Adam DeVine was told to 'stick to the script' on “Modern Family” after confusing Sofia Vergara with improv

"Hey, remember when we said you could improv? Let's not do that anymore."

Adam DeVine was more than ready to show off his improv skills on Modern Family — until he was shot down by Gloria Pritchett herself, Sofia Vergara.

DeVine, who joined the hit sitcom during its fifth season, recently told PEOPLE that he got off to an awkward start when filming his first scene with Vergara.

"I remember when they hired me, Steve Levitan, who's one of the creators and producers, he was like, 'We want you to be the breath of fresh air,'" DeVine recalled. "'You're coming in season 5. Maybe you can improv a little and keep people on their toes.' And I'm like, 'All right.'"

But when the actor put the "fresh air" philosophy into action, the results were far from ideal.

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"It was the first scene, I go in and I improv a little something with Sofia Vergara," DeVine said. "I remember she just had a blank [expression] and looked over to the producer village where all the producers sit, and she just goes, 'What?' She was so confused by what the hell I was doing because it wasn't part of the script."

Naturally, this led Levitan to alter his advice. As DeVine tells it, "Steve comes over to me and was like, 'Hey, remember when we said you could improv? Let's not do that anymore. Let's stick to the script.'"

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Despite the awkward start, DeVine was quickly embraced by Modern Family's cast and fans alike, as his character, Andy, went from being Jay (Ed O'Neill) and Gloria's nanny to becoming Phil's (Ty Burrell) protégé. He also became a fan-favorite love interest for Sarah Hyland's Haley Dunphy, prior to his season 7 departure.

Though DeVine only briefly returned for the show's penultimate season, he remains good friends with Hyland and constantly speaks highly of her.

"I talk with Sarah quite a bit," he said. "And I'll throw a party every Fourth of July, and she comes to those, and we go to each other's birthday parties when we're in town, and she's a good friend."

He also pointed out that they recently reunited for his Pitch Perfect spinoff show, Bumper in Berlin, and said they're "always looking for ways" to reconnect.

"I call Rebel [Wilson] my work wife," he said, referring to their time as love interests in the Pitch Perfect franchise. "But Sarah's also my work wife."

Related: Modern Family star Nolan Gould remembers thinking his TV sister Sarah Hyland was 'old'

Just last month, DeVine responded to a fan's complaint on social media that Andy's exit ruined Haley's storyline and that DeVine's part in that decision "should be considered a crime." Jumping to his own defense, the actor said scheduling was to blame, as it got in the way of his potential last-minute return.

"Offense TAKEN," he quipped. "They wanted to bring me back towards the end of the show but I was already shooting another project. Hollywood baby!!! Sarah rules. The show ruled and I loved being a part of it."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.