Modern Family star Rico Rodriguez, 26, who played Gloria Delgado-Pritchett’s son (Sofía Vergara) says he thought about not returning to the series after his father, Roy’s 2017 death.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Rodriguez spoke about experiencing his father’s passing after the eighth season of Modern Family on a June 2025 episode of his former co-star, Jesse Tyler Ferguson‘s podcast, Dinner’s on Me. Rodriguez explained that his father had helped with his Modern Family contracts before his death. He also said that he considered not coming back to the show when he was presented with his Season 9 contractual agreement.
“There was a point where I actually thought, you know, I don’t know if I wanna come back. Because, I don’t know, I mean, the patriarch of our family is gone and he was the biggest motivator,” said Rodriguez during the podcast interview. “He was all of our ideas. So there was a point where I was like, you know what? Maybe I don’t wanna come back and I wanna hold off because I don’t know if I can.”
He said, however, that he believed he would be dishonoring his father if he did not stay on the Modern Family cast. He also said he knew his co-stars would be strong sources of support during that difficult time. In addition, Rodriguez shared that he was overcome with emotion during the first Season 9 table read, surrounded by his castmates.
“I stood up there and I looked at everybody and I couldn’t help but cry and get emotional because my dad passed in March and then in July, we’re starting right up again,” said the 26-year-old actor. “And it was like, man, being here, it helps me. It’s helping me just because I know how much love you guys have given me over the years. Knowing that I had you guys to be there with, to uplift me, and just have a good time, it really made my decision a lot easier to for sure come back.”
Rodriguez spoke about his time on Modern Family, which ended in 2020, during an April 2025 interview with ComingSoon. He described the ABC sitcom as “such a blessing.”
“That time in my life was so special. And I look back on it fondly,” said Rodriguez during the interview.
