Sofía Vergara had a very different career before landing her super successful role as Gloria Pritchett on Modern Family. Roles that ranged from gorgeous Pepsi commercials to telenovelas in Spanish.
She was born in Barranquilla, Colombia on July 10, 1972. Vergara is one of five siblings and her family nickname is “La Toti”. Her hometown is known for its colorful carnival, held in February.
She got her big break at the age of 17 when she landed the main role of a very popular Pepsi commercial in 1989:
Several years later, she continues to work for Pepsi starring in various commercials for Diet Pepsi. You may have seen her most famous one along side David Beckam, but times have changed, as Vergara told Parade magazine in 2011: “I charge them a lot more, not like the first time!”
She continued to model in her hometown of Barranquilla, mostly for photo shoots showing off oh-so-very nineties swimsuits.
That was until 1995, when she landed a gig alongside Fernando Fiore hosting “Fuera de serie”, a show where they traveled all over the world showcasing various locations for viewers. The show gave her huge exposure in the United States, since it aired in Univision. Every 90’s latino boy (or girl) remembers watching Vergara while she enjoyed the beach in a skimpy bikini. Some of us remember you too, Fernando!
Vergara then relocated to Miami in 1998 with most of her family and became host of “A Que No Te Atreves”, a game show where contestants did all kinds of weird and funny things in public for money prizes.
In 2002 the star made her English-language movie debut in the comedy “Big Trouble” alongside Tim Allen and Anne Herk, but it was her role as a cocktail waitress with a cheating boyfriend in the 2003 film “Chasing Papi” that got a her a lot more notoriety.
After her contract with Univision ended, she made her English-TV debut on the ABC sitcom “Hot Properties”, as Lola Hernandez. The show, which was about women working together in real state in New York, was cancelled after one season. The star landed a role in another ABC series a couple of years later, “The Knights of Prosperity”, but it was also cancelled after the first season. However, she also guest starred in the series “Entourage” around the same time, in 2007.
She then tried something a little different, taking a break en español to guest star in Univision’s telenovela “Fuego en la Sangre”, where she played a doctor that falls in love with the leading man, played by Eduardo Yáñez. She also took a break from TV to star on Broadway as Mama Morton in the famous play “Chicago”.
By the time 2009 rolled around, Vergara landed her life changing role as the lovable Gloria Pritchett on another little ABC sitcom, “Modern Family”. Third time was the charm, huh Sofía?
