Yes, there is a lot about Modern Family that is rooted in pure fiction and would never happen in real life. But that will never stop its true fans from wondering about the fate of their beloved characters, even though it has been more than three years since the show ended.
Time may have blurred the memories of the long-running comedy series, or you simply dropped the show because following the Dunphys, Pritchetts, and Tuckers lost its initial charm. But – speaking as a fellow Modern Family fan here – nothing dulled the need to know what eventually became of its characters, especially the endearingly mature and equally quirky Manny Delgado.
Where did we leave Manny at the end of Modern Family season 11?
Manuel Alberto Javier Alejandro Ramirez “Manny” Delgado was in fifth grade when we first met him in season 1 of the series, back in 2009. Throughout the eleven seasons, Gloria’s son grew up from a surprisingly intuitive but sensitive child — who was hilariously always falling for girls much older than him and penned poems in their praise — into a college student.
As for where the series finale left Manny, Javier (his largely absentee father) offered to take him on a traveling trip around the world for a year. After spending a big chunk of his life not really fitting in with kids his age and being protected by Gloria at every turn, Manny says yes to the plan after his mother motivates him to finally leave his comfort zone and go see the world.
When it comes to his love life, he finally managed to score a date with Brenda Feldman. Yep, the same Brenda who shot Manny down in season 1 when he proposed because a) she already had a boyfriend and b) she was much, much older than Manny. But when she appeared next in season 11, Manny managed to score a date with her. What happened after? No idea, but knowing Manny he probably gave the relationship his all, and made the grandest gestures when his sane family members were not near enough to dissuade him.
So, if we were to wonder what Manny is up to now, it would be safe to predict that he came back to Jay and Gloria after a year. Or maybe, like Alex and Luke, he also finally left his nest on a more permanent basis. Knowing Manny, he is probably doing something that is allowing him to re-embrace his Mexican roots. We can already envision Gloria glowing with pride.
And what has the Modern Family actor Rico Rodriguez been up to since 2020?
Well, he was 10 when the show started, 21 when it wrapped up. The now-25-year-old has kept his distance from the silver screen, though he did appear as himself in the Nickelodeon shows, Unfiltered and The Substitute. He even briefly reunited with his on-screen Sofia Vergara in 2021, when he made an appearance in America’s Got Talent to meet the actress who has been one of the permanent judges of the show since 2020.