Sofia Vergara: 'I Don't Know Why People Think Stereotypes Are So Terrible'
Sofia Vergara currently stars on the hit series "Modern Family," playing a flamboyant version of a Colombian wife and mother. In a recent interview, Vergara asked why stereotypes are so bad and described her own journey from Colombia to Hollywood.
Vergara was 29 when she received a phone call to audition for "Big Trouble" in 2001, and she said she initially had no plans of acting, let alone staying in the U.S.
"I really had no interest in being an actress, but I wanted to see what happened. I got the part and I liked it and said, 'Maybe I can do this. I'll stay here six months, one year, and see what happens.' Twelve years later, I haven't left," Vergara told The Wrap.
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"I knew I could be funny, because I was always making my friends laugh. But I didn't think I was going to be in a super-successful sitcom being funny," Vergara confessed.
"Modern Family" was an instant hit and continues to be a huge success across the nation. Vergara has flourished thanks to the popularity and has signed endorsement deals with such giants as Pepsi and Cover Girl.
"I am an immigrant in this country; I have an accent; I'm Colombian; I have a child from a previous marriage. So it [the character on "Modern Family"] was created around me. But now they have Google, so they don't really need to ask me, 'What is a Colombian dish or a Colombian hat?' They just go and Google it," Vergara said.
"I don't know why people think stereotypes are so terrible. I am Gloria, my mother is Gloria, my aunts are Gloria. It might be a stereotype, but I think the character is fantastic. She's colorful, she's honest, she's out there, she cares about people. She's loud, but I am loud. She's crazy, but I am crazy. It's not a problem," she added.
Vergara is next set to star in "Machete Kills," "Fading Gigolo," "Heat," and "The Smurfs 2." Even with all of her fame and fortune, Vergara remains grounded and knows that she is a role model for young Latina women.
"I try to be myself, because there's a lot of people that are watching," Vergara said.
