Sofía Margarita Vergara (born July 10, 1972 in Barranquilla, Colombia) is a Colombian model and actress.

Vergara came from a moderately well-off family in Colombia and was sent to private bilingual (Spanish/English) schools there, including elementary school. She speaks Spanish and English both very well, (with a Midwestern accent in English). She made her first public appearance at the age of 17 in a Pepsi-Cola commercial that was widely telecast all over Latin America. She went to college in Colombia for three years and studied pre-dentistry. However, she was presented with very attractive offers in modeling, and followed that course, considering a son, mother, and younger siblings who needed her financial support in the absence of her father.