Sofía Vergara hits back at TV host who mocked her accent in resurfaced video: "You speak better..."
'Modern Family' alum Sofia Vergara once lashed out at a male reporter who made fun of her English accent! Last year, the Colombian-American actress was seen promoting her Netflix series 'Griselda' on several talk shows. In January 2024, Vergara appeared on an episode of the Spanish talk show 'El Hormiguero' to promote her crime drama series. However, Vergara's interview with a male interviewer named Pablo Motos didn't go as planned. During the Spanish interview, Motos asked Vergara to share her experiences from her time on the beloved show 'Modern Family' in which she played the role of Gloria Pritchett.
According to Daily Mail, as Vergara was about to respond, Motos interrupted and asked her, "How do you say Modern Family?" Vergara was visibly annoyed, but she handled the question with humor and sarcasm. Vergara quipped, "I say it wrong? Oh, because you speak better English than me? Ah." At that point, Vergara's comic timing was on point. After answering the question, Vergara turned away from the interviewer, visibly displeased with his question and refusing to make eye contact.
Motos tried to get the interview back on track, but Vergara slammed him further, "How many Emmy nominations do you have in the United States?" Immediately after, the studio audience erupted in laughter as Vergara waited for Motos to respond. Motos soon mentioned that 'Modern Family' had received two nominations. Vergara then chimed in, saying, "How many times did they nominate you at the Golden Globes?" In response, Motos exclaimed, "The Golden Globes are minor awards. So they don’t matter."
Vergara took all the criticism in her stride and even shared a series of pictures from her appearance on the Spanish talk show on her Instagram page and thanked the show for inviting her. For the unversed, Vergara was once named the highest-paid actress on television. Throughout her remarkable acting career, Vergara has received four Emmy and four Golden Globes nominations for her brilliant performance in the popular ABC sitcom 'Modern Family.'
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During a 2017 interview with Hola! USA, Vergara was seen defending her character as it gained backlash due to its stereotypical characteristics, including her accent. “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… 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," Vergara told the media outlet, as per Us Weekly.
In case you're wondering, 'Modern Family' is a sitcom created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan that revolves around the lives of three diverse but interrelated families residing in suburban Los Angeles. Along with Vergara, this television sitcom also stars Ed O'Neill, Julia Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sarah Hyland, and Ariel Winter, among many others. Throughout its 11-year run from 2009 to 2020, the show has won a total of 22 Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award. At the moment, 'Modern Family' is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and Peacock.