Before Modern Family wrapped up its 11-season run and cemented itself as one of TV’s most iconic comedies, Sofia Vergara almost walked away from it all.
Gloria Pritchett—our loud, sassy queen—almost didn’t make it through the show’s peak because life off-screen was way more dramatic than anything Gloria was dealing with.
Turns out, while Vergara was cracking us up as the ever-extra Gloria, she was this close to quitting the show for real. Why? Family health crises. “Sofía Vergara’s Heartbreaking Decision: Almost Quit ‘Modern Family’ Over Family Health Crisis – The Untold Story!” Things got so heavy at home that she found herself thinking, “Do I keep juggling my life on Modern Family? Or do I step out of the limelight to take care of what really matters?”
Yep, it was that intense. The highest-paid Latina on TV was ready to drop it all.
But let’s rewind a bit. Sofia wasn’t just battling personal struggles behind the scenes—she was also catching heat for her portrayal of Gloria. Critics were busy calling out the exaggerated accent, the over-the-top personality. Vergara, though, had no time for that noise. “Gloria is my mom and my aunt,” she said, full stop. “They’re Colombian women who love bold colors and being extra.” Mic drop.
Her role as Gloria, with all its firecracker energy, put her at the top of Hollywood’s game. Suddenly, she was the Latina actress, cashing in those checks and paving the way for other Latina stars. But when family health issues hit hard, none of that mattered. Vergara seriously thought about hitting pause on her career and walking away from the fame game.
The good news? She didn’t. Vergara powered through, making Gloria Delgado-Pritchett a TV legend. But by the time Modern Family was wrapping up in 2020, Sofia was in panic mode again. “What am I going to do next?” she wondered. After all, 11 seasons of prime-time glory are hard to top, right?
Enter: America’s Got Talent. Not exactly the next logical move for a sitcom star, but Vergara went for it. She didn’t expect to land on a reality show, but here we are. She took on the role of judge, and it turns out, she’s been loving the switch-up.
Vergara admitted the whole AGT gig felt like a gift, helping her transition out of the Modern Family bubble. Sure, she still misses the old gang—Eric Stonestreet (Cam), Julie Bowen (Claire), the whole wild bunch—but she’s found new joy on the reality stage.
From almost walking off set for good to judging on one of the biggest reality shows, Sofia’s story is anything but predictable. Family nearly pulled her away from the sitcom that made her a star, but she stuck it out, made history, and found a new chapter she never saw coming.
