Sofia Vergara: Why can’t I portray a stereotype?
Sofia Vergara isn’t worried if she portrays a stereotype.
The 44-year-old actress – who stars as Gloria Pritchett-Delgado in ‘Modern Family’ – gets "upset" when fellow Latinos complain about her character as she is "grateful for the opportunity" to represent Latino women on television.
In a joint interview with husband Joe Manganiello for HOLA! USA magazine, she explained: "What’s wrong with being a stereotype? Gloria’s character is inspired by my mom and my aunt. They are both Latin women who grew up in Colombia, like me. They love colour, prints and shoes …
"It upsets me when Latinos complain about Gloria. I am grateful for the opportunity because the gringos have let me in with this strong accent I have. Eight years ago nobody had an accent like this on television."
Meanwhile, Sofia previously insisted she is too pretty to play an "ordinary girl".
She said: "I realised that having a good figure was an advantage on TV and getting attention and publicity.
"But it also means you can’t play more normal kinds of roles. I can’t just play an ordinary girl. So I try to find roles which will let me capitalise on my looks and my personality and advance my career that way."
And Sofia – who is now happily married to her second husband Joe Manganiello – admits she may have rushed into her first marriage to Joe Gonzalez because she wanted to avoid the attention of other men.
She added: "When I was a teenager I was skinny but with big boobs. Everybody stares at you and of course every man is after you. It was a relief for me when I met my (first) husband and then I didn’t have to deal with being chased as much. I am very comfortable with my appearance and I am not worrying about wrinkles. I think if a woman stays fit and lives a healthy lifestyle then she can project beauty no matter what her age."
