“Gloria is inspired by my mom”: When Modern Family star Sofia Vergara reacted to playing a ‘stereotypical’ Latina

When somebody is asked who their favorite Modern Family character is, Gloria often tops the list. Sofia Vergara has given such a stellar performance that she has made Gloria one of the most iconic characters on television.

She is bold, she is attractive, she is loud. But she is always ready to stand up for her family. And yes, she loves shopping. While most people love Gloria, some accuse her of being a negative stereotype of a Latina.

Sofia reacted to this criticism in an interview in 2017. She spoke to Hola! USA at the time and pointed out that she based Gloria on her mother's and aunt’s personalities. The actress further said that there is nothing wrong with a stereotypical portrayal. Here’s what she stated:

“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 color, prints and shoes.”

Sofia Vergara once responded to the criticism of Gloria in Modern Family

Sofia Vergara added that she was grateful for the opportunity to star in Modern Family. She highlighted that the show opened new doors for Latinas. Especially with her accent, she was able to play the lead in a television show, which was not the norm. Sofia remarked:

“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.”

Sofia’s comments do make sense. Gloria is not just a stereotypical Latina. There are multiple layers to her personality. She is courageous, loving, and always the life of the party. She loves her husband and children and stands by her close ones in their difficult times. Gloria also tries to bond and eventually forms a close relationship with her step-children, Claire and Mitchell, who are almost the same age as her.

All this makes her one of the fan favorites on Modern Family. Sofia played the role in all 11 seasons of the ABC sitcom between 2009 and 2020. She earned five Emmy nods for her performance while the show was on-air.

Before Modern Family, the actress had appeared in shows like Amas de Casa Desesperadas, The Knights of Prosperity, and Hot Properties. After the sitcom’s end, she played the titular role in the Netflix series Griselda. With the crime drama, Sofia proved her versatility as she went from playing a trophy wife to a dangerous drug lord.

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Apart from Sofia, Modern Family starred Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett, Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett, Ty Burrell as Philip Dunphy, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker, Sarah Hyland as Haley Dunphy, Ariel Winter as Alex Dunphy, Rico Rodriguez as Manny Ramirez Delgado, Nolan Gould as Luke Dunphy, and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons as Lily Tucker-Pritchett.

For more interesting features about Modern Family, stay tuned to Soap Central.

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