Pepper Saltzman Became Modern Family's Best Supporting Character In Just 10 Episodes

Despite only appearing in 10 episodes, Pepper Saltzman — Mitch and Cam’s friend, played by the great Nathan Lane — is Modern Family’s best supporting character by far. Modern Family was a marvel of sitcom writing, purely for its ability to give a dozen major characters their own fleshed-out storyline every single week, and there were even more side characters on top of that.

Throughout Modern Family’s 11-season run, it had no shortage of great supporting characters to draw on. Fred Willard was always hilarious and heartwarming as Frank Dunphy, Manny’s biological father Javier was both charming and infuriating, and Gil Thorpe was a delightful arch-nemesis for Phil. But Pepper blows them all out of the water.

Pepper Saltzman Stole The Show In Just 10 Episodes Of Modern Family

Pepper is Mitch and Cam’s friend who throws themed brunches, goes through several outfit changes on a given day, and is so rich that he’s completely out of touch with reality. He’s overdramatic, even by Cam’s standards; he’s condescending, constantly talking down to his less wealthy friends; and he’s extremely sensitive.

Lane is a treasure, and he had so much fun with all these character traits. Whether he was flamboyantly throwing a cape over his shoulder or tripping on a soccer ball or lashing out in the face of a hard truth, Lane threw himself into every single scene as Pepper, and he was always a joy to watch.

Pepper made any episode of Modern Family better just by showing up. Lane nailed the delivery of every one-liner and the physicality of every slapstick gag. He stole the show every time he appeared, whether he was arranging a date with a drunken Jay or stringing Phil along in the sale of his house as a backdoor to a friendship.

Mitch & Cam's Wedding Storyline Gave Pepper A Chance To Shine

In 2013, same-sex marriage was legalized in California, so the next season of Modern Family — season 5 — began with Mitch and Cam proposing to each other. Throughout the season, they planned their dream wedding, and in the two-part finale, they finally got married. This storyline gave Pepper a chance to shine, because Mitch and Cam hired him as their wedding planner.

If you thought Pepper was a diva before, it got so much worse when he was put in charge of a wedding. This culminated in the actual wedding day, where Pepper weathers one disaster after another on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Modern Family had a lot of great characters, but none as funny or as memorable as Pepper.