky to be on a show that could take it to new heights and go places I never imagined I’d ever go.” (26:54)

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9. Legendary On-Screen Parents: Working with Ed O’Neill & Sofia Vergara

[27:44 – 30:38]

• Rico confesses he didn’t know who Ed O’Neill was at first; “Who’s that?...I’ve never heard of that show.” (28:04)
• Sofia was “the lady from Madea Goes to Jail.”
• Ed O’Neill’s mentorship highlighted:
  • “Ed truly took me under his wing like no other... I was on the verge of crying… Ed was like, 'Alright, stop. Cut the cameras.'... He worked with me till I got it.” — Rico Rodriguez (29:07)
• Ed gradually stepped back his mentoring as Rico grew confident (“By season five he was like, 'I don’t need to work with you. You’re good now.'” — 30:07)

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10. Dealing with Family Loss: The Heartbreak of Losing His Dad

[32:44 – 35:32]

• Rico lost his father over hiatus, shortly before turning 18.
• A pivotal “graduation” episode with Ed O’Neill filmed days before.
• In negotiations for a new season, Rico nearly chose not to return, but realized:
  • “I’d be doing him a disservice… It really made it easier knowing I was coming back to my other family.” — Rico Rodriguez (34:29 / 34:48)
• The cast’s support was crucial, especially at emotionally charged moments like table reads near his birthday.

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11. Family, Roots, and Resetting in Texas

[35:59 – 38:06]

• Despite Hollywood success, Rico values his Texas roots, working at his family’s tire shop whenever home.
• “I was 15… I’d tell my dad, 'I’m not Manny today. I’m Rico, I’m gonna work.’” — Rico Rodriguez (37:04)
• Contrasts LA apartment life with 15 acres in Texas:
  • “You go to Texas and you walk outside and hear no cars, you hear birds… It’s awesome.” (37:30)

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12. Child Actor Finances, Work Ethic, and Script Antics

[38:06 – 40:36]

• Parents only gradually introduced Rico to the scale of his earnings—“Maybe when I was 12” (39:07)
• Family’s blue-collar background fostered hard work and humility: “We always knew it could be taken away from you at any moment.” (39:16)
• Rico memorized everyone’s lines, often helping Ed and Sofia:
  • “Sophia, she sometimes goes off the rails… She’d go, ‘Rico, what’s my line?’” (40:03)

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13. Sofia Vergara’s Table Read “Assistant”

[40:31 – 41:48]

• As a thoughtful gesture, Rico once marked Sofia’s script for her; she quickly made it a tradition, turning him into her unofficial assistant.
• “She hands me her script, and now everyone’s looking at me because it’s her next line… I got suckered into it!” — Rico Rodriguez (41:01 / 41:32)
• Jesse jokes he should’ve gotten an “assistant’s bonus” for marking her script, call times, etc.

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14. Cast Reunions, Running Jokes, and Ty Burrell

[42:23 – 43:02]

• Recalling the first full reunion at Sofia’s house post-show (Ty Burrell absent), referencing the long-running cast photo joke “And one without Ty”.

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15. Benihana Obsession & “Ricohana”

[43:43 – 45:58]

• Erick Stonestreet spilled Rico’s love for Benihana—Rico’s family even installed a teppanyaki grill at home:
  • “We call it Ricohana... when we want Benihana, we just have him [chef Oscar] come.” (44:30 / 45:25)

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16. Foodie Evolution & Travel

[46:00 – 46:55]

• Once a picky eater, Rico credits travel for opening his palate, now trying everything from sushi to alligator.
• Paris, though, “left [him] hungry”—not every culinary adventure is a hit.

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17. Closing Reflections

[47:14 – 47:49]

• Jesse and Rico reflect on their 16-year friendship and the unique family bond forged through sharing “11 years on this show… more than half your life, Rico.”
• Rico: “I’m glad we were able to do this because it’s fun to reminisce… that we lived this whole amazing 11 years.” (47:24)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Ed truly took me under his wing like no other… There was one time… I was on the verge of crying… Ed was like, 'Alright, stop. Cut the cameras.'” — Rico Rodriguez (29:07)
• “I’d be doing him a disservice of everything we worked for at that point to just stop [acting]. It really made it easier knowing I was coming back to my other family.” — Rico Rodriguez (34:29)
• “Sophia would go, ‘Rico, what’s my line?’ I’d go, ‘Manny, get your coffee.’ She’d say, ‘Okay, thank you!’” — Rico Rodriguez (40:06)
• “She [Sofia] hands me her script and now everyone’s looking at me because it’s her next line… I got suckered into it!” — Rico Rodriguez (41:01)
• “We call it Ricohana… we had a logo made… When we want Benihana, we just have [chef Oscar] come and do the whole show for us.” — Rico Rodriguez (44:30)
• “I'm a big family man… It was always fun to go back and get dirty… and then, when it’s time to go back to work, I’m like, ‘Alright, time to come home.’” — Rico Rodriguez (37:04)

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Memorable Moments & Stories

• Ed O’Neill’s Fatherly Mentorship (29:07): Stopping filming to privately coach a young, stressed Rico.
• Sofia Vergara’s Script Antics (41:01): Quickly recruiting 10-year-old Rico as her script-marker and personal assistant at table reads.
• Cast Running Jokes About Ty Burrell’s Absence (42:52): “And one without Ty”—a recurring photographic bit that even played out at their cast reunion.
• “Ricohana” (44:30): Installing a full teppanyaki grill at home and creating a family tradition that parodies Benihana’s style.
• Balancing Mundane with Glamour (37:04): From changing tires in Texas to Emmy nights in LA.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Meeting up & Catching up: 03:01–04:52
• Learning to Drive for the Show: 05:44–08:33
• Acting Beginnings (Family & Sibling Influence): 09:53–12:45
• Modern Family Audition Stories: 12:55–14:52
• Childhood on Set, On-Set Schooling & Play: 21:44–26:06
• Favorite Episode Memories (Hawaii): 26:11–27:18
• Mentor Moments with Ed O’Neill: 29:07–30:38
• Losing His Father & Choosing to Stay: 32:44–35:32
• Texas Roots and Tire Shop Work: 35:59–38:06
• Child Finances & Sofia’s Script Ritual: 39:09–41:48
• Cast Reunion & Ty Burrell Running Gag: 42:23–43:02
• Benihana/Ricohana: 43:43–45:58
• Foodie Evolution: 46:00–46:55
• Final Reflections & Goodbye: 47:14–47:49

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Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation balances warmth, humor, and heart—filled with memories, gratitude, playful ribbing, and the unique camaraderie of TV’s most famous “family.” Rico’s humility and gratitude are palpable throughout, and Jesse’s warmth and genuine curiosity make for a compelling, nostalgic listen.

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Ideal For

• Modern Family fans seeking behind-the-scenes stories
• Aspiring child actors and their families
• Fans of showbiz lore and feel-good friendships
• Anyone who enjoys genuine conversations over great food

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*“Dinner’s on Me” continues next week with Sophia Bush as guest. For ad-free, early access, find Dinner’s on Me PLUS on Apple Podcasts.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

The holidays are coming up, and like a lot of people, our family's already planning where we're spending Thanksgiving. It's at our house and who's bringing what pie and what kind of pie and making sure it's the pie that everyone wants. It's, it's the whole thing. Usually with pie, I end up just buying it. Other people do it so much better than I do. And I, I, it just takes one.

[Bryan Cranston]

Thing off my plate.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Although I did just buy a great cookbook called All About Pie. So maybe I should be brave and make my own pie this year. A lot of people, though, don't have Thanksgiving at home. They travel. They travel to loved ones. And if you're traveling this season, it might be the perfect time to think about hosting your home on Airbnb while you're away. The best part, you don't have to do it all by yourself. With Airbnb's co host network, you can team up with a local co host who can handle everything from guest communication, check ins, even sprucing things up before the next day. So while you're away making memories with family, your home is in good hands, making a few of its own. If you've been curious about hosting but don't know where to start, find a co [e-mail] host all right, tell me.

[Bryan Cranston]

If this sounds familiar.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You think you're done with holiday shopping.

[Bryan Cranston]

And you feel victorious.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You put the list away, you sit down, you pour yourself a glass of eggnog, and then, you know, usually around 10pm when you're lying in bed, you remember, oh God, no, no, one more person. There's always one more person for me. It's usually a colleague of mine or one of the kids teachers, someone I genuinely like, someone I want to get something for, but somehow I forgot about while juggling holiday cards and cooking, baking and all the winter recitals. But this year, no, no panic because Macy's great gift sale is still happening. 10 days of curated gifts for every type of person and everything is up to 60%. Can grab something thoughtful without feeling like I'm buying a last minute oopsie gift. Which I kind of am. And the real life saver, same day pickup. Truly a gift to all of us who are doing our best out here. So yeah, I pulled the list back out. I added that one last name and I'm crossing it off now. Again with confidence. And honestly, that little check mark next to that name feels like a standing ovation. Hi, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you Know him as Manuel Alberto Javier Alejandro Ramirez Delgado, AKA my stepbrother Manny. On Modern Family, it's Rico Rodriguez.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Well, you're working with Ed o'. Neill. I'm like, who's that? And they're like, oh, you know, from Married With Children. I'm like, okay, I've never heard of that show. And then they're like, loving me, and they're singing to me. I'm like, I have no idea who this is. What are you talking about? Yeah, I see Sophia. I'm like, oh, the good lady from Madea. But Madea goes to jail. I love her.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This is dinner's on me. And I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. I always love having friends of mine from Modern Family on the show. It's always a really special thing to go back and revisit those incredible years that we had together. I think everyone has such unique perspectives of the same experience, and I love talking to all the people from Modern Family who have come onto the show or even some of our guest stars like Nathan Lane and Elizabeth Banks and talk about their experience on the show. I really do love, though, talking to the kids because they have such an interesting perspective. Also, kids brains are like sponges, and they remember details that I just do not remember. I always have to remind myself, like, how long of a period of time it was for these kids to be on Modern Family. You know, I think about the years between first grade and high school. That's 12 years. And when I was a kid, it seemed like just forever. And I keep thinking that's basically how long these kids did Modern Family. And it was such a huge chunk of their lives. And I just always love hearing their point of view of that incredible time at that incredible age when so much is happening. I hadn't seen Rico in quite some time.

[Bryan Cranston]

In fact, I think we figured out.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That the last time I saw him was when we all gathered together at Sofia Vergara's house for a family reunion. And I had not seen him since then, so it was so great reuniting with Rico. And I got to also see his sister Rainey, who I adore as well. But it was so wonderful meeting up with him, having burgers, and just catching up. How are you?

[Bryan Cranston]

Good to see you, too.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I brought Rico to Heavy Handed in Studio City, California. Heavy Handed is the smash burger sensation that started as a beloved food truck and now has a brick and mortar location in the Valley, also Santa Monica and in Silver Lake. The menu is tight, focused, and irresistible. Think double patty, smash burgers. With crispy, lacy edges and gooey melted cheese stacked on pillowy buns. This was my first time at Heavy Handed, but it's officially in rotation now. And yes, immediately after recording, I ordered a burger and fries to go for my husband, Justin, because nothing says I love you like coming home with a smash burger and also the willpower not to sneak a bite on the drive home. Okay, let's get to the conversation.

[Bryan Cranston]

Wait, did you drive here?

[Rico Rodriguez]

I did, yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Here we go. Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

This is a big, big news for me. So for those who don't know, for the longest time, I never wanted to drive. It's not that I didn't want to. I wasn't ready for it. So, like, for an episode, I had to operate the car. So usually they'll put it on a rig so that you don't have to.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, they basically drive it, put the car on, like, a flatbed truck, and then someone drives it, and you just look like you're driving.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Right. But in this case, they had to do an exterior shot of the car of me driving it. And it was very brief. It was like a thing where I was backing up.

[Bryan Cranston]

And it's a great shot, isn't it? You, like, you in slow motion, like, giving, like, a nod.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. And that one was one of my favorite scenes. But a little bit later on in the series, it was one where I, like, had to, like, back in. And, like, it was one of those episodes, Remember, we did one where each act was one whole storyline for each family. Oh, yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

Called five Minutes, I think.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yes. Okay. So that one, I was operating the car, and, like, I hit the curb, and then Jay was like, let me get in the car. And then, like, we'd each, like, take turns driving in some place. Well, because I was operating the car, I didn't have my license. I have a permit or anything.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

So they're like, maybe you ought to get one. So you have a test on, you know, Friday.

[Bryan Cranston]

Production sets you up with a better test.

[Rico Rodriguez]

You better pass it so we can film Monday. I'm like, okay, here we go. So then I literally had, like, less than 24 hours to read the whole manual to get everything. I passed, got my permit so I can drive it. I was like, all right, here we go. This is the jump start to getting my license. And then I just let that thing expire for a while. And then I guess I told my family that I wanted to get my license before I turned 21. And then a week before I turned 21, they go, oh, so you Gonna get it. I'm like, I said that? And they're like, yeah. I'm like, oh, snap. Okay, well then. So then I was like, well, let me go get it. So I went to go do my written test, and they were like, okay, great. You want to go do your driving test? I'm like, I really haven't practiced much, but why not? I go and I pass. Like, first try.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. And you probably were super careful, I imagine.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Oh, yo. Yeah. Because, like, I had driven the car before, so I was. I was comfortable with it. But like. So then after I passed, they're like, let's go eat. And I was like, you know what, guys? I need to take a break from driving.

[Bryan Cranston]

This is too much already.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I'm like, all sorts of.

[Bryan Cranston]

Your brain is hurting, stiff.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I'm like, nah, I can't do it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's so funny.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, because, I mean, you started Modern Family when you were 10, so you were very far away from driving. But I remember Eric, I think in season one, didn't he make some sort of promise with you with the car?

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. So he drove this really nice white truck that I was like, you know, being a Texas boy, I'm like, oh, a truck. I like that. And so he was like, oh, you want that? He goes, okay, if this show runs, you know, 10 seasons, you can keep it. I'll give it to you or something. It was some, like, gaudy number. And then sure enough, it came about. I was like, so, Eric, we made it. And he's like, oh, I don't have the truck.

[Bryan Cranston]

I know. That truck was long gone. He's been to, like, three cars since then.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

That's so funny.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Hey, welcome to Heavy Handed.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hi.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

First time, I believe.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Have you been here?

[Rico Rodriguez]

No.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Let me go over the menu with these. Basically, heavy Handed. So for the smash burgers, short rib. So they're not smash all the way, you know, really thick. We still keep them a little thin to keep the juice in there. I always recommend the double. It's the way to go. Enough meat for the bun and everything in there. If you like a little spicy, you could add chopped chilies. We also have heavy fries, which is.

[Bryan Cranston]

That just fries with the sauce?

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Yes. So it comes with everything that comes in the burger on top of the fries as well.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Wow. Okay. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Nice.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

What would you like?

[Bryan Cranston]

I mean, I'll do a double.

[Rico Rodriguez]

A double combo, I think.

[Bryan Cranston]

Okay. So the combo has fries.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Yes.

[Bryan Cranston]

Okay. Yes.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

You're upgraded to heavy fries. Or just keep it regular.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'm gonna do regular fries.

[Bryan Cranston]

But I'm gonna do chilies on the burger. On the burger.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

You got it.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And for you, I'll also do the double with no pickles and no onions, please. And then regular fries on the side.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Regular fries?

[Bryan Cranston]

I'm scared of the heavy fries.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, well, I mean, with the word heavy, I mean, you know, there was light fries. Okay.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Yeah, I understand. Okay.

[Bryan Cranston]

And what do you want? Do you want something to drink?

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, I do. A Sprite, please.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

A Sprite. You got it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'll do a Diet Coke.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Diet Coke. Okay.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yes.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

You got it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

All right.

[Bryan Cranston]

Thank you so much.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Thank you.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Appreciate it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Thank you.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Can't wait to try. I love me a good burger. I love me a good burger.

[Bryan Cranston]

Okay. I know you've told this story before to me, but, like, you were a very shy kid. I was a very shy kid.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

You sort of, kind of fell into this industry because your older sister, Rainey.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Who I adore, she's great.

[Bryan Cranston]

Please tell her I said hi.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I will.

[Bryan Cranston]

Was already in the business. And you were, from what I understand, tagging along for an audition.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, so my sister Rainey, she was. I mean, she trailblazed. She brought us to California, I mean, at 11, you know, so we're all young.

[Bryan Cranston]

From Texas.

[Rico Rodriguez]

From Texas. From our hometown of Brian Collinsation. Shout out. And so my first headshots were, like, by accident, my sister was taking them, and I was in, like, a Power Rangers shirt, two front teeth missing, so on, like, not Hollywood at all. And I took those as my first headshots and I used those for when I first started and still use them. Oh, yes, of course. These are. These are fake ones. And so fast forward a little bit, you know, seeing her kind of do her thing, you know, she's always wanted to be on Disney Channel. And so she was able to guest star on Suite Life of Zack and Cody. And that was kind of like, whoa, she's. She's living out her dream. So I saw that, and then little did we know, it was like something that, like, yeah, I want to do this. And. And acting became something that was the most passionate thing I was passionate about.

[Bryan Cranston]

What was it like seeing your sister on tv?

[Rico Rodriguez]

Oh, it was awesome. Well, seeing her on set because, I mean, being kids, you know, me and my mom and my sister were all. We all run in packs. It's just us three. You know, my dad was in Texas making money so we can live out here, you know. And so your dad had a tire shop in Texas. Okay, got it.

[Bryan Cranston]

And your brothers were with him.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Well, so my mom was with us, and then my dad and my two older brothers were together over there. And so. Yeah. And just seeing her do her thing and just, like, seeing the kind of the passion she had, it just kind of was like, I want to do that. Like, that inspires me to do. Because she's having so much fun. And I mean, I look up to my sister, even though she's shorter than me, I look up to my sister. I look up to my sister a lot. So it was really cool.

[Bryan Cranston]

I have two kids now, and seeing how my youngest one looks up to his older brother, I mean, he just wants to do whatever he does.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I love that.

[Bryan Cranston]

And he's fearless about it, too. It's like Beckett's the trailblazer, and Sully's just like, yeah, let's go.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Let's do it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

So I could totally understand how you would fall in love with it, just because you know your sister, who you definitely look up to. I know how close you two are.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Bryan Cranston]

You know, it's seeing her enjoy that so much probably was a huge motivator for you, for sure. Do you remember your audition for Modern Family?

[Rico Rodriguez]

I do, I do. So I kind of had very quick success in the industry. Like, my first three auditions. I booked all three, like, right away. It was. I mean, it's so not heard of.

[Bryan Cranston]

You did not know rejection?

[Rico Rodriguez]

No.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

No.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And so then. So, like, by the time Modern Family rolled around, I had been lucky to have been on, like, every major network in, like, a guest starring role in some show. So the last one was abc. And so before that, I had auditioned for, like, a couple other series roles where I got really close for and to the point where it was, like, testing. And so, you know, I didn't get him for whatever reason, but, you know, my parents always instilled, like, a keep going mentality. Like, hey, you know what? It's okay. It happens. We move on. We keep going to the next one. And then Modern Family rolled around, which at the time was my American Family. That's right.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I got the audition, I went in and I read in front of Alan and Jeff and other casting directors. Yeah. And so it was kind of crazy because I had went in with a completely different take on Manny. It was like a player, and, like, he was too cool for school. And it was, like, literally the complete opposite to what we know him today. And Jeff liked it. And he was like, that was great. He goes. But he goes. We see Manny as, like, a old soul, like Antonio Banderas in a Kid's body. And I go, oh. I'm like, oh, did you know that reference? I didn't know. I was like, oh, okay. So he wants me to be Puss in Boots.

[Bryan Cranston]

Gotcha.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Okay, I can do that. And so luckily, I got a callback for it anyway, even though I came in with the complete opposite take, Right. I came in for the second audition, and they were like. Jeff was like, oh, thank you for taking the notes, and whatever. It was so good. You know, that's exactly what we're looking for. Yada, yada. Then I didn't hear anything for, like, a month. And I was like, well, okay, that was another one I didn't get, and whatever. And so then, little did I know, they were casting, you know, making sure they were putting Sophia in. They were casting Ed, casting all the rest of them. And what's kind of funny is I had knew Nolan before the series started. We were both going to the same acting class.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, no way.

[Bryan Cranston]

I didn't know you guys knew each other.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, so it was like we knew each other for, like, a few months before. And so we were kind of going through this journey together in a way of, like, every time we meet up for class, we're like, oh, I saw you at the audition. Oh, how did you do? Oh, it went good. And then the next week. Oh, how'd it go? And it kept going until, like, we booked it, and then we were on set together.

[Bryan Cranston]

Did you guys book it around the same time, do you think?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

And so did you have conversations about.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Oh, yeah, and it's wild. It was so cool because, I mean. And even Ariel. I even knew Ariel before because I had worked with her on a movie she did, and she couldn't have been the coolest person. So it was really neat seeing them and seeing Nolan at the audition. Code kind of felt like already, like a familial thing, and we all kind of like, okay, maybe we're all destined to do this kind of thing together.

[Bryan Cranston]

Totally. Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And, yeah, that's kind of how it all, like, shook out. And, I mean, that's got to be worked, too.

[Bryan Cranston]

Obviously, I didn't test for TV shows when I was a kid, but, like, even as an adult, like, it's really intimidating.

[Rico Rodriguez]

It's daunting.

[Bryan Cranston]

Do you remember being scared by that? Or was it intimidation or. I mean, it doesn't sound like you were. I don't even know kids that age even, like, know to be scared about something like that.

[Rico Rodriguez]

No, I think. I think scary might be the wrong one. A lot of the things when you're a kid is like, you're kind of fearless. You don't know. So being able to be kind of fearless in that way was really fun to be able to do. Oh, here we go.

[Bryan Cranston]

And I guess you don't need to. Thank you so much.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Thank you. I'm take a picture because the phone eats first. Thank you.

[Bryan Cranston]

What I was going to say was, do you even, like, have a comprehension of, like. I mean, as an adult, you're signing contracts, you're seeing money, you're seeing, like, oh, I'm going to be able to provide for myself as a kid. Is it kind of more like, oh, this is just a fun thing I'm going to get to do?

[Rico Rodriguez]

At the end of the day, when I was auditioning, it was all fun. Everything that. Even to today, it's everything that I do, it's fun. I was such an excitable kid, and now I'm an excitable adult to where every little thing is like, it's fun. I love this industry. And what was interesting is, so you know how you were saying, like, something like being nervous or daunting. I had auditioned for Jeff Greenberg prior for, like, a role in Ugly Betty, and he made me cry.

[Bryan Cranston]

Oh, really?

[Rico Rodriguez]

In the audition room.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Did you ever tell him this?

[Rico Rodriguez]

I think I did. I wanted to say, oh, you probably saw it. Yeah, well. And it was for something, like, it was some choir kid and I had to, like, sing or whatever. He wasn't. He wasn't mean. He was just like. I don't know, like a stern or just like, he was there. He wasn't giving me no expressions or anything. And so then when I auditioned for Modern Family, I saw him like, oh, no.

[Bryan Cranston]

I was like, oh, no.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And then come to find out later on, I mean, he's the nicest person in all of. He is the. And, you know, changed my life.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And I mean, so also I have.

[Bryan Cranston]

To remind myself that, you know, they're seeing so many people for these roles, and they're just trying to find the right person for it. So, like, you know, if someone's not right, it's sort of like in your mind, you probably think, okay, like, they're great and they're talented, but, like. Like, they're not. They're not for this role. And you probably shut down a little bit.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. And so it was like, you know, sometimes, you know, they always say, like, the best auditions are the ones you don't really remember, but when you leave and you kind of just don't really remember what you did. And that's kind of what happened, you know, in the, in the audition sides. It was for when I was in the car with Jay and Gloria and I was talking about, like, I want to talk to Brenda Feldman. I was going to give her a flower, go pick flowers and all that. And in the, in the end of the scene, I run out of the car. So in the audition room, I just bolt to the door. And everyone's like, what's this kid running for? Like. And they were like, oh, okay. Well, thank you. And I just walked out.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And then we were driving home, and that's when I got the call that they. They booked me, like, you know, 30 minutes later. It's crazy.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. When they know, they know. It's interesting.

[Rico Rodriguez]

This is really good about that.

[Bryan Cranston]

This is not a great smash, bro.

[Rico Rodriguez]

That's really good.

[Bryan Cranston]

I know. This is, like, going to be on my regular spot list.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yes, for sure.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Rico tells me about his on set antics with co star Nolan Gould. Also, his first impressions of his on screen parents, Ed o' Neill and Sofia Vergara. Okay, be right back. You know that feeling when you're so sure that you're being super responsible with your money? You know, you're sort of cocky about it. And you go to your bank account and you see the numbers in front of you and you're like, what am I looking at? This isn't mine. Oh, wait, yes, it is. Yeah, same. I've been there. That's why I started using Rocket Money. I wanted to see where my money was actually going, not just where I thought it was going. And immediately Rocket Money showed me subscriptions I had completely forgotten about all in one place. And it didn't judge me, you know, it just showed me the facts. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so that you can grow your savings. Their dashboard lays out your whole financial picture. Bills, paydays, everything. And they do it in a way that's actually easy to understand, even if, you know, numbers aren't your love language, which they certainly aren't, mind. One thing I really like is how Rocket Money helps you set up budgets based on how you really spend, not how you pretend you spend. And if you got a savings goal, Rocket Money can analyze your accounts and help find the best time each month to put money aside, which somehow makes savings feel less scary. They'll even try to negotiate lower bills for you. Yeah, they talk to customer service so you don't have to see. That alone feels worth it. And clearly it works. Rocket Money has saved users over 2.5 billion, including over 880 million in canceled subscriptions alone. Their 10 million members save up to $740 a year when they use all the app's premium features. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com Dinner today. That's RocketMoney.com Dinner RocketMoney.com Dinner.

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Bryan Cranston]

When you know, we all got together for the first time. We sort of did a pre table read before table read for the network. Then I think we even had a rehearsal before that.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I just remember walking into the big room and it's like that thing where you kind of like feel that it's gonna be something. And even at that young age, I could feel this was something. Yeah, like it just, it felt right. It felt like we were supposed to be there at that time doing this thing together. And that's what it came out.

[Bryan Cranston]

I mean, I completely agree with you. I always think about, you know, no one's been a guest on this podcast.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I'm a listener. By the way. You do great work.

[Bryan Cranston]

Oh, thanks, Rico.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Very, very fun podcast. Thank you.

[Bryan Cranston]

But obviously Sarah was older than you all. I know Aubrey's talked about this too, but just, you know, navigating being a kid and growing up on tv, I'm sure it was such a luxury and such a security blanket knowing that you had other kids your age. Oh for sure there doing the same thing in the same boat. And I'm so glad you did. I think it probably you, like, were able to bounce off each other and, like, also be like, is this crazy for you? Cause it's crazy for me.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, exactly.

[Bryan Cranston]

But, like, you know, even going to school together, because, you know, you had to go to school on set. I mean, Nolan talked a little bit about, like, feeling like even though he had you all, there was a bit of a separation. Like, he felt like he wasn't necessarily able to really always relate to kids who were his age because he didn't get to, like, go to school.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Right.

[Bryan Cranston]

In a traditional sense, I think.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I think speaking for me, I think I never really found. Because that's what a lot of people are like. Oh, well, kids in Hollywood, you know, they, you know, getting to not experience something, like something like high school or proms or stuff like that, or social events with. And I never really felt that way because I think, like I said at such a young age, my parents kind of instilled this kind of, like, a worth ethic in me to where it was like, I knew what I was here for. I was here for a job and work because I had no problem going home and being a kid, being rambunctious, going rolling in the dirt if I wanted to. But when I was on set, hey, make sure you know your lines, be prepared. And then after you're wrapped and you're on the way home, you can be a kid. You go take out the trash, you go clean the house, clean your room. You know, all that. All that doesn't stop.

[Bryan Cranston]

Right.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

What was it like?

[Bryan Cranston]

I always thought about this with Aubrey, too, because, like, she would go away and have to do schoolwork and then come back, and I was like, what is it like? I'd actually never asked this to be in a scene, you know, doing a show for Modern Family with, you know, Sophia and Ed, and then, like, have to go and do science or whatever and then come back. Like, it must be so weird.

[Rico Rodriguez]

You know, it's interesting because some. Some episodes, Manny would pop in.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And then say a funny quip as he would.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And then he would, you know, walk out and then come back later. But then sometimes, since he was such an old soul, he would have these, like, big paragraphs and words that I had no idea what I was saying. I was. I would look up online or I would ask my studio teacher, Sharon, Ms. Sharon. I would ask her, hey, what does this mean? Why are they laughing? And so she Would explain to me. I go, oh, okay, I understand now. But it was crazy because sometimes you would have these big, chunky dialogues, and then you would rehearse it, and then you got to go and you have a math test. I'm like, well, I don't know. Division. Like, what am I going to do? And then, you know, I would go answer the first three questions of 20 and then go back to film. It's crazy. It's like. It's the craziest thing to do.

[Bryan Cranston]

I mean, I can only imagine how hard that could be.

[Rico Rodriguez]

It definitely posed at the. It's like, challenges. But I think. Let me just say something.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Modern Fan was the best. And the people that worked on the show were even better. Like, the show was great. I mean, it's one of the greats. But our cast and crew and just the work environment was just so amazing. That's like. We would get other cast from other sets on the lot. Like, wow, that looks awesome. Like, we're over here 16 hours and we're finishing before lunch. Like, that. That's unheard of.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

But to be able to balance that kind of, like, work and child and school, it was so. It was easy because the crew and the cast, they made it fun. They made. You know, a lot of the crew members would keep you a kid. They would do fun things or we would get. I mean, I'm sure it's been. We did the Nerf war on set, and Bryan Cranston, our director of the week, was, you know, joining us. But, like, they didn't stop us from wanting to do fun things like that.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Like, I mean, you and Nolan.

[Bryan Cranston]

I would want to take a nap between scenes. And you and Nolan were off, like, writing, so screenplays. Oh, yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Parkour.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, exactly. Doing parkour. I mean, you had so much energy. I remember Ty and I thinking, like, if I could just have an ounce of that energy right now.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, it was so. It was so fun because also it was us three, like, the kids. So we always kind of like, Ariel was wanting to be like, relax, guys. Yeah, yeah. And we were like, no, we gotta keep going.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, you were boys. I mean, you also got to do things that so few people just to get TV jobs in general get to do, like travel to Hawaii, travel to Paris, travel to Disneyland. We got to be, like, backstage at Disneyland, like, crazy. I mean, what. What are some of your favorite memories from those episodes?

[Heavy Handed Staff]

I think.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I think it's kind of one of those, like, oh, we're doing something. It's when we Went to Hawaii because, like, I've never.

[Bryan Cranston]

Which was in season one, by the way.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Bryan Cranston]

Which is crazy.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Crazy.

[Bryan Cranston]

Usually work up to that.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. And we just did it. Oh, we'll go to Hawaii. Why not, I think.

[Bryan Cranston]

Which, by the way, is one of my favorite episodes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, it's not just a travel episode.

[Bryan Cranston]

It's actually a really good episode.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Such a fun story. Our writers are awesome to create such really fun storylines around a place. Yeah, you know, I'm not the really, like the traveling type, so, like, if I wasn't in working and busy in California when I had a good little chunk off, I would go back to Texas and go visit my family. So luckily I got to travel to really amazing places because of my work. And so, like, Australia was crazy. I mean, Hawaii. I had such a good time at Jackson Hole because it was like we all in little cabins. It was so cool. It was the coolest thing. I mean, I was so lucky to be one on a really awesome show, but that the show can take it to new heights and go these places that I never imagined I'd ever go. Paris.

[Bryan Cranston]

I know. I felt like field trips.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Oh, so much fun. It was always a question to age. Old question like, oh, where are we going this year, guys? And then everyone would have little rumors. Oh, I think we're going here this year.

[Bryan Cranston]

I know Italy was someplace I kept talking about, but it never happened. Yeah, I know.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And so. And usually I would be like one of the last to know because, like, I'll be in the school room the whole time. And they're like, oh, are you ready for your trip? I'm like, trip to where? What have you heard?

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, I'm 11. Yeah, that's right. I think, you know, one of the reasons, obviously the show did so well and you know, we had such a great time was because of that chemistry. And you and Ed and Sophia really had incredible chemistry. We shared, you know, Ed o' Neill as, you know, a stepfather for you and a father for me on the show. And I. I mean, I couldn't adore that man more. Like, he reminds me so much of my dad in real life.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yep. Same.

[Bryan Cranston]

Sometimes he butt dials me by accident.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I love it.

[Bryan Cranston]

And always turns into like a half hour conversation.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But I. What was.

[Bryan Cranston]

What was it like for you to have those two people as your parents on the show and also Benjamin Brad, as, you know, your birth dad. Yeah, but what was it like for you with those people as your parents?

[Rico Rodriguez]

You know, they're just such legends in their field, and it's kind of funny because I hadn't. I had no idea who Ed was when we first got on the show. I had no idea who he was. Like, my. My dad was like, oh, you're working with Ed o'? Neill? I'm like, who's that? And they're like, oh, you know, from Married With Children. I'm like, okay, I don't. I've never heard of that show. And then they're like, loving me, and they're singing to me. I'm like, I have no idea who this is. What are you talking about? Yeah, I see Sophia. I'm like, oh, the lady from Madea. Madea Goes to jail. I love her. Wow. I'm working with the movie star not knowing all the things she's accomplished, Right? I was really lucky being able to, you know, have them as, like, mentors. Especially Ed. I mean, everybody says him, but Ed, he truly took me under his wing. Like. I mean, like no other. There was one time, I remember vividly, it was early on, probably first season, where I was having trouble with this one line. Like, I. I just. I couldn't hear what I was saying. Like, I didn't know I was saying it wrong. And though, you know, they keep coming in, like, hey, Rico, try like this. You know, the directors are the writer or the. You know, it was going on for a little bit, so you can. It was a little frustrating. Like, okay, come on, you know, get it. And I'm, like, overthinking everything. You know, I'm like, oh, I'm the reason why we're not doing good. And, you know, I'm, like, on the verge of, like, crying because I'm like, I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. And so it came to the point where then Ed was like. Ed goes, all right, stop. Cut the cameras. And he told. Go sit down. He, like, told the director, go sit down. He brought me to the side, and he was like, all right, Rico, look, here's. I think, what you're having trouble with. Repeat after me. Try it like this. And then we would work together until he goes, no, try like this. And I would do it. He goes, no, no, try like this. Until I heard it. And I. And I repeated it in the way that they were wanting. And he was like, that's it. Perfect. All right, let's go do it. All right, guys. And then I would go. I do it in two takes and moving on. And he would look at me, give me a wink. I'm like, I got you. He was like, I got you. Don't worry. And that from that point on, I was like, I knew I could trust him. And it was points where throughout, you know, the first, like four or five seasons, he would do that with me and just. It was like I said, it was never a way of like, showing me. Up until about, like, season five, he was like, I don't need to work with you anymore. You got it. You're good now. You're good. And that was.

[Bryan Cranston]

That's kind of like I need to focus on Sophia.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, yeah. Because Sophia, she's mispronouncing Manny again. Yeah. But it was like he couldn't have been the nicest, the coolest, the great. I mean, I love Ed with. I mean, I owe a lot to him for just my career in general.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. I feel very, very fortunate that I got to work with him. And, you know, there's only a few people I share that title of he's my dad with. And it's you and Christina Applegate.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Yep.

[Bryan Cranston]

And David Fasciano.

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[Bryan Cranston]

The other guy from Married Patrol.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Yep.

[Bryan Cranston]

It's like the four of us are a pack.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yep.

[Bryan Cranston]

Well, and Julie Bowen.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I guess Julie was there too. Julie was there too.

[Bryan Cranston]

We saw. I always forget about Julie.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I never forget you, Julie.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now, let's take a quick break, but don't go anywhere. When we return, Rico reveals why he almost stepped away from Modern Family, a.

[Bryan Cranston]

Ridiculous table read tradition with Sophia.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we also hear about his obsession with Benihana. Okay, be right back.

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[Bryan Cranston]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Bryan Cranston]

I know, you know, I lost my mom in November, and I know that you were. You and your family are so close. And when your. Your father passed away about eight years ago.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

How hard that was. And I. I think it happened over a hiatus that your father passed away.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. Yeah. So it was kind of like, you know, it was kind of like at that crossroads of me becoming an adult, I had just. I hadn't even turned 18 yet.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

So I was very, very young. And so it was kind of crazy because on the final episode of that season was Manny graduating, and there was this really. I mean, really amazing scene between me and Ed. It was the episode where Javier takes Manny to a strip club and he leaves his sash, and then Jay and Mandy have to go there and, like, let her perform and throw all the. It was hilarious. But at the end of it, you know. You know, he pours me a little thing of scotch, and he's like, you know, I. You know, our relationship. That's what I think of you as being my kid. And I'm like, you know, you're my kid, and. And I was like, you're my dad. And it's a really amazing scene. And then we. That was, you know, the last episode, and then we wrapped, and then, you know, like, two weeks later, my dad passed away. So it was really tough. You know, luckily it was on, like, a hiatus break. So first off, I'm grieving, and I'm back home with my family. And then it came time to start negotiating, because, again, we just didn't know. We probably knew we would come back, but we didn't know for how long, for what. And so negotiations started, and it was the first one without my dad, who always led the charge for us. And, you know, there was a point where I actually thought, you know, I don't know if I want to come back, because I just. I don't know. It was. It was so. It's. I mean, the patriarch of our family has gone, and, you know, he was the. He was the biggest motivator. He was all of our ideals. So there was a point where I was like, you know what? Maybe I don't want to come back. And I want to hold off because I don't know if I can.

[Bryan Cranston]

Right.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And then there was a point where I was like, no, I would be doing him a disservice of everything we worked for at that point to just stop. And then it came to the point where, like, no, you know what? I want to come back. And it really, really made it easier knowing I was coming back to my other family.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And that was like, okay, you know what? It'll be okay. So then usually every time we started a new season, it was always around my birthday because, you know, at the. The table reads, they always give the cast or whoever's a birthday, they give them a big cake and sing them happy birthday. And I stood up there and I looked at everybody and I couldn't help but cry and get emotional because, you know, my dad passed in March, and then in July, we're starting right up again. And it was like, man, you know, being here, it's. It helps me. It's helping me just because I know how much love you guys have given me over the years. And knowing that I had you guys to kind of be there with, to uplift and just have a good time, it really made the decision a lot easier to for sure come back.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, no, I mean, it definitely was a support system for sure. And I, you know, we all. We all supported each other through so many big moments.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

Kids, divorces, losses of parents. I mean, I look back on those 11 years and so much happens in life in 11 years.

[Rico Rodriguez]

So much.

[Bryan Cranston]

And, you know, to have basically a second family to go through, that was really such a gift. Are you spending a lot of time in Texas still?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Are you.

[Bryan Cranston]

Are you mostly here in California?

[Rico Rodriguez]

I've been kind of been able to evenly split my time, but I definitely am in LA more often than I'm in Texas. You know, Texas is home, and it's the real place here. It's Hollywood and the land of dreams. And, you know, mentally and creatively, I'm able to kind of like, lock in here and, like, really be able to, like, pursue things that I want to do.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, it's really fun. I mean, I also love that you had this place to escape to during Modern Family. That was sort of a grounding place where I imagine you saw chores. Like, you know, you probably work at.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Your dad's tire shop.

[Bryan Cranston]

And, like, I mean, what was it like to go from, you know, like you said, we had three weeks on. Usually we were shooting and we'd have a week off. And sometimes you'd go home to Texas. And those. Those hiatuses are definitely for the holidays. But what was it like to be on set and then be in this, like, one world and then all of a sudden transition to a much slower pace and.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Oh, definitely. So for one of my dad, my siblings, all my other family lives in Texas, so all my nieces and nephews, I have 11 of them, they all live there, so it's always a good chance to go see them as often as I could because I. I'm a big family man. And so it was interesting because, like, back home, we live on 15 acres of land. It's wide open spaces. We have, you know, four wheelers, so we can drive around. You know, my family, we own tire shops. We own three tire stores out there. So, you know, I was 15 years old, wanting to go work, and so I would tell my dad, I'm not Manny today. I'm Rico. I'm gonna work. And then, you know, my dad was so proud of us that he couldn't help himself, but he was like, oh, you know, hey, look, Manny's working on your car. So he was just being funny. And so it was always fun to be able to go back and get dirty and. And work on the tires and be a tire man. And then, you know, when it's time to go back to work, I'm like, all right, time to go back and time to come home and. But it was always so much fun to be able to have that escape because, you know, living in la, when we first started out in, like, an apartment, so there's a neighbor above you, below you, to the side, in front of you, back behind you. So there's always people around you. And then you go to Texas, and you can walk outside and hear no cars, you hear animals, you hear birds, and it's awesome. Such a cool thing. So be able to kind of have that little reset and then come back and like, okay, home. That's home. This is work.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. Yeah. I was knowing that you're always gonna sit down with you today. I was, like, watching some of your earlier, like, TV appearances. This is a great appearance on Ellen, where I think you say something about, like, I'm making. Yeah, I make, like, $20 a week. I get an allowance of $20 a week. And she was kind of like, maybe she'll look into that. Yeah. But, you know, I was like, yeah, as a kid, you probably aren't being given these full paychecks, and obviously those are going to your. Your parents. Like, they're investing them and, like, giving you that $20 a week is like an allowance. Like, I kind of forgot that, like, you weren't dealing with money in the same way that the adults were.

[Rico Rodriguez]

No. And, you know, because a lot of people, you know, that's why I, like, obviously, because back then, of the child actors, of back then, you know, rules and things, regulations were in place for, you know, kids actors for today. And so it's so interesting because, you know, my parents were very. When it was the right appropriate time to be open and honest about the money. And here's what you're making.

[Bryan Cranston]

When was that, by the way?

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Huh?

[Bryan Cranston]

When was that? When did that happen?

[Rico Rodriguez]

I'd say maybe I was, like, maybe 12.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, wow.

[Rico Rodriguez]

You know, just because, you know, again, we come from, you know, we're Latino, so, like, we take our work, and that's something that we don't take lightly and that, you know, it could be. We always knew it could be taken away from you at any moment, at any time, because being in the industry long enough, you see it happen, and you just don't want to be the next one to do it. And so, you know, they were like, look, this is what you're making. So this is what they expect out of you. So always. That's why I said earlier, you know, you come into work prepared, you know, knowing your lines. You come early, you come ready to go. I would go when I was, like, 11 or 12 years old, I knew everybody's lines. I knew Ed and Sophia's lines.

[Bryan Cranston]

I remember sometimes he, like, Ed would go up on his line and he'd like, like, help him out. Are you. To look to you be like, what is it again?

[Rico Rodriguez]

He would look at me, like, for help.

[Bryan Cranston]

So, like little.

[Rico Rodriguez]

He was helping me, I was helping him. It was so funny because, like, I always would be with Sophia. And, you know, I mean, it's very well known how Sophia, she. Sometimes she goes off the. Like, off the rails, off the rails. And I saw.

[Bryan Cranston]

And by the way, sometimes we just keep it in because it's, like, funnier than what's.

[Rico Rodriguez]

At that point. Why not? And so she would go off the rails, and then she would go, rico, what's my line? I go, oh. I go, oh, you go, oh, Manny, get your coffee. Let's go. Okay. And then she would go, oh, thank you. Hi, Manny, get your coffee. Let's go. And then we finish the tape. But then she would go like, rico, what's my call time for tomorrow? And I'm like, oh, well, on the.

[Bryan Cranston]

Prelim Also, what would happen on table reads? Table read days?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Bryan Cranston]

You would get there early.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I'm gonna say, I got suckered into it. I got suckered into it. I love Sophia, but I. I got. I got played. I got played by Sophia. So one time, being the nice person that I am. Yeah. Sophia was late, you know, to the table read.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

You know, it happens. Sofia was late to the table read, and I was like, I know how she marks her lines on her script. So I was like, you know what? Let me be nice and let me mark her script for her.

[Bryan Cranston]

Very kind.

[Rico Rodriguez]

So she gets there and she's like, oh, thank you. And, you know, thank you, Rico, and pinch my cheeks and whatever. And then. Then the next week, she's on time. So I sit down, I'm marking my sides, and then we start the read. We start the read and it comes with Sophia that she goes, rico, you didn't mark my script.

[Bryan Cranston]

I go, huh?

[Rico Rodriguez]

I didn't know I was supposed to. I did it one time because I was nice. And so she hands me her script, and now everybody's looking at me because it's literally her next line. And this wasn't like, oh, season 10. No, this was like season one.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I, like, I was nice.

[Bryan Cranston]

This 10 year old was in charge of.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I was literally manning that point, helping out Sophia. But, you know, I love Sophia, so I had no problem doing it.

[Bryan Cranston]

That is really funny to me. You knew her lines. You marked her script for the table reads. You knew her call time for the. You were her personal assistant. Really? Is what it was. You really were.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. Great memories. But now that you bring that up, maybe there was something on the show now.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel like you should have been definitely given a bonus for that, probably.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

Oh, my God, that's really fun.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah, she's the best. Hilarious. I mean, hilarious.

[Bryan Cranston]

Truly. When was the last time you spoke to her?

[Rico Rodriguez]

Very recently, for the fires. I messaged her because, you know, with. With. It was in that area. So I was like, I messaged Ed and I messaged Sophia just to make sure everybody was all good.

[Heavy Handed Staff]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And Sophia was like, yes, thank you. And then Ed was like, I don't know. I'm in Hawaii. Help. We'll be fine.

[Bryan Cranston]

I mean, the last time I saw you was when we had that reunion at Sofia's. The entire cast, minus Ty.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Minus Ty. Moment, without Ty. We took that literal.

[Bryan Cranston]

We took. Yeah, we took that literal. Yeah. We would do this joke on set when we were doing photos with the entire cast. We would just, as a cast, do this joke where we'd say. And one without Ty. And so Ty would step out of.

[Rico Rodriguez]

A photo and they would take a.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Picture of all of us.

[Bryan Cranston]

We'd take a picture of all of us without Ty.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Like a running joke.

[Bryan Cranston]

But we just a running joke. And then. So when we had that first full reunion, Ty was not there. And, yeah, the Internet thought he was dead.

[Rico Rodriguez]

When we took the full photo, that was such a good time, I mean, because, you know, it really. It was unfortunate, obviously, with COVID and all that, but, you know, with us on the show, we had our grand finale. But then, you know, we had this great press tour to like. Yeah, kind of say goodbye to the show. And then everything shut down. And then we hadn't seen each other for two years. It was. Went like that.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

But luckily we were able to do that. It was a lot of fun.

[Bryan Cranston]

It was so crazy. I drove Aubrey home from that party. Her mom dropped her off and I drove her home, and she was taking her driver's test the next day.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Wow.

[Bryan Cranston]

I was like, this is wild to me. I felt like a true parent. Like driving my daughter home from a party.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

I knew this girl when she was three and a half years old.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wild.

[Bryan Cranston]

But I was going to say, you know, as we were looking for places to eat today, I didn't know this about you, and Eric told me one of your favorite restaurants in LA is Benihana.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Bryan Cranston]

And you all, like, loved it so much. Tell me about this, like, setup that you got for your home.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. So for people who don't know, Benihana is like a hibachi teppanyaki place. So, like, they cook all the food in front of you and, you know, they do flips and tricks with the eggs and the rice bowl. My family, we love it. That's our favorite restaurant, by the way.

[Bryan Cranston]

Rico. I live in Encino now, and it's like. Right. It's like a seven minute walk.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I want to come visit you more often, I think. Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

But we've taken Beckett and Sully so many times, and they love it. It's delicious.

[Rico Rodriguez]

It's family friendly for all ages. Yeah. So I discovered Benihana because of Modern Family, so because we loved it so much at our house here in la, my dad had built, like, this really nice gazebo. And, you know, we're not. We're not drinkers. We're not any of that. So we, instead of having like an outdoor bar or whatever, we put a Benihana grill in there. And we call it Ricohana. So we have, like, we had this, like, logo made for, like, the top for, like, the. The COVID for the grill, and it's Ricohana. And so, like, wait, where did you get it from?

[Bryan Cranston]

What, did they actually supply it for you or did you.

[Rico Rodriguez]

No, we went to the. We went to the. A place that. Where, like, they go to buy, like, a restaurant supply store. Because one of the. One of the chefs who works there. Well, who worked there, his name is Oscar. He's awesome. He went on his own business venture, and he does private cookings for Benihana.

[Bryan Cranston]

Oh, wow.

[Rico Rodriguez]

So now we. We basically, we. When we want Benihana at the house or if we're gonna have a party or, you know, it's a great party. It's a great thing. And. And he. We have him come. He brings all the food, he makes all the sauces. He does everything for us, cleans our grill, and he gets it going for us. He was the one who helped us. We have, like, the Benihana inspired plates, aprons, the knives, the rice bowls. We have it all. So, like, anytime we want Benihana, there, we just have him come and does the whole show for us. The onion, volcano, the heart rice, all that. It's a list of little things.

[Bryan Cranston]

I love that you have that at home. That's so great.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Oh, yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

I remember just like, you know, all you kids were, like, picky eaters, you know, when you were young. That's what children do. Like, I'm experiencing this with my kid now, but I feel like you've become quite a foodie now.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yeah. You know, I think as you get older, your taste buds change and evolve. You know, it also had a lot to do with, like, when we would travel to places, you know, like Australia or like Paris. You know, there's all different foods there, and, you know, they don't have a McDonald's in every corner, you know, as a little safe haven. So, you know, I would want to try, like, you know, alligator. And I was like, I don't. I would never thought I would try it, but here I am enjoying it.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Randomly.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

And so, like, I'm just very open to trying new things. I love sushi. I mean, I love all types of food. I'll try it once.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. I remember when we were in Paris, like, the craft service table and, like, where we have lunch, like, it was a very elaborate spread, but it was not what we're used to.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

No.

[Bryan Cranston]

Here, like, escargot, which is snails.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I was hungry in Paris. I was. I didn't eat much there. I don't think we found one place that we liked and we went to like three times.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I was like, that's. That's what we're gonna do.

[Bryan Cranston]

You know, maybe when you're a little older, you'll go back again, you'll try again. I don't know. Well, I'm glad that we found a good meal that we both like today.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I love this burger. Can't go wrong with a good burger. And it was very, very good. Very, very good.

[Bryan Cranston]

Thank you so much for doing this.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Thank you for having me.

[Bryan Cranston]

It's been. I'm so glad see to.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

To see you.

[Rico Rodriguez]

It's.

[Bryan Cranston]

It's a really long time.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Been too long. And I'm glad we were able to do this because it's fun to reminisce and talk about. I mean, our. I mean, that's our experiences together. I mean, that we live this whole amazing. 11 years on this show was really fun.

[Bryan Cranston]

And I've known you 16.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Bryan Cranston]

That's absolutely bonkers.

[Rico Rodriguez]

It's crazy.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. More than half your life, Rico.

[Rico Rodriguez]

I know. Now I know.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. Oh, man, it's so good that you could do this. I'm so happy to see you.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Thank you for having me. Thank you for the food. So it's on you, right?

[Bryan Cranston]

Dinner is going to be on me.

[Rico Rodriguez]

Okay, perfect. I should have ordered some ice cream. Then maybe next time we'll do it in part two.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This episode of Dinner's on Me was recorded at Heavy Handed in Studio City.

[Bryan Cranston]

California.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Next week on Dinners on Me. You know her from One Tree Hill, Chicago pd and more recently, as the host of the podcast Work in Progress. It's Sophia Bush. We'll get into how she met her girlfriend, Ashlyn Harris, the nuances of coming out publicly, and her divorcee group chat. And if you don't wanna wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners on Me. Plus, as a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad free. Just click try free at the top of the Dinners on Me show page on Apple Podcasts. To start your free trial. Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of Production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.

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