'AGT' judge Sofía Vergara couldn't stop screaming after special cameo from 'Modern Family' co-star
Before gracing the judging panel of 'America's Got Talent,' Sofia Vergara ruled fans' hearts with her iconic character of Gloria Pritchett on 'Modern Family.' Although the show concluded in 2020, its cast remains close-knit, frequently reuniting and supporting each other. In a surprising turn of events, Vergara was left surprised when her 'Modern Family' husband, Ed O'Neill, made an unexpected appearance on 'AGT, making for an iconic TV moment.
Back on August 27, 2020, during a live 'America’s Got Talent' Q&A, host Terry Crews was surprised by a special guest, who was none other than Vergara's 'Modern Family' co-star O'Neill, who popped up via video call from Hawaii. Seeing O'Neill, Veragra couldn't hide her excitement as she started screaming. "Oh, my husband!" Vergara exclaimed sweetly. She further said, "Where are you? I miss you so much!" as per Yahoo Entertainment. O'Neill playfully teased Vergara, asking, "How did you manage to get the dream job you've always wanted, where you get to sit the entire time and someone else does all the work?"
Vergara replied with a grin, "I don't know, Ed. God always is so good to me." She then joked that she hasn't "fallen down" on the job yet, referencing her frequent stumbles on the 'Modern Family' set. O'Neill laughed, saying, "You guys have never seen her fall — it's like a puppet and somebody cuts the strings straight down." O’Neill then sent well-wishes to Simon Cowell following his back injury, which made Howie Mandel joke, "Unlike Sofia, when [Simon] falls, it's a bigger deal." With fill-ins like Kelly Clarkson and Kenan Thompson stepping in recently, Vergara playfully pleaded, "Come back!" suggesting O'Neill could join as a guest judge if he returns from Hawaii.
This is not the only time when Vergara reunited with her 'Modern Family' co-star on 'AGT.' During a performance with Season 16 winner Dustin Tavella in 2022, she got a heartwarming surprise when Sarah Hyland made an unexpected appearance. The emotional reunion happened live on stage, with Hyland hugging Vergara as the audience erupted in cheers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I luv u," Vergara later tweeted, tagging Hyland. Both actresses looked stunning for the occasion, with Hyland looking ravishing in a red one-shoulder cocktail dress and Sofía in a strapless white bustier with a black skirt and diamond necklace.
Talking about her decision to join 'America's Got Talent' after the ending of 'Modern Family,' Vergara expressed her excitement, as she said, "Super excited! Something completely different from what I thought I was going to do after 'Modern Family.' I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do something different after 10 years of such a fantastic TV show. I didn’t think I was going to get something like that, but I think it's better to mix it up for a while."
Vergara further added, "I think I am going to have a lot of fun. I've been watching the show for a long time, and it looks like the judges have so much fun — like the contestants," as per Extra. Vergara also shared her admiration for Cowell, saying, "He's super nice," and expressed pride in being the first Latina judge on the show, saying, "I am very excited I am the first Latina... on the show — that's very exciting."