“Took me under his wing.” Ed O'Neill was a huge for the Modern Family actor, for which he even halted filming
Ed O'Neill became a mentor to the Modern Family actor when he helped him through a stressful situation.
Young actors on film sets are often just taking their first steps and are not always able to find their way in front of the cameras on their own. They don’t have as much familiarity with camera and knowledge as their older “professional colleagues,” and as a result they may need help.
Modern Family, quickly realized that Rico Rodriguez, who played his step son, needed help, and reached out to him when he noticed that the young actor began to be overwhelmed by stress. The story was told by Rodriguez himself, who confessed that he was very grateful to O'Neill for “taking him under his swing” (via Dinner's on Me).
He truly took me under his wing like no other. There was one time I vividly – it was early on, probably the first season – where I was having trouble with this one line. Like, I just couldn't hear what I was saying. I didn't know I was saying it wrong. They keep coming in like, “Hey, Rico, try like this.” It was going on for a little bit so it was a little frustrating.
It came to the point where then Ed goes, “Alright, stop, cut the cameras.” And he told the director, “Go sit down.” He brought me to the side. And he was like, “All right, Rico, look here. Here's what I think you're having trouble with here. Repeat after me... Try it like this.” He would look at me and give me a wink like, “I got you. Don't worry.” From that point on, I knew I could trust him.
That situation for Rico Rodriguez was particularly nerve-wracking. As he confessed, he was “on the verge of crying,” so Ed O'Neill perfectly sensed the situation and stepped in to help the young actor, who began “overthinking everything.”
O'Neill at that point helped Rodriguez rehearse his lines in various ways until they found the right one. After that, it only took two takes for Modern Family actor Manny Delgado to nail the scene. O'Neill, in turn, became a mentor for him.
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