Before becoming Gloria Pritchett in ABC's hit comedy "Modern Family" and
TV's highest paid actress three years in a row, Sofía Vergara had a very different life.
Vergara made her debut in the entertainment industry in her native Colombia with a sexy Pepsi commercial at the age of 17. From swimsuit photo shoots to motherhood and soap operas to failed ABC sitcoms, the star has been keen to dip her feet into a variety of areas.
The actress was born
Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara on July 10, 1972. Vergara is one of five siblings, among whom she's known as
"La Toti."
She was born and raised in Barranquilla, a city on Colombia's coast known for their lively and colorful carnival in February. Two years ago, Vergara shared a photo of herself at the
annual event as a young girl.
After high school, the
Colombiana began studying dentistry but dropped out after a modeling scout approached her at a beach. Vergara's first big break came starring in a very sensual Pepsi commercial at 17. Over two decades later, Vergara continues to work with Pepsi and has starred in
several commercials for Diet Pepsi.
I charge them a lot, not like the first time!" the star
told Parade in 2011.
A year later, Vergara
married her high school sweetheart Joe Gonzalez. Take a look at the
18-year-old bride above. The couple had son Monolo shortly after but divorced in 1993. According to Manolo's web series
"My Life With Toty," his parents remain very close.
Vergara moved to Miami and a year later began working on
the travel show "Fuera de Serie" or "Out of the Ordinary." Along with co-host Fernando Fiore, the two traveled around the world and gave viewers a glimpse of dozens of exotic locales. On the show, the model was often seen showing off her body in bikinis at the beach or
while getting mud massages.
The gig gave her exposure in the United State's Spanish-language market because it was aired on Univision.
Vergara
relocated most of her family
to Miami in 1998, two years after her older brother Rafael was killed in a failed kidnapping attempt. His death was unresolved.
We come from a successful family, and he knew he was a target for kidnapping, Vergara said,
according to FOX news. He always had bodyguards. Then one day he went out alone and was shot dead. I was devastated.
Once in the United States, the model became a TV host on Univision's reality show "A Que No Te Atreves," where contestants were made to do wacky things in public.
When she was 28, Vergara was
diagnosed with thyroid cancer during a doctor's appointment for her son Manolo. The physician touched the actress' throat and told her it was abnormal and should get a check-up. A biopsy did in fact confirm it was cancerous and the star underwent surgery to get her thyroid removed.
Since then, Vergara was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and takes medication to keep it under control. Today, she talks about her medical history as a spokesperson for "Follow The Script," which raises awareness for hypothyroidism.
"I got rid of the cancer and then for me it was, Oh shoot, now I have to live with this condition my whole life," the star told
HuffPost in 2013. "I have to be on medication my whole life and I dont have a thyroid.' So, of course I had to make myself realize what was going on with my body and I have to say in the past ten years, I never had a problem. Im very very straight with the way I try to do what the doctor says and I go to my doctor religiously and get my blood tests."
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