Sometimes, the prospect of becoming a model or celebrity drives you to jump right into things, but this wasn’t one of those times. The future star had some serious reservations about the gig, and she was worried about what those in her Catholic church and school were going to think about her.
Luckily for her (and for everyone else), they gave her the go-head, and she was off to shoot her very first television commercial – a Colombian ad for Pepsi. Little did she know that was going to be the start of a new life for her.
Tragedy in the Vergara Family
Moving to the United States wasn’t something that she was necessarily planning on, at least, not soon, at the time, but soon after she did, tragedy struck and changed everything. Sofia’s brother, Rafael, was just 27-years old in 1998 when he was shot in an attempted kidnapping.
Since her family was well-known and successful in the area, it made them a prime target. Unfortunately, Rafael was killed and became a member of the infamous 27 Club.
One in a Million
One day, Sofia was walking along a beach in Colombia, as she’d done a million times before. But this day would be the one that changed her life forever. A photographer happened to scout her and introduce her to the world of modeling and TV work.
Oftentimes, predators use this kind of scenario to lure people into dangerous (or at the least, scam) situations where they wind up having their money stolen or worse. But then, there are those one in a million times where one random encounter creates a world for you that you could never have even imagined.
The Pepsi Ad
The actress’s first modeling gig shows her lying in the middle of a crowded beach in a tank top and denim shorts when she spots a Pepsi cart about a hundred feet away from her.
Wanting to quench her thirst and cool down, she peels off her coverups until she’s down to a purple bikini. Want to check it out? Just head to YouTube.
The Perfect Spokesmodel
Vergara has come a long way since her first Pepsi ad (which she did when she was just 17-years old, by the way!) Now, she’s literally the highest-paid actress on American television, and brands can’t get enough of her as a spokesmodel.
Recently, she appeared in a crossover P&G Bounty and Charmin ad for the Superbowl, in which one woman slips and falls, drops a giant bucket of chili, which someone flies upwards, hits the fan. Well – it goes everywhere – except on Sofia, thanks to another woman who jumps in front of her to protect her!