By Bel Hernandez Castillo
Sofia Vergara is forever in the news. Recently her pilot Killer Woman was picked up by ABC and given a series order. Emmy rumors are beginning to circulate that she will once again get an Emmy nom. Earlier this year I had the pleasure of writing an article for my good friend Alfredo Estrada’s Latino Magazine.
Excerpt Reprint from Latino Magazine
Sofia Vergara was named the $27 million dollar woman in July 2012,. As the “Highest Paid Actress in Television” Forbes topped calculated her earnings of $19 million from May 2011 to May 2012. In addition, there are lucrative endorsement deals and income derived from her multi-media company Latin World, bringing her estimated worth for 2012 to $27 million. With this and a combination of talent, beauty and rarely talked about business acumen, Vergara is the biggest crossover talent from Latin America in U.S. television history.
Although the limelight was not something Vergara sought out while growing up in Baranquilla, it found her when a photographer discovered her on the beach. Soon after, the 17 year old was shooting the Pepsi commercial that would make her a household name in Colombia. This commercial opened doors for her in the U.S. at Univision where she worked as a television host on Fuera de Serie and A Que No te Atreves for over eight years.
It was during the late 90’s that Vergara met Luis Balaguer, a Spaniard living in Miami. Together they founded Latin World, a management agency to help guide Vergara’s career. Latin World was instrumental in getting Vergara the initial roles and press to promote her in the English-language market. Later on, as Vergara’s career flourished, Latin World would open doors for the biggest stars in the Spanish-speaking entertainment world.
In 2002, Vergara landed a small, albeit memorable role, in a the Barry Sonnenfeld movie Big Trouble. Although the film was a financial failure, her “toe fetish scene” and stunning good looks put Vergara on the Hollywood radar. She soon landed a starring role in Chasing Papi alongside Roselyn Sanchez, singer Jaci Velasquez, and Eduardo Verastegui. The film flat-lined at the box-office, but for Vergara, it was a major step forward, and with Latin World behind her, she took full advantage of a chance to promote herself.
She went on The David Letterman Show, Conan O’Brien, The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn, and the Howard Stern Show and the conversation inevitably became about Vergara’s D-cup, love life and good looks. Being a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue model at the time was probably a major plus in getting booked. But Vergara wanted to introduce herself to American audiences and got the results she was looking for.
Two years later, she was offered a development deal at ABC – her introduction to English language television audience. This fall Vergara partners once again with ABC, this time as executive producer of a drama entitled Killer Women about a female Texas Ranger. Based on the Argentine series Mujeres Asesinas, Killer Women will be produced by Vergara and her Latin World partner Luis Balaguer as well as Ben Silverman (Ugly Betty) and Martin Campbell.
On film side, later this summer Vergara is the voice of Odile in The Smurfs 2. In September she appears as Desdemona in the much-anticipated Machete Kills produced and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Also releasing this year, Vergara stars as an eyeglass designer in John Turturro’s comedic film Fading Gigolo alongside the likes of Woody Allen and Sharon Stone.
Read about how every step of her career was one calculated move after another in the Latino Magazine article. Nothing was too small a detail or decision for her. Sofia Vergara knew where she wanted her career to take her and with a business partners who shared her vision and paved a model for success like few other entrepreneurs.
For the rest of the Latino Magazine $27 Million Dollar Woman, visit:
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