Modern Family: Gloria Has The Most Memorable Resume On The Show - Here's Why
When "Modern Family" fans were first introduced to Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vergara), she had only been married to businessman Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill) for six months. In the pilot episode, the Colombian beauty tells viewers her life is very different from that of her new husband. "He's from the city, he has a big business. I come from a small village very poor but very, very beautiful. It's the No. 1 village in all Colombia for all the ... murders," Gloria says in the first episode.
Jay makes big bucks from his closet business, which allows Gloria to be a stay-at-home mom to her son, Manny Delgado (Rico Rodriguez), and Joe, the baby she ultimately has with her wealthy second husband. But it turns out that before marrying Jay, Gloria racked up a pretty impressive resume of her own, with a list of random stints as a taxi driver, a hairdresser, and more. And while she never makes closet king-level money during the show's 11 seasons, it's not for a lack of trying.
Gloria Pritchett is a jack of all trades
Early on, "Modern Family" viewers learn of Gloria Pritchett's past as a taxi driver in Colombia. In season 3, she reveals it was always "bring your son to work day" for her as Manny slept in her cab while she worked. Gloria's past stints also include time as a model and a beauty pageant contestant. The former Gloria Delgado has a spokesmodel reel and is seen on a billboard plugging teeth whitener.
Before marrying Jay, she also worked as a hairdresser, and viewers see her go back to her old salon for an impromptu shift in the Season 5 episode "A Hard Jay's Night." Gloria is also an entrepreneur. Who can forget her famous hot sauce business for Salsa Atomica, aka the salsa with a twist? She even scores a store display with a life-size cardboard cutout of herself to promote her bottled sauce biz. By the series' end, Gloria finds a new forte as a realtor -– and a partnership with her son-in-law Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) –- as her kids get older. "It can be scary to ask yourself what's next," she says in the season 11 episode "Snapped." "You can ask these questions forever or you can just take the first step."
In real life, Vergara took a similar first step for herself. While living in Colombia, she quit dental school to embark on an acting career, a decision that made her millions through jobs and brand deals. "I've made a lot with endorsements and being a spokesperson," she told Variety in 2021. "That has given me a lot of money – and I've done a lot of them."