Sofia Vergara reveals her favourite Modern Family moment and it’s not even in the show

Promotional poster for Modern Family | Image via ABC
Promotional poster for Modern Family | Image via ABC

When Modern Family premiered in 2009, it didn’t just launch another sitcom, it shook things up. Right from the start, it looked and felt different. The whole mockumentary approach, with characters breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience, gave it a kind of intimacy and charm that wasn’t common on network TV. It felt like you weren’t just watching a show, you were being let in on something personal.

But the real magic was in the people. There was Jay and Gloria, two worlds colliding in the best possible way. Claire and Phil, trying to keep their hectic household from falling apart. And Mitchell and Cameron, navigating parenthood with humor, heart, and a flair for the dramatic.

It was sharp, fast, and unfiltered in a way that felt real. Modern Family never tried to follow the usual sitcom formula, and maybe that’s exactly what made it stand out.

Modern Family | Image via ABC
Modern Family | Image via ABC

Gloria, in all her loud and lovable glory

Gloria Delgado-Pritchett was the kind of character who left a mark the moment she walked into a scene. Loud, unapologetic, and bursting with personality, she had a way of turning chaos into comedy, but also of stopping you cold with something unexpectedly sincere. One minute she’d have you laughing out loud, and the next, she’d hit you with a line so honest it made you see her in a whole new light.

Beneath all the dramatics and flair, there was a woman trying to find balance between cultures, between motherhood and marriage, between where she came from and where she was going. And that depth? That’s what made her unforgettable.

SofΓ­a Vergara brought all of that to life with a performance that could’ve easily leaned into stereotype, but never did. Gloria had fire, sure, but she also had heart. And that combination made her feel like so much more than a punchline. She was one of Modern Family’s brightest, boldest souls.


SofΓ­a Vergara and the role that changed everything

Before Modern Family, SofΓ­a Vergara was already building her career in the entertainment world. But it was her role as Gloria that turned her into a household name. Practically overnight, she became a fan favorite, earning award nominations and becoming one of the most recognizable faces on television.

Still, what really resonated with audiences wasn’t just her beauty or red carpet presence. It was her natural comedic timing, her fearlessness, and the way she gave even the loudest scenes an unexpected authenticity, a skill that made her an anchor for the heart and humor of the show.

Modern Family | Image via ABC
Modern Family | Image via ABC

The unscripted moment that stayed with her

When someone asked SofΓ­a Vergara about her favorite memory from Modern Family, she didn’t bring up a standout episode or an emotional finale that had everyone crying. What came to mind was something much smaller and far more personal. It didn’t involve a punchline or a dramatic arc. In fact, it didn’t even make it into the show.

It happened during one of those classic group scenes, the kind where half the cast is crammed into a room, trying to deliver their lines while the energy is completely off the rails. On that particular day, something set them off. Maybe it was a look. Maybe it was the way someone said a line. But once the laughter started, there was no coming back. They couldn’t get through the scene, not even close.

And that, for SofΓ­a, is the moment that stayed with her. No cameras rolling. No perfectly crafted joke. Just a bunch of castmates laughing so hard they couldn’t even pretend to keep it together. A pure, silly, behind-the-scenes memory, and somehow, the most meaningful of all.

Why? Because they simply couldn’t stop laughing.

As she tells it, something about the scene, maybe a line, maybe just a look, triggered a wave of laughter that none of them could hold back. Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and others were there, and every attempt to reset just made things worse. One person would break, then another, until the entire set had given up. They tried to keep it together again and again… but it was hopeless. Eventually, they had to scrap the take entirely.

For Vergara, that moment, that ridiculous, joyful collapse, captured exactly what made Modern Family so special. It wasn’t about the polished final product. It was about the people, the connection, and the kind of genuine fun that can’t be faked.

β€œIt was one of those days we just couldn’t stop laughing,”

She recalled. And that, more than anything, is the memory that stuck with her.

Modern Family | Image via ABC
Modern Family | Image via ABC

Modern Family’s long-lasting impact

It’s easy to forget just how big the show really was. At its peak, the show drew more than 12 million viewers weekly, sweeping the Emmys, including five consecutive wins for Outstanding Comedy Series. But more than its accolades, Modern Family made room on network television for stories that had been overlooked.

It gave space to nontraditional families, blended, multicultural, queer, and showed that they could be just as chaotic, funny, and loving as any classic sitcom household. It tackled real-life topics like adoption, age gaps, and identity, all while keeping the jokes coming.

Modern Family | Image via ABC
Modern Family | Image via ABC

A show people still turn to

Even years after the finale, Modern Family remains a comfort show for many. It’s endlessly rewatchable, highly quotable, and somehow still feels timely. Clips keep circulating online, and new viewers keep discovering the series through streaming. The show may have ended, but the love for it clearly hasn’t.


Some of the best moments were never in the script

SofΓ­a Vergara’s story about that day of pure, unfiltered laughter is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the most meaningful parts of a show aren’t written down. They happen in the spaces between, in the bonds formed on set, in the joy shared off-camera.

And that might just be the secret to why the show worked so well. It wasn’t just about telling funny stories. It was about a group of people who genuinely enjoyed telling them, together.

Edited by Sohini Biswas