Actress Sofía Vergara is known for her eleven-year stint on the ABC sitcom Modern Family, making her a household name. The model-turned-actress was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the trophy wife Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the popular sitcom.
After suffering a tragedy back home, Vergara emigrated from Columbia to the United States. The incident seems to haunt the actress even today as she has brought it up multiple times during interviews and her stint on the talent show America’s Got Talent. In an interview with Parade, Vergara revealed that her brother was killed during an attempted kidnapping.
Sofía Vergara’s Life Before Modern Family
Actress Sofía Vergara is now known for her role as Gloria in the popular sitcom Modern Family. Before she became a household name, however, Vergara was a model in her native country of Columbia. She was reportedly first discovered by a photographer on the beach where she was offered to star in a commercial for Pepsi.
After she was given permission by her Catholic School teachers, Vergara pursued her modeling career and grew quite famous. She mentioned that her family was quite well-known in the town and that she came from an influential lineage.
Vergara mentioned that she initially wanted to study in medical school, but her husband dissuaded her from doing so. She revealed to Parade Magazine,
“What I was really interested in was medical school, but my husband and everyone said, ‘You’re a woman trying to have a family. You can’t be a doctor on call.’ The next best thing was dental school.”
Despite being famous for her popular Pepsi commercial, Vergara mentioned that she wanted to pursue dentistry and that life somehow brought her into the entertainment industry. She separated from her husband and college sweetheart José González, with whom she has a son Manolo.
After her divorce from González, she moved to Miami to pursue a hosting gig. She left her country hoping for a better life for herself and her son. Vergara began to get a few roles and received her big breakthrough with Modern Family.
Sofía Vergara Is Still Haunted By A Family Tragedy
Sofía Vergara has mentioned multiple times how a particular incident had haunted her and her family for years. She has brought up the death of her older brother Rafael on multiple occasions, especially during her stint on the reality TV show America’s Got Talent.
In 1998, when Sofía Vergara was hosting TV shows and was a model, a tragedy struck the family which made her take them to the United States and make them live with her. She revealed that her brother Rafael was killed during an attempted kidnapping. She said,
“We come from a successful family, and he knew he was a target for kidnapping. He always had bodyguards. Then one day he went out alone and was shot dead [in a kidnapping attempt]. I was devastated.”
Vergara mentioned that the death of her brother was a nightmare and that her family took years to accept the event. Her younger brother Julio reportedly did not deal with loss well and resorted to alcohol and substance abuse to cope with his brother’s death. Julio was deported to Columbia after he was arrested.
