Sofia Vergara Biography




Sofia Vergara
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Sofía Vergara
Born Sofía Margarita Vergara
July 10, 1972 (1972-07-10) (age 37)
Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia
Other name(s) La Toti
Occupation Actress/Model
Years active 1995–present
Official website

Sofía Margarita Vergara1 (born July 10, 1972) is a Colombian model, actress and entrepreneur. Since she was raised bilingual in English and Spanish, this has been an expedient in her making the transition from being a performer in Latin America in Spanish to becoming one in the United States in the English language. Dubbed "Sofia Viagra",23 Vergara was already rather well-known in North America from her modeling work, and her first notable acting job in English was in the movie Chasing Papi.

Contents

Biography

Personal life

Vergara was born in Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia.2 Her mother is a homemaker and her father produced cattle for the meat industry.45 "Toti"1 was the nickname given to Vergara by her five brothers and sisters and many cousins, including television news anchor and reporter Carlos Vergara, who works for WTVJ in Miami, Florida. She grew up in her hometown of Barranquilla and was raised in a well-off family, attending a private bilingual Spanish/English school. Vergara was married at the age of 18 to her childhood sweetheart,2 and she gave birth to her son Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara September 16, 19926 at the age of 20.4 After the break-up of her marriage, Vergara studied pre-dentistry at a university in Colombia for three years.4 Then, many opportunities arose to work in modeling and in show business, and Vergara decided to pursue these in Latin America. Soon she decided to move to Miami, Florida, to take advantage of opportunites and to move away from unrest in Colombia (her older brother7 had been murdered in 19981 during an attempt to kidnap him that went awry).4 She brought her son, mother, and sister with her.

Career

Vergara was discovered by a photographer while walking on a Colombian beach. Soon she was presented with attractive offers in modeling and television work, and she considered accepting them. Having been raised rather conservatively and religiously, this was confusing at first. According to an article in the January 2002 issue of Maxim, Vergara was "apprehensive about doing her first television commercial—until her Catholic schoolteachers gave her their personal permission to take the assignment."8 Vergara made her first appearance as a performer at the age of 17 in a Pepsi commercial that was widely broadcast in Latin America.9 In order to support her son, mother, and younger siblings who needed her financial support in the absence of her father, who had left the family, Vergara dropped out of college to earn an income.

Vergara moved to Bogotá Colombia, at the age of 20, where she worked as a model on the runway and on television. From 1995 to 1999, she was co-host with Fernando Fiore on Fuera de Serie ("Out of the Ordinary" or "Over-the-Top"), a travel series that sent her to exotic places around the world. It was telecast on the international Univision Spanish-language television network, and it made her a star in the Latin American market. It also gave Vergara television exposure in the United States via the Univision stations there. She co-hosted the Univision show A que no te atreves ("I Dare You"). She appeared as a guest star in the season-four opening of the HBO series Entourage.

Besides runway and catalog modeling work, Vergara did independent projects. She was photographed for posters and swimsuit calendars in 1998, 2000, and 2002.

Vergara is 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, and she has naturally light brown/sunbleached-blonde hair6 (for movies and television, she is sometimes asked to color it brunette to make her look more typically Latina). Vergara was under an exclusive television contract with Univision for several years, and after it expired she accepted a role with the ABC network in the United States. Vergara appeared on the ABC situation comedies Hot Properties and The Knights of Prosperity. She currently stars on the sitcom Modern Family as Gloria.

Vergara plays Alicia Oviedo in the Colombian version of the television show Desperate Housewives, which is called Amas de Casa Desesperadas. She also appears on the ABC drama Dirty Sexy Money as Jeremy Darling's love interest. Vergara has made guest appearances in the Mexican telenovela Fuego En La Sangre.

In 2002, Vergara was diagnosed and treated for thyroid cancer.2

In 2008, Vergara was 62 on Maxim's "Hot 100" list.

In 2009, Vergara had a five-week stint on Broadway as "Mama" Morton in the revival of Chicago.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c Francis Rodríguez (2008-03-21). "Sofía Vergara stars in “Meet The Browns,” strives for a lead role". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/03/21/2008-03-21_sofa_vergara_stars_in_meet_the_browns_st.html. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Sofia Vergara: Craig David hopes his sexy ex marries Tom Cruise". Sunday Mirror. 2005-03-20. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_/ai_n13460214. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 
  3. ^ "Periscope". Newsweek International. 2004-05-31. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-21442091_ITM. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 
  4. ^ a b c d Luaine Lee (2006-12-31). "Sofia Vergara gets a role she can sink her perfect teeth into". The Free Lance–Star. http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/122006/12312006/246805. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 
  5. ^ Sofia Vergara Biography (1972-)
  6. ^ a b Kathleen Mascarenas (March 2008). "Inside Sofia Vergara's Perfect World". Latino Future. http://latinofuture.com/Entetainment/FilmTV/SofiaVergara/SofiaVergaraFullArticle/tabid/1212/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 
  7. ^ Tonisha Johnson (2006). "Four Brothers: An Interview with Sofia Vergara". Gesica magazine. http://tomifilmfestival.com/film_fourbrothers_svergara.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 
  8. ^ Sofia Vergara in Maxim magazine
  9. ^ Wilson Morales (2005-08-05). "Four Brothers: An Interview with Sofia Vergara". blackfilm.com. http://www.blackfilm.com/20050805/features/sofiavergara.shtml. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 

External links

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