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.”

DeVine, who joined the hit sitcom during its fifth season, recently told PEOPLE that recording his first scene with Vergara began awkwardly. “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 recalls.

“You’re coming in season 5. Perhaps you can improvise a little to keep folks guessing.’ And I am like, ‘All right.'”

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

“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.'”

Despite the difficult beginning, DeVine was immediately welcomed by the Modern Family cast and viewers, as his character, Andy, transitioned from Jay (Ed O’Neill) and Gloria’s nanny to Phil’s (Ty Burrell) protégé. He also became a fan favorite love interest for Sarah Hyland’s Haley Dunphy before leaving in season 7.

Though DeVine only appeared briefly in the show’s penultimate season, he remains close friends with Hyland and frequently praises 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.”

Just last month, DeVine responded to a fan’s social media complaint that Andy’s departure harmed Haley’s storyline and that DeVine’s involvement in that decision “should be considered a crime.” Jumping to his own defense, the actor blamed scheduling for impeding his potential last-minute return.

“Offense taken,” he remarked. “They tried to invite me back near the end of the episode, but I was already shooting another project. Hollywood, baby!!! Sarah is the one who rules. The show ruled, and I enjoyed being a part of it.”