While Vergara didn't elaborate on how she made this discovery, it's safe to assume that her perception shifted when O'Neill opened his mouth to speak — not exactly a difficult conclusion to reach. To her credit, Vergara always recalls the misunderstanding with a hearty bout of laughter, so she's happily in on the joke. That said, there's something deeply "Modern Family" about imagining the finer points of the story. Maybe Vergara tested her costar by exclusively speaking in Spanish offscreen? Or, maybe O'Neill caught wind of the goof and tried to learn a little Spanish simply to get a reaction out of her.
Surely, something must have happened, even if it was just a silly prank between the two of them. Since "Modern Family" ended in 2019, Vergara and O'Neill have publically continued their witty banter. In 2020, O'Neil briefly appeared on "America's Got Talent" via video call to tease Vergara about her role as judge. Could it be a public appearances sort of thing? Maybe, but the cast of "Modern Family" always claimed to be close, so it's nice to hope.
