Sofia Vergara is a highly acclaimed Colombian-American actress, model, and businesswoman. She rose to international fame for her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the hit television series “Modern Family.”
With her stunning beauty, infectious personality, and comedic timing, Sofia has become one of the most recognizable faces in the Entertainment industry.
Her path to success is long and winding. Vergara has worked hard over the years, overcoming serious challenges in her life. It’s not unfair to say there is more to her than meets the eye.
#1 Sofia Vergara felt insecure about her body
The former model was tested for her height in school. Her classmates weren’t actually nice about her hourglass figure.
So, that’s why her childhood was full of being unconfident. The “Modern Family” star confessed that she had a tough time when being called “toothpick” by her classmates.
She said, “In my culture, a skinny girl has nothing going on, … So I was very scared, always concerned that I was never gonna … fill up, you know, all those fabulous outfits that my mother had … I would never even wear skirts or anything because I thought I was too skinny.”
#2 The fame came to her as a happy accident
As a teenager, Sofia Vergara got much attention for her skinny frame. The way she entered the entertainment industry sounds like a daydream but it was true.
She was discovered by a modeling scout while walking on a beach in Colombia. She quickly accepted offers of modeling and television work.
She was “apprehensive about doing her first television commercial—until her Catholic schoolteachers gave her their personal permission to take the assignment.
She ended up doing the commercial but it didn’t release until after she graduated. Shortly after, she headed to Miami, and her star power only continued to grow.
#3 The star became a single mom when being a teenager
The Colombian-born actress got married to Joe Gonzales at age 18 and a year later, they welcomed their son. However, the marriage just lasted 2 years and Vergara became a single mom, raising her son.
However, her son became her motivation to reach success. In an interview with Coveteur, she shared:
“I was a single mother very early, and what made me wake up every day, what made me be responsible, was that I had the motivation that I needed to make money, to give my son all the things that I thought that he needed.”
A good education, a great college, good healthcare, to have money to send him abroad to get cultured — I wanted all those things for my son.”
Today, her son, Manolo is all grown and still very close with his mom.
#4 She got a dreadful diagnosis
At the age of 28, Vergara was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She had her thyroid removed, underwent radioiodine therapy, and made a full recovery.
However, the health problems didn’t stop there. After the surgery, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a condition she’s had to manage ever since.
She comfortably shared the tough time in interviews
“At the beginning when I had cancer, I thought, ‘I’m going to eat everything organic, everything healthy,” she explained.
“I did become a little crazy, but after three months I realized this is so exhausting!” She added, “It was insane, like having shots of spinach, I mean crazy! So I tried to do healthy things, but not [get] crazy.”
#5 Vergara rose the storm
After years of working as a model and playing small roles, she landed the role ò Gloria on “Modern Family” for which she became a movie star.
She has consistently worked all time even after she became a household name. It took her first 6 years working overtime, “I worked like an animal. I wanted to take advantage of my 15 minutes of fame because you never know.”
“Modern Family” might have ended, but it doesn’t look like Vergara’s fame is going anywhere anytime soon.
#6 Sofia Vergara found her true love
Sofia Vergara was too busy when being swept into the maelstrom of working hard, raising her kid, and handling her health problems. She had no time to date. Fortunately, after years of putting herself first, she met her one and only, Joe Manganiello, in 2014.
Joe fell in love with her when seeing her at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. At that time, the actress was engaged to Nick Loeb. When Vergara and Loeb split a few weeks later, Manganiello made his move. Within six months, they were engaged, and by November 2015, they got married.
In an interview with Hola! USA, she said, “He is so funny and ever since we met, that has been really important, … We even talk to each other all the time in this little voice that we made up, like a couple of dorks. Whoever heard us, would say, ‘What’s their problem?’”
She released that he said, “You know, one of the things that draws me so much to you is that you were, like, the first woman [who] I went out with that is really, really, like, independent.”
