Modern Family: 6 Times Manny Acted Like An Adult (& 4 He Was Just A Kid)

Manny Delgado often seems more mature than his adult relatives on Modern Family. Fans watched him grow up, fall in love many times, and lean on his mom Gloria maybe a bit too much.

While Manny has several scenes when he seems to understand the meaning of life, and he acts as if he’s decades older, there are many moments when he’s a sweet youngster who still has a long way to go before becoming a true adult. Manny has a unique personality that makes him so entertaining and relatable to watch on this popular sitcom.

10 Adult: Wore A Poncho To School

Jay didn’t know much about Gloria’s background and in the first season episode “Run For Your Wife,” Manny wore a Colombian poncho to school. Jay thought this was a bad idea as he didn’t want Manny to be teased.

This was a time when Manny seemed like a grown-up, as he wanted to honor and acknowledge his culture, and he didn’t care that his classmates might not understand why he made that wardrobe decision.

9 Kid: Got Scared While Watching A Horror Movie

In the season 1 episode “Travels with Scout,” Jay and Manny went to the movies. But what seemed like a sweet way for the two to bond turned into a nightmare after Manny became really scared of the horror movie.

When back at home, Manny kept getting nervous, thinking that something sinister was right outside. While Manny could drink coffee and seem very wise, this was a reminder that he was still super young and that he had many things that scared him.

8 Adult: Didn’t Enjoy The Aging The Process

Manny gave some grown-up advice, and he sometimes viewed situations like a much older person.

In the second season episode “Manny Get Your Gun,” Manny had a hard time with his birthday. He wasn’t a fan of getting older and worried that time was passing too quickly. Kids love birthdays so this wasn’t exactly how people would expect a young child to behave. Instead of enjoying the presents and cake, along with having everyone’s attention on him, Manny was worried.

7 Kid: Had A Simplistic View Of Love

Manny had several crushes and he even for a period of time liked Haley, his own relative.

Manny definitely had a simplistic view of love and relationships. He didn’t realize that if there was a big age gap between him — as a child — and his object of affection, then his feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. He also came on too strongly sometimes and didn’t clue in that his flirting skills needed some work and more time. While a lot of Manny’s personality and actions were adult, this was a time when he seemed very young.

6 Adult: Wanted To Be Rich And Talked About Living A Fancy Lifestyle

While many kids have a vague concept of what it means to be wealthy, it’s safe to say that most don’t think too much about the daily lifestyle that they lead.

Manny, however, did, and in the season 3 episode “Disneyland,” he shared that he was working on a school assignment that made him think about how rich he wanted to be in the future. He also talked about the “certain lifestyle” that he lived. Manny said, “We’re doing a stock market project in school, and today’s the last day. We all get a thousand fake dollars to invest, and as the market closed yesterday, I’m in the lead. I may not be the tallest or the most athletic, but someday I will be the richest. Which is good because the ladies love that, and I’ve grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle.” This isn’t something that many children are going to say.

5 Kid: Was Jealous Of Lily

Lily had her equally cute and harsh moments, and it makes sense that when she came into the family, Manny and Luke felt that there was competition for the youngest and most adorable relative.

In the third season episode “Virgin Territory,” Manny and Luke were frustrated that Lily was so charming and that the other family members loved her so much. They felt envious and wanted her to pay for this. But when they set up a trap involving her doll, it didn’t work out too well.

4 Adult: Drank Coffee All The Time

Manny’s love of coffee set him apart from other sitcom children and made him seem much older than he really was.

It’s rare to see a child coming into the kitchen in the morning, wearing a robe and looking for some caffeine to start the day, but this is was a typical Manny morning. He once talked about wanting black coffee because that’s how he was feeling inside, and this made him sound like a grown-up.

3 Kid: Thought The World Of His Dad

In the first season episode “Up All Night,” Manny’s father Javier visited, and like always, Manny got very excited about spending time with him.

Javier always let Manny down, but since Manny was so young, it was hard for him to expect to be disappointed. He always had high expectations and his mom always had to help him get through the aftermath. While Manny could be confusing, this was a relatable part of his character.

2 Adult: Had A Lot Of Self-Love And Compassion

In the first season episode “Come Fly With Me,” Manny told Claire that Alex probably didn’t want to wear a dress and not feel like herself. He said, “I wouldn’t give up being myself for even one second.”

Claire said, “Wow. Sometimes it’s hard to remember you’re only 10 years old.” It was definitely a smart thing for a kid to say, and Manny often acted years older than he was, as he practiced self-love and compassion. He liked who he was and that would get him through some tough times.

1 Adult: Told Jay He Wasn’t One To Play Much

In a season 2 scene, Jay and Manny had a chat, and Manny said, “Remember the days when we thought we’d live forever?” Jay asked if he wanted to go play and Manny replied, “When do I ever play?”

Jay could be selfish but he always cared about Manny and wanted to steer him on a good path in life. Often, the two characters would interact, and Jay would seem surprised by how grown-up and smart Manny sounded. This was definitely one of those times.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1742 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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