Sofia Vergara’s Best Modern Family Moments as Gloria: Quotes

Long before she joined the panel of judges on America’s Got Talent and starred in the intense Netflix crime drama Griselda, Sofía Vergara enamored audiences around the world with her portrayal of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett for 11 seasons on sitcom phenomenon Modern Family. Gloria was the strong-willed, passionate younger second wife of the show’s patriarch, Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill), and Vergara earned Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for her work on the series. We took a look back at just a few of our favorite Gloria moments and quotes throughout the iconic series, and were instantly reminded of just how much we love Vergara!

What has Sofia Vergara said about her ‘Modern Family’ character?

In a recent Hollywood Reporter roundtable interview with fellow Hollywood icons Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Jodie Foster, Brie Larson, Anna Sawai and Naomi Watts, Vergara reflected on her time playing Gloria, as well as her early career. She revealed that she lied to her agents when she first moved to Los Angeles, claiming she could dance and sing, which actually led her to a lead role in Broadway’s Chicago, and even hired dialect coaches to help get rid of her Spanish accent because she thought it would help her land more roles! She admitted that this endeavor turned out to be a “waste” of time and money, as she eventually came to realize her accent was “beautiful.” Of course, Gloria’s Latin heritage, culture and her journey acclimating to a new American family were a massive point of appeal for the character and her storyline. How many actresses are able to be so comedic in more than one language?

As it turns out, Vergara has said the character of Gloria was very similar to herself in many ways. “I did 11 years on Modern Family, but it was almost playing myself in a way. I never went to an acting class in my life,” she said. No wonder she played the role so effortlessly!

Sofia Vergara’s best ‘Modern Family’ quotes and moments

1. Gloria gets vulnerable over her language barrier

One thing that made Gloria a fan favorite was how tough and fiery she was. That’s why it was so endearing to see her access her more emotional side, like when she gets upset with Jay for letting her son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez) enroll in a French language course instead of Spanish. When she confronts the two, she admits how much she struggles personally with adjusting to life surrounded by English speakers as a woman with a different native language. It’s rare to see Gloria so vulnerable, but it just makes us love and appreciate her even more!

2. Gloria being an amazing mom

Another reason Gloria was a fan favorite was because she was such a strong maternal figure. She was a loving, protective, generous mother to her sons as well as her step children, Claire (Julie Bowen) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson). As is the case with any parent, Gloria wasn’t perfect, but there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her family! For example, this scene in which she helps Manny face his fears of roller coasters so he can attend a classmate’s party.

3. Gloria’s hidden passion for ventriloquism

Arguably one of the most pleasant surprises from Gloria in Modern Family was her hidden talent and love for ventriloquism! Her elderly puppet, Mr. Grumpy, had the whole family (and viewers) in stitches. Even though she was beautiful and almost always put together, Gloria still had her moments where she embraced her quirky side and didn’t take herself too seriously.

4. Gloria loving Jay no matter what

One of the most comedic storylines in Modern Family was Jay’s unexpected love for the family dog, Stella, especially since Gloria was not the biggest fan of the dog and how obsessive Jay was over their pup. Ultimately, though, Gloria will do anything to make her husband happy, so when Stella needs surgery and Jay panics and wants to take the dog home from the vet, Gloria gets the job done for him (or so she thinks, until she realizes she jailbroke the wrong dog). Stella gets through her operation just fine, and Gloria even nurses the dog back to health afterward. And, this clip, where she jumps into the pool wearing formal attire to save Stella from drowning.

5. Gloria becoming a real estate student

Even though when we meet Gloria, she is a stay-at-home mom, we get a glimpse a few times throughout the show of her past life and how she was a hard-working single mother who raised Manny on her own while also driving cabs, being a hairdresser and even a model. Toward the end of the series, Gloria realizes she has a passion for real estate and decides it’s not too late to take a shot at a new career path! She becomes a star pupil and mentee of Phil’s (Ty Burrell), and the two end up being real estate partners!