Modern Family star Rico Rodriguez is barely recognisable these days, 16 years after soaring to fame.
The actor played Manny Delgado on the beloved sitcom between 2009 and 2020, starring alongside the likes of Sofia Vergara and Sarah Hyland.
He was nominated for and won several awards for the role, including four screen actors guild awards.
Manny also starred in Nickelodeon and Disney shows iCarly, Cory in the House and Good Luck Charlie, and more recently appeared as himself in The Substitute and Unfiltered.
His first role had come on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2006, where he was a ‘kid prankster’, before his starring role as Manny three years later.
But the now-26-year-old looks worlds away from his breakout role.
Rico was pictured on Wednesday at the premiere of Cobra Kai’s final season, alongside his twin sister, fellow actress Raini Rodriguez.
He’d swapped his short hair for longer curls, and wore glasses, sporting a beard too.
Dressed in a denim jacket and looking all grown up, he looked nothing like his 11-year-old self when he first appeared as Sofia’s character Gloria’s onscreen son.
When Modern Family came to an end in 2020, Rico shared a lengthy post explaining how ‘life-changing’ his time on the programme had been, ‘growing up before everyone’s eyes’.
He said: ‘When I was 9 years old, I started work on a pilot called “My American Family”. As an actor, you go through a long process for a job. Class after class, audition after audition, just hoping to get that right opportunity in front of the right casting director so you can show them your skills.
‘Filming the pilot, then all of season one of what we now know as “Modern Family”, I knew we were working on something special. I could feel it.
‘Coming to work every day with my cast and crew never actually felt like work, it felt more like hanging out with my extended family. 11 years later and here we are airing our final episodes tonight.
‘Words cannot even begin to describe the life changing experience I have had on this show. I have, quite literally, grown up right before everyone’s eyes.
‘Starting @abcmodernfam, Manny was someone who was very opposite to myself, but overtime our personalities have rubbed off on each other. Our fan base here and around the world is something I appreciate so much.
‘A big reason why I loved working on this show, was the family atmosphere on and off the camera. We are showcasing something that will forever be relatable, family. When fans come up to me and say “can I hug you? I feel like you’re my son, or nephew, or cousin.”
‘It makes me laugh, because that’s what our show’s true message has always been. Family.’
In recent posts, fans can’t believe how grown up he is, with one writing on Instagram: ‘No matter what, you’re still Manny in my eyes.’
‘This is what manny looks like now???!!’ @vincentshann said, with several others commenting he looks ‘different’.
@briloveslola added: ‘When did you grow up so fast.’
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