While she’s now spent four years as a judge on the hit NBC competition series, America’s Got Talent, there are likely few people in the world who don’t think about Sofía Vergara and have immediate images of her hilarious Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family come to mind. Vergara portrayed the scene-stealer for all eleven seasons of the comedy, and became incredibly famous for both her sense of humor and her enviable figure. The actress has now taken a very dramatic turn on screen, but she’s also gotten real about her body and looks keeping her from playing certain roles.
What Did Sofía Vergara Say About Her Appearance Keeping Her From Landing Some Roles?
Sofía Vergara has now surprised many fans who know her for her comedy work, dazzling red-carpet looks and thirst-trappy, body-baring swimsuit posts, by winning rave reviews for Griselda, the limited crime series that just debuted for those with a Netflix subscription. However, while that lead character (infamous real-life drug lord Griselda Blanco) is certainly a big departure from Gloria, Vergara recently told Spanish newspaper El País that she knows she “can’t play a scientist.” When asked if she prepared for playing Griselda by portraying Gloria, she said:
Yes. I had a huge hit with Modern Family. After the first episode, I became famous all over the world, but I’m a Latina who doesn’t look so Latina, and I don’t have the same opportunities as American actors. I’m not complaining, that would be ungrateful, I’ve done much more than I ever dreamed, but it’s harder for me to find roles. The way I look, I can’t play a scientist, or a judge. So, I decided to seek a life for myself.
Alright, before you think the multi-talented actress (who also executive produced her new series) is down on herself or her abilities as a thespian, she clarified, adding:
I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being realistic. When I started on Modern Family, 15 years ago, I still looked a lot more exaggerated than what you see now. I’m not saying there aren’t female scientists like that. But those roles are not for someone like me.
Really, I think we all know what she means, right? It’s not that she doesn’t believe she could play a scientific mastermind or an ace legal eagle, or that she doesn’t think women who look like her are in fields like that in real life, she simply recognizes that because of her looks she’s not likely to be offered such roles anytime soon. It’s not fair to anyone, but how you look and your perceived general attractiveness does impact how people see you, especially when you work in a relatively appearance-focused career like acting.
Vergara also recently admitted that “my giant boobs and my body” opened a lot of doors for her when she started out as a model and later moved on to acting, and, rightfully said that that fact doesn’t “make me feel bad” because she knows she works “harder than anyone” and has the “personality” to take the necessary risks in her career.
You can check out the recently divorced and dating in New York Vergara’s Griselda on Netflix right now.
