Image Credit: Randy Holmes/ABCKids! EW recently gathered five of the most promising child stars — Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka, Let Me In’s Chloë Grace Moretz, Modern Family’s Rico Rodriguez, The Last Airbender’s Noah Ringer, and True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld — to talk shop.
Modern Family is a favorite topic of conversation these days amongst my TV-watching friends. I can’t count the number of times people have said that of all the characters, Manny is their favorite. (Cam, of course, is a close runner-up.) Twelve-year-old Rico Rodriguez, who swore up and down that he was once a very shy kid — not that anyone at the table was buying it — is a huge pro wrestling fan. He and Kiernan Shipka met for the first time years ago when they were both hired for a skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. (Back when they were just journeymen child actors.) He’s seen Avatar at least four times. If he wasn’t an actor, he thinks he’d like to be a chef, or a film editor, or a “soundtrack music dude.” And as you’ll see in the video below, he has very clear ideas of who the perfect girl for Manny would be. What does he think were a couple of the funniest scenes on the very funny Modern Family? And just how does a young star celebrate his show’s Emmy win?
For more on The Kids’ Table, check out the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, and view our bonus interview with Rico Rodrigez in the video below.
He looked so earnest when he said “We were going to go to the Olive Garden…”
Love him
“…buuuut, it got too late” lol!! I LOVE this kid! He is so adorable, I just hope Hollywood doesn’t ruin this kid. However, so far it looks like he is doing fine. I loved that one of the jobs he would want if he wasn’t an actor would be The Ghost Whisperer, “That would be fun!” lol! Gah! I love that kid!
That killed me. Totally hilarious.
It’s a tribute to Rico’s acting skills that I never think of him as one of MF’s kids (to me, the kids are the three Dunphees and Lily). He plays a grown man trapped in a adult’s body so well, I have to be reminded that he is, in fact, just a boy.
Totally agree.
His scenes with Ed O’Neill are the best. (Though I find myself enjoying his brief moments with Luke more and more.)
Agreed. I love Manny and Jay together but I think Luke is coming out of his shell more too. “I’m your mother now!” That exchange with him and Manny was great!
Loved their joint Halloween costume!
Uh, that should have been “a grown man trapped in a CHILD’s body”. Playing a grown man trapped in an adult’s body is not really a great acting challenge!
Ha! It is for someone like Channing Tatum.
(Didn’t even notice the slip-up, but that’s hilarious.)
Hey, I think I’m getting better at it…
Sure you are, Channing.
Loved when Manny was drinking a coffee a few episodes ago, and Jay asked him, “Don’t most kids drink soda?” with Manny responding “Who knows WHAT they do?”
For me that line pretty much epitomizes Manny. Great job by Rodriguez.
I know! lol! I died at that, the role was casted and written perfectly!
I find all of the children hilarious. Manny has perfect delivery, Alex’s pranks are hilarious, Luke has some funny idiotic moments, and even Hayley has her funny moments. I see some people hating on the Dunphy kids, but I think they hold their own.
I like all the kids too, in their own ways. Especially this season I think they’ll all really growing into their characters. I think Manny is the best but that’s probably because his character is just so…un-kid-like. But I love them all.
What do you mean, “even Hayley has her funny moments”? Watch her closely the next time Phil does something really embarrassing and she’s in the room. She has the BEST “Help me” glances at the camera
I love Hayley, she’s hilarious, but I only put it that way because so many people seem to not like her on message boards.
While watching The Middle last week, I couldn’t help but think the writers of the show are trying to change Brick’s personality to be more like Manny – not that they’ve successfully done so. It’s very different than the Brick character they originally presented and I just didn’t like it.
Manny’s an original – love him!
I love this kid, but I hope the other 3 child actors get the same amount of credit. The other boy is a genius at playing stupid. I mean, he’s like watching a small Vince Vaughn or Will Farrell and at that age, it’s pretty impressive.
I love Luke too. Like the scene a few episodes ago where he made the city/building out of cans or something? Then destroyed everyone. It was so funny! “They cut corners!”
No kidding. Luke is awesome, although I didn’t realize it as much at first. But he quickly grew on me, and come on…he did this perfect pratfall in the earthquake episode, and I was floored by how well he did it and how freaking hysterical it was. And I, too, loved the bit with “They cut corners!”
“I’ll cut YOUR corners!”
My friend works with Rico’s grandma and I think that is the coolest thing ever. Love his necklace too
Anyone want to start a supporting actor Emmy nomination campaign for Rico? (hopefully in a slot vacated by Jon Cryer or Chris Colfer)
I despise Manny. Something about the character just irks me, so I’m not a fan. Adore the Dunphy children, though.
A fat troll.
named Barry likes to pick on kids.
LMAO
Ah; the person with no name. Are you ashamed of your identity?
u r and idiot
It’s an NOT and.
This is a child we’re talking about. Seems like a very cruel remark.
The remark probably came from a child as well! It sounds like a pathetic school yard taunt.
Look at his picture. He’s a FAT troll.
I love MANNY!!! He’s the “Modern” Man in the making! I wish him a tremendous future. This kid will be around for a while!
that kid is a total fatt ass. hes so fat its sad….
he is so fat its gross. he better lay off the burgers hahahha
may i say that this kid is the perfect example of childhood obesity…