The duo, who co-starred on Modern Family, reunited for Peacock’s new original series, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin—premiering Nov. 23. “We love working with each other,” Devine told Parade.com in an exclusive interview. “I think a lot of Modern Family fans were kind of sad at how our characters didn’t get together at the end of that series, so this is like a fun way for them to get a little more of us together.” The spinoff series from the Pitch Perfect movie franchise is set several years after fans last saw Devine’s character (Bumper Allen) and follows him as he moves to Germany to pursue his dream of becoming a star. Bumper in Berlin also showcases Hyland’s incredible pipes as she plays Heidi, a fellow American in Germany who aspires to be a singer-songwriter. Working on the series was a “pitch-perfect fit” for Hyland. “It was really a dream to be a part of the Pitch Perfect world,” Hyland admitted to Parade.com. “I know that that is such a big deal. And I take it very seriously and I’m very honored to be a part of it.” From chances they’ve taken to what they would like to accomplish, continue reading for more from Parade.com’s interview with Adam Devine and Sarah Hyland.
What was it like to reunite and sing together in Bumper in Berlin?
Devine: It was so fun. We love working with each other. I think a lot of Modern Family fans were kind of sad at how our characters didn’t get together at the end of that series. And so this is like a fun way for them to get a little more of us together. And also show how insanely talented Sarah is with a lot of the music and the dancing and stuff that you might not know that she’s as incredible at.
How about for you Sarah? Your voice is incredible.
Hyland: Oh, thank you. I was just so thrilled to be working with Adam again. Love him as a human being, an even a bigger fan of his work, and so it was just the pitch-perfect fit. I really love singing and I’ve sung my whole life and I’ve done theater, so I wanted to work with Adam again and I wanted to sing and it just timed up perfectly.
This is your first show since Modern Family. What was special about this one? Why was this the one to make the return to TV?
Hyland: Ah-dam! It was Adam and singing… [Laughs] That was it. I mean Megan Amram, our showrunner, is so amazing at what she does and I’m such a fan of hers. And then, of course, you have Jameela [Jamil] and Lera [Abova] and Flula [Borg]. We all just had such a fun time, and I just had this sense that it was going to be fun to shoot. I knew that it would be because of Adam, but then meeting everybody else. It was really a dream and to be a part of the Pitch Perfect world, I know that that is such a big deal. And I take it very seriously and I’m very honored to be a part of it. Julia Terjung/Peacock
Like Bumper, can you both think of a time when you took a chance and it paid off in the end? That you were like, “This was the best decision.”
Devine: It would be a big misstep if I didn’t say marrying my wife Chloe [Bridges]. Hyland: Aw! Devine: It’s paying off! Beyond that, I think just making that big leap because I did, much like my character Bumper—when I was 18 years old I moved to California to start doing comedy and to start acting. I didn’t know anyone in Southern California and I just sort of moved in the naive hope that it would all work out, and here we are almost 20 years later, and it has. So, follow your dreams kids. They’ve got to work out for somebody, so it might as well be you.
Love that. How about you Sarah?
Hyland: I was gonna say the same thing of me moving to L.A. like a month after I turned 18. My show had been canceled in New York and I was like, “If I don’t book anything in the next two months of being in L.A. I guess I’ll go to college.” And I booked Modern Family and that really was a massive, crazy change in my life. And then, of course, just being a fan of The Bachelor and just finding my husband [Wells Adams] on TV. There we go. Devine: You were like, “That one!”
I love the message of the show that it’s never too late to follow your dreams or go after what you want. Is there something either of you haven’t done or haven’t accomplished yet that you want to go after?
Hyland: So much! Julia Terjung/Peacock Devine: Yeah, a lot of for me. I haven’t had a chance to do much, not that I want to be Daniel Day-Lewis and do like these crazy period pieces, but I’d like an opportunity to do something a little more dramatic and beyond that, you know, I’ve produced a lot and I’ve been the creative force behind a lot of things that I’ve done, but I haven’t directed beyond a few episodes of television. So I would like to start to direct more and do some something a little more dramatic. Hyland: I have so much that I want to accomplish. I mean, I think to be able to sum it all up in a sentence for timing’s sake, I want to be a woman who is successfully capable of balancing. What I just want to do is balance my work and my personal life and be able to have two successful things, which I believe is possible. A lot of people say that you have to decide as a woman, and I just I won’t conform to that. It’s possible. We’ve seen it done before. I want to do so much with my career, but I also want to be very attentive to my family. Devine: I think you can do it, Sarah. I believe. Hyland: Thank you! This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Next, Sarah Hyland and Adam Devine will be appearing in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Find out who else will be making an appearance.
