While it’s been four years since Modern Family came to an end and it ranks as one of the best sitcoms of all time, fans are still not over the potential that Adam DeVine’s Andy Bailey could have had. When the Pitch Perfect star joined the ABC sitcom in Season 5 as Jay and Gloria’s male nanny, or “manny,” and later a Realtor assistant, he quickly became a fan-favorite, especially when he was dating Haley. However, it wasn’t always so easy, as DeVine had an awkward first day of filming with Sofia Vergara that came with a strict note from an EP.
DeVine recurred on Modern Family for Seasons 5-7 and made a brief appearance in Season 9. Even though it’s been 11 years now since he made his debut on the sitcom, he still vividly remembers how the experience started. He spoke to People about his time on the show, recalling what co-creator and executive producer Steve Levitan told him about the dialogue:
On Modern Family. It was such a tightly scripted show. The dialogue was super fast paced. I remember when they hired me, Steve Levitan, who's one of the creators and producers, he was like, 'We want you to be the breath of fresh air. You're coming in season 5. Maybe you can improv a little and keep people on their toes.’
Some shows and films rely on improv, and it can make certain scenes feel all the more real. Considering just how hilarious and relatable Modern Family was, it’s not surprising that one of the first notes from Levitan was to improv to try something fresh five seasons in. However, it doesn’t always work out as intended, as DeVine revealed just how downhill things went and the unpleasant reaction he got from Vergara:
And I'm like, 'All right.' It was the first scene, I go in and I improv a little something with Sofia Vergara. I remember she just had a blank [expression] and looked over to the producer village where all the producers sit, and she just goes, ‘What?’ She was so confused by what the hell I was doing because it wasn't part of the script.
It sounds as awkward as I can possibly imagine, and it’s not the first impression that DeVine wanted to make on his first day. While improv is not unusual in some productions, it's not a fit for all shows. The Workaholics vet shared another note that Levitan told him following the debacle, and he learned an important lesson:
Steve comes over to me and was like, ‘Hey, remember when we said you could improv? Let's not do that anymore. Let's stick to the script.’ So I think it taught me just the fast pace of sitcom acting and how it's kind of a different beast and super fun to do.
Considering Adam DeVine managed to stick around for a few seasons and nearly had a permanent on-screen relationship with a main character, his first day didn’t make a bad impression, which is good. Plus, he also learned a lot and got to know just how sitcoms work. The more he was on the show, he probably started to pick up on the dos and don’ts of scripted comedy acting.
DeVine did likely use what he was taught for the Pitch Perfect spinoff, Bumper in Berlin, on Peacock. The series only lasted a season, despite initially being renewed for Season 2. Regardless, the notes that he got from Modern Family left an impact, and he now knows that improv may not always be the best direction. At the very least, his awkward first day didn’t seem to matter much when it came to his future on the series, and fans with a Hulu subscription can watch his Modern Family appearances.