Rico Rodriguez (actor)

Rico Rodriguez (born July 31, 1998) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Manny Delgado on the ABC sitcom Modern Family, which ran for eleven seasons from 2009 to 2020. He received several Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance. He has also appeared in numerous other television shows and movies—both as himself and other characters—before, during, and after the show's run, such as Epic Movie, Endgame, El Americano: The Movie, and Nickelodeon's The Substitute and Unfiltered.

Rico Rodriguez
Rodriguez at the Paley Center for Media in 2015
Born (1998-07-31) July 31, 1998 (age 26)
OccupationActor
Years active2006–present
Notable creditManny Delgado in Modern Family
RelativesRaini Rodriguez (sister)

Early life

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Rodriguez was born in Bryan, Texas, the son of Diane and Roy Rodriguez, who owned Rodriguez Tire Service.[1] His siblings are brothers Ray and Roy Jr. and sister Raini Rodriguez, who is an actress.[2] He is of Mexican descent.[3]

Career

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Rodriguez in 2010

At age nine, he played a character in Cory in the House.[4] He later had guest appearances on the series ER,[4] iCarly,[5] Nip/Tuck, and My Name Is Earl.[6] In 2007, he appeared in the comedy film Epic Movie as the character Chanchito.[7] The movie earned a score of 2% on Rotten Tomatoes, from 66 reviews.[8] Jamie Russell of the BBC referred to it as "the most excruciating, unfunny film you'll see this year...if not your entire lifetime".[9]

In September 2009, he began playing Manny Delgado in Modern Family.[10][11] His role was said to be "crazy hard" to cast by co-creator Steve Levitan. In 2010, he said he is sometimes nothing like Manny, although he also named some similarities between them.[12] Later, in 2016, Rodriguez said he had "grown into the character", finding more in common with him.[13] For the role, Rodriguez and the cast of Modern Family were nominated eight times for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, winning four times.[14]

The same year Modern Family was released, he also appeared in a season six episode of NCIS as Travis, a boy who discovers a gun and dead body.[15] He wrote a book that was published in November 2012, titled Reel Life Lessons... So Far. Among other things, he discusses what it was like having Sofía Vergara as his character's mother on Modern Family, writing that she treats him like he were her own son.[16]

In 2015, Rodriguez played the character of Jose in Endgame, a coming-of-age film about a Mexican middle-schooler who joins a chess team.[17] It received a score of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on eight reviews.[18] Rodriguez later voiced a character named Raha in The Lion Guard, part of The Lion King franchise, which ran from 2016 to 2019.[19] The show's cast also included Modern Family co-star Sarah Hyland.[20] In 2016, Rodriguez played a parrot named Cuco in the animated film El Americano: The Movie.[21] Its director, Ricardo Arnaiz, was very pleased with the casting.[22]

Modern Family ended after eleven seasons in April 2020. He announced on Instagram that "words cannot even begin to describe the life-changing experience I have had on this show". Since then, he has made appearances as himself on The Substitute and Unfiltered, both on Nickelodeon.[23]

Personal life

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Rodriguez is a Houston Rockets fan.[24] He has described himself as an avid reader.[13]

On March 12, 2017, Rodriguez's father, Roy, died at age 52.[25]

Filmography

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Film

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Filmography: Film
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Epic Movie Chanchito
2007 Parker Kid on Playground #2 Short film
2008 Babysitters Beware Marco
2009 Opposite Day Kid Janitor
2011 The Muppets Himself Cameo
2015 Endgame Jose
2016 El Americano: The Movie Cuco Voice

Television

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Filmography: Television
Year Title Role Notes
2006–2007 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Ice cream kid prankster 10 episodes
2007 Cory in the House Rico 2 episodes
2007 ER James Episode: "Crisis of Conscience"
2007 Nip/Tuck Kid #1 Episode: "Duke Collins"
2007 iCarly Boy Riding Toy Horse Episode: "iRue the Day"
2008 My Name Is Earl Kid Episode: "Girl Earl"
2009 NCIS Travis Buckley Episode: "Hide and Seek"
2009–2020 Modern Family Manny Delgado Main role; 226 episodes
2011 Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Luigi Vendetta Voice, episode: "Luigi Vendetta"
2011 Good Luck Charlie Leo Episode: "The Bob Duncan Experience"
2012 R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour Chi Episode: "The Weeping Woman"
2012 Sesame Street Presenter 1 episode
2012 Mad Norman, Costumed Boy, Linus Van Pelt Voice, episode: "Frankenwinnie/ParaMorgan"
2014 Cyberchase Ollie Voice, episode: "The Cyberchase Movie, Part 1"
2015 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Snow-Foot Voice, episode: "The Legendary Snow-Foot!"
2015 Austin & Ally Benny Episode: "Burdens & Boynado"
2016 Chopped Junior Guest Judge Episode: "Quail Quest"
2016 Victor and Valentino Valentino Voice, pilot episode
2016 Nickelodeon's Ultimate Halloween Haunted House Himself Main role
2018–2019 The Lion Guard Raha Voice, 2 episodes[26]
2018 Double Dare Himself Contestant; episode: "Team Rico vs. Team Raini"[27]
2020 The Substitute Himself Episode: "Rico & Raini Rodriguez"
2020 Unfiltered Himself Episode: "Super Cats & Fierce Ice Cream!"

Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Work Result
2009 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Modern Family Nominated
2010 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
2010 Young Artist Award Outstanding Young Performers in a TV Series Won
2010 Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Male Breakout Star Won
2010 Imagen Award Best Supporting Actor – Television Nominated
2011 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
2011 ALMA Award Favorite TV Actor – Supporting Role in a Comedy Won
2011 Young Artist Awards Outstanding Young Ensemble in a TV Series Nominated
2011 Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Male Breakout Star Nominated
2012 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
2012 ALMA Award Favorite TV Actor – Supporting Role in a Comedy Won
2013 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
2013 Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Male Breakout Star Nominated
2014 Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2015 Image Award Best Young Actor – Television Won
2015 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2016 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Young Bryan siblings are finding success in Hollywood". The Bryan-College Station Eagle. February 18, 2009. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "Rico Rodriguez Congratulates His Sister Raini Rodriguez For Her Role in Disney's "PROM" Movie Disney Dreaming". DisneyDreaming.com. December 15, 2010. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
  3. ^ "Young Latinos in Entertainment". The Hollywood Reporter. September 18, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Butler, Jim (January 25, 2007). "Eight-year-old Bryan native hits the big screen in film parody". The Eagle.
  5. ^ Zamarripa, Raymundo (April 29, 2012). "Pubertos: la nueva generación - Teens top" [Teens: The new generation]. Top Magazine 4. Reforma (in Spanish).
  6. ^ Vickery, Colin (October 12, 2011). "The son has risen". Herald Sun. p. Switched On 3.
  7. ^ "Epic Movie". TV Guide. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  8. ^ "Epic Movie". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  9. ^ Russell, Jamie (February 7, 2007). "BBC - Movies - review - Epic Movie". BBC. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  10. ^ McNamara, Mary (September 23, 2009). "Remarry the family sitcom; 'Modern Family' makes it easy to fall in love again with a genre you thought you knew". Los Angeles Times. p. D1. ProQuest 422297018 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ "Manny (Rico Rodriguez)". American Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
  12. ^ Gray, Ellen (March 24, 2010). "'Modern's' Rico Rodriguez makes Manny his own". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Zabasajja, Jennifer (September 15, 2016). "Rico Rodriguez on "Modern Family" character: "We are the same person"". CBS News. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  14. ^
  15. ^ Crockford, C. M. (January 31, 2022). "The NCIS Episode You Forgot Modern Family's Rico Rodriguez Appeared In". Looper. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  16. ^ "'Modern Family' Star Rico Rodriguez Spills TV Secrets, Life Lessons in New Book". ABC News. November 20, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  17. ^ "Endgame". TV Guide. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  18. ^ "Endgame". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  19. ^ "Raha". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "The Lion Guard (2016)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  21. ^ "El Americano: The Movie". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  22. ^ "Estrenan primera animación coproducida entre México y EU" [The first animation co-produced between Mexico and the US has been released]. Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (in Spanish). January 15, 2016. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  23. ^ Stivale, Shelby (August 24, 2022). "What the 'Modern Family' Kids Have Been Up to Since the Show Ended". J-14. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  24. ^ Brener, Jeremy; Iko, Kelechi; Croes, Max (October 17, 2017). "TDS Tuesday: Season Opener with Modern Family's Rico Rodriguez". thedreamshake.com. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  25. ^ "'Modern Family' actor Rico Rodriguez mourns father's death". Fox News. March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  26. ^ "YAS Girl'Austin & Ally' Star Raini Rodriguez Is Officially Returning to Disney Channel". j-14.com. January 9, 2018.
  27. ^ "Double Dare – TV Guide". TVGuide.com.
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