Spotlight On: Sofia Vergara

For anyone who has been watching the new ABC comedy sensation Modern Family, the name Sofía Vergara is already well known to you. Sofía plays the luminous Gloria Delgardo-Pritchett.

However, before crossing over to American television, in the 1990’s, Sofía was a reality television star in the Columbian travel series Fuera de Serie. Then, after a successful 4 year stint traveling all around the world to the most exotic locales, she appeared briefly hosting a reality series A que no te atreves. But as her fun-loving personality and stunning looks had begun to garner lots of attention, Sofía was quickly offered a number of film roles.

Beginning in 2002, she worked on the film Big Trouble co-starring Tim Allen, Rene Russo and Stanley Tucci, which was followed by her ground-breaking role in the film Chasing Papi. Chasing Papi was produced by Forest Whitaker with brief appearances by D.L. Hughley and Ian Gomez (a Felicity alum who now works on Cougar Town). With her career moving rapidly ahead, Sofía then filmed in quick succession the films: The 24th Day which co-starred James Marsden and Scott Speedman (another Felicity alum); Soul Plane co-starring Tom Arnold, Method Man and D.L. Hughley; Lords of Dogtown with Heath Ledger; and Four Brothers with Mark Wahlberg.

With barely a pause, Sofía then turned her sights on American television and nabbed a role on the ABC series Hot Properties, which co-starred Gail O’Grady and Stephen Dunham. Alas, the series ran only 13 episodes and Sofía returned to Columbia television in Amas de casa desesperades (the Columbian version of Desperate Housewives with Sofía playing the Mary-Alice role for that series). Simultaneously, she also worked on the ABC series The Knights of Prosperity, which co-starred Donal Logue. Once those roles concluded in 2007, she appeared briefly on the series Dirty Sexy Money as Jeremy Darling’s girlfriend and in the Mexican telenova Fuego En La Sandgre.

Sofia Vergara stars in ABC's hit comedy Modern Family

Then in 2008 and 2009, after Terry Perry discovered the Columbian comedic dynamo, Sofía appeared in his films Meet the Browns and Madea Goes to Jail. But because ABC was certain that Sofía was the magical ingredient for yet another comedy series, Sofía was cast as Gloria in Modern Family. The third time was the charm and Modern Family has not only become a break-out hit comedy series for ABC, it also won the Director’s Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series, as well as receiving Golden Globe, Screen Actor’s Guild and Writer’s Guild nominations for best comedy series.

Having finally secured a television series worthy of showcasing both her precision comedic skills and her radiant beauty, Sofía continues to shine. Her portrayal of Gloria is finely-nuanced so that the audience never forgets that she is a mother first and foremost; in fact, some of the best comedy has been in the tender moments between Rico Rodriguez II, who plays her precocious son Manny, and Sofía. Sofía is a lightening rod as the wicked combo of ravishing beauty combined with meticulous comedic timing electrifies any scene in which she appears. As Modern Family continues to earn raves and critical acclaim, Sofía will continue to dazzle us all.

Modern Family airs on Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. on ABC.