How a Colombian dental student became one of the world's most successful television stars

Cultures · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before she was a household name, Sofía Vergara was studying dentistry in Colombia. A chance discovery on a beach launched a modeling career that eventually led her to Hollywood. Today, she is a powerhouse entrepreneur and the first Latin American-born woman to receive a lead acting Emmy nomination.

Born in Barranquilla in 1972, Vergara initially pursued a degree in dentistry at the National University of Colombia. Her trajectory shifted when a photographer spotted her on a beach, leading to early work in Latin American television commercials. Following the 1998 murder of her brother in Colombia, she relocated to Miami, where she built a career as a presenter for the Spanish-language network Univision. This foundation in Latin media eventually propelled her into English-language film and television.

Vergara achieved global recognition through her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the sitcom Modern Family, which aired from 2009 to 2020. Her performance earned her multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. In 2024, she reached a historic milestone with her portrayal of Griselda Blanco in the Netflix series Griselda. This role, which she found deeply personal due to her own family's history with cartel violence, made her the first woman born in a Latin American nation to be nominated for an Emmy in the lead acting category for a limited series.

Beyond acting, Vergara has cultivated a significant business empire. She has served as a brand ambassador for major companies like CoverGirl, Pepsi, and Head & Shoulders, and has launched her own lines of fashion, furniture, and beauty products. Her career is marked by both professional resilience and personal challenges, including a thyroid cancer diagnosis at age 28 and high-profile legal battles regarding frozen embryos. Despite these hurdles, she remains a dominant force in American entertainment, balancing her work as a judge on America's Got Talent with her ongoing entrepreneurial ventures.

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