Sarah Hyland spent 11 seasons as Haley Dunphy on Modern Family, but for a long stretch of that run she was in an unusual spot on set. When the show began in 2009, Hyland was already a young adult, while her on-screen siblings were still kids.
That left her caught between two very different groups. She wasn’t quite in the same age bracket as the younger cast members, but she wasn’t as old as the adult actors either, which sometimes made it difficult to find someone her own age to relate to.
Sarah Hyland and the Arrival of Adam Devine
That changed when Adam Devine joined the show as Andy Bailey, the sweet and slightly hapless “manny” hired to help Jay and Gloria. Hyland has reportedly said how grateful she was to finally have someone close to her age on set, someone she could share experiences with and simply hang out with between scenes.
The two quickly developed a close off-screen friendship. They even had a surprising connection that predated the show: as we reported earlier, Devine grew up next door to Hyland’s aunt and uncle in Omaha.
From Friends to Fan-Favourite Couple
Their real-life bond translated perfectly to the screen. Haley and Andy’s slow-burn, will-they-won’t-they romance became one of the show’s most beloved storylines, and fans were thrilled when the pair finally ended up together. Devine, who was juggling Modern Family with his own series Workaholics at the time, has often spoken warmly about working with Hyland.
It’s a lovely reminder that the friendships formed behind the scenes of a long-running show can be just as meaningful as the ones viewers see on screen.
Learn more about Sarah Hyland.
Sarah Hyland: Related Reading
- Adam Devine Filmed Modern Family and Workaholics at the Same Time
- Sarah Hyland and Adam DeVine on Haley and Andy
- The Modern Family Cast Would Have Loved to Continue Beyond Season 11
For more stories like this, browse our Modern Family section.