Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - RE-RUN: SOFIA VERGARA — the physical toll of ‘Griselda’ and Ed O’Neill butt dials

Episode Date: December 31, 2024

This week, we revisit my conversation with “Griselda” and “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara. Over pizza and “fuzzy orange juice,” Sofia tells me what it was like to produce and star in the Netflix series “Griselda,” which was 15 years in the making. Plus, we get into Ed O’Neill’s voicemails and why marshmallows were hidden on the “Modern Family” set. This episode was recorded at Dante in Beverly Hills, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Today on the show, you know her as my stepmom, Gloria, on Modern Family. And most recently for her amazing performance as Griselda Blanco in the Netflix miniseries Griselda, it's Sofia Vergara. I mean, maybe this is the character that I know because I know who this woman is. Not that I had killed any of my husbands. I mean, maybe I wanted to kill one of my husbands. This is Dinners on Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Early in 2009, I walked into a small conference room on the Fox lot to meet a group of people who would hopefully become my coworkers for a very long time. We were having our first unofficial table read for a pilot called Modern Family. The last person to enter the room was this beautiful Colombian woman who took time to give every single person at the table a big hug. Hola, I'm Sofia, she said. And I knew immediately I was going to absolutely love this person. It's no secret that we did indeed get to work together

for a very long time, for 11 years in fact. I miss every aspect of shooting that series, but one of the things I miss most is how much Sofia would absolutely just make me laugh, mostly without even trying. She's always been an extremely loyal friend with a huge heart and an incredible sense of humor. She's always the first to throw you a compliment,

always the first to crack a joke about herself, and always the first to start a dance party. There is no one like Sofia Vergara, and it's so easy to see why everyone who meets her absolutely adores her. Hi, Long. Happy Valentine. Happy Valentine, I love that you sent me a text askingores her. Hi, mom. Happy Valentine. Happy Valentine.

I love that you sent me a text asking if we're really going to eat. Of course. It's like, it's lunchtime. I brought Sofia to Dante in Beverly Hills. It's on the rooftop of the Mayborn Beverly Hills Hotel. New Yorkers might be familiar with Cafe Dante, which opened in Greenwich Village in 1915. Dante's roots are as an Italian coffee house, but in recent years it has sort of reimagined itself into an aperitivo bar known for its

garibaldi's, which Sofia calls fluffy orange juice, and its wood-fired pizzas. It's where you go in New York, or now Los Angeles, when you are seeking la dolce vita. And I can't think of someone who lives La Dolce Vita more than my friend Sofia. Okay, let's get to the conversation. Okay, so I just finished Grisata two days ago. Uh-huh. And I- You know what?

I'm so glad that you had invited me to do this. Yeah, I know. Because I really wanted to hear what you had to say. I am, first of all, I am so proud of you because I remember season one of Modern Family, you were talking about Griselda. Yes, it would be like 15 years. You've been talking about it for 15 years.

And I know how hard it is to get stuff made in this industry. Justin and I are always pitching stuff. You know, get to one stage and then completely fall apart. Or like someone like the executive who wants to do it at the place gets fired. He gets fired and then everything goes away. Literally impossible. So I was just so proud of you for actually,

first of all, getting it made. But the problem with Griselda also was that she was still alive. Yeah. So I had to kind of wait. It felt wrong to be doing something. It felt wrong. So I said, you know what?

This woman was not a very good person and I didn't want her to romanticize the whole thing. So I said, I'm not gonna do it. But then she died in 2012. And then that's what came. Maybe I can do this now. Yeah. So just watching those six episodes,

and first of all seeing how hard you work, because you would send us occasionally like, photos of you on set, in your makeup, and you know, you would send these photo sets like at like three in the morning, because that's when you were still working, and like you had incredibly long hours, and I'm just, it's turned out so good.

Jesse, I mean how spoiled we got with Modern Family. It was like a dream job. I mean now, I even, now after doing Griselda, I even miss it more. And I even, you know, realize how amazing it was for us. I mean, yeah, I had to arrive earlier than everyone because I needed more hair and makeup than everyone. But it was for us. I mean, yeah, I had to arrive earlier than everyone because I needed more hair and makeup than everyone. But it was still amazing.

You know, to work with you guys, with Ed, it was like, we would go home happy. Yeah, and we'd also go home at like three in the afternoon. But I'm the same, like, I'm really so lucky. Well, like, we still, that was hard, because just the three hours in the morning of hair and makeup, by the time I was done I was already exhausted. Like I wanted to go home by that time.

Just go home in your makeup and fall asleep. Yeah, and my day was just starting. Oh, what is this? What is this? Welcome to your train. This is a non-alcoholic Garibaldi with a bit of clubbed orange juice and layers of paired tea blowing.

What do we do with this orange? Just leave the orange reporter on the side and sip the mini cups. Aww. Is it good? Amazing. Mmm. It's like summer. Tastes like summer.

Do you have lemonade by chance? Yes. I love a lemonade. Um, I'm gonna have the salmon, I think. Is it delicious? I don't know. You can try it. Okay, I'll have a salmon too.

But I also want like a pizza. Like a pizza? Yeah, I remember you had the pizza. You want the Diabola pizza? No, no, have a salmon too. But I also want like a pizza. Like a pizza? Yeah, I remember you had the pizza. You want the Diabla pizza? No, nothing. No tomatoes. I cannot eat tomatoes. No tomatoes? Are you good with mushrooms?

No, really. Okay. Yeah. I'm not good with mushrooms, alright? Cheese. Absolutely. Yes. Yeah.

But I just, I know how hard you worked on it. Yeah. And I know, like... I don you worked on it, and I know like... I don't want to do it again. Well, it was hard, the prosthetics. I was not used to that. I had never done drama, and then on top of that, to act in Spanish.

That was exhausting. You know, I think that that would, I feel like that would be like what your comfort zone would be. No! I just feel like every time... My career has been in English. I just, you would, I mean,

occasionally on the set of Modern Family, you would say something completely wrong, and when we would all laugh at you, you'd be like, this is not my first language. And so I just assumed that you'd be. It turns out I am bad acting in all the languages. No! It's like.

See, okay, this is a bone I have to pick with you though. Because I remember sitting at a dinner with, it was you, me, and Joe, and Justin, and you said, you're like, I feel like I'm a celebrity first and a personality, and I don't feel like an actress. Yeah. And I said, I completely disagree with you. You've been nominated for four Emmy Awards. They just don't give those out to people who they

don't think are actors, you've won SAG awards, you've won People's Choice awards, you've been nominated for Golden Globes, it's like I think that you are an actor, truly. And then, let me just tell you, don't talk. Hey! Just listen to me compliment you for one moment. Hey, okay. And then watching Griselda, I was like, see, this,

no one else could pull this off. Only you could do that. And I feel like you tap into something that you've never tapped into before. I was watching you do something that I've never seen you do before. And I was so impressed. I had a lot of things to tap into.

Yeah, you know my life, what my life was in Colombia. You know where I come from. So that's why I thought I could do Griselda because I had a lot to tap into. But I, of course, I mean I've always felt a little bit like I am not an actress because I actually learned on the set of Modern Family. You know, I think my teacher was Ed O'Neill, you guys. You know, I had never taken an acting class. You know, I got lucky. And comedy is something that always,

I've always felt like I'm funny and people have always laughed at me. And like, you know, I always have fun making fun of people. And you know, it's like, that, it's easy for me. But the drama, I wasn't really sure. I wasn't like, I don't know if I can do that. I don't even, I didn't even know if I could cry or anything like that.

And then I said, when I found the character of Gisela, I said, I mean, maybe this is the character that I know because I know who this woman is. Not that I had killed any of my husbands. I mean, maybe I wanted to kill one of my husbands. But also, I mean, you raised Manolo. Yes. As an immigrant. I know Jose, he's very active still,

and you guys are still very close, but yeah, you raised Manolo in the States as an immigrant. You know what it's like to do that. You also know what it's obviously like to come from Columbia. You also know what it's like to be a self-made woman. I mean, you came, you do, yeah. I mean, like, look at how successful you are,

and look at how successful she was. I mean, you did it in different ways. Yeah, I went the right way, and she went the wrong way. Sir, can I have more of that? Yeah, absolutely. Tell us what's in it again. So, fluffy orange juice, and we have a Lira's aperitivo, which is a bitters that's made without any alcohol.

Whatever fluffy orange juice means. You love fluffy orange juice. I'll also have my boring lemonade. Oh yeah, I did have a lot of similarities from Griselda, and you know, my brother was part of that business, unfortunately, for some time. So I kind of- This is your younger brother? No, my oldest brother brother who was killed in Colombia

in the 90s, and so a lot of those things, like I thought I understood that business, I understood that woman, and so I thought it was a really interesting character. You know, it's like a lot of people, when I did now the press tour, they asked me, so you did this to change the perception of you of being a comedy actress and show that you can do drama.

But that was never in my intentions. I wasn't thinking, oh, I need a character like that to prove that I can be a dramatic actor or anything. No, it was just that I thought that it was so interesting, the character, and that I knew it well. That if there was something that I could play to do a test, to test myself if I could do dramatic, I thought it needed to be somebody

that I kind of knew who she was. Right, but I mean also, and this is why I feel like you are an actor and an artist, and you're just gonna have to take that from me because I really think you are. Okay, okay. But you, that's what we do is like we try to find things that challenge us and scare us. I know that you must have been terrified to do this. Yeah. Because it's totally out of your comfort zone.

You know, you are wearing these prosthetics. I know you don't like to look unbeautiful. Oh, no, but then I these prosthetics. I know you don't like to look unbeautiful. Oh, no, but I did embrace it. At the beginning, you know how I enjoy having makeup and being dressed up and my high heels. I mean, it's part of me. I hate feeling sloppy. Sloppy?

No, frumpy. Sloppy. Yeah, frumpy. I've seen you frumpy. OK. I've seen you when you come in to work. OK, it's true. OK, the people, of course I do it,

but like I don't do it like just to, oh, I'm gonna go have lunch. I don't show up frumpy. No, no. I feel I'm a little bit frumpy. This is ridiculous. You look fabulous. I cannot believe you feel this is frumpy.

What did it feel like to finally have, like what did that premiere feel like for you? Having known that like for the past 15 years been trying to get this made. Yes. It's such a labor of love. We got lucky that we, you know, like they, I was coming out of Modern Family,

so nobody really knew if I could do this or not. And I got lucky that Eric Newman, the guy that produced Narcos, because when I started seeing Narcos, I'm like, oh, this is the guy I want to take, resell that to, because he totally understands that genre. Oh, there you go, the genre, yeah, yeah. Yeah, genre, and, or whatever the fuck,

and I'm like, I'm gonna take it to him, because maybe he wants to do this, and he fell in love with her immediately. She's like, perfect, I'll let you do it, and, you know, it's a big production. It's like it's millions and millions of dollars. They were like counting on me and they had no clue if I was gonna be able to do this.

So it was like really like, I really appreciate that they gave me the opportunity because I did so much research about her. Tell me about that because there's so little, I looked her up and there's so little about her. I mean, I've seen photos of her, but like there's no like, I can't find any videos. What did you pull from to create her?

Well, it was great for me that there were not that many videos or pictures of her because I was not gonna be able to ever look exactly like her, but what I really wanted was Gloria Preachett to disappear. I didn't want people to think that's Gloria with a fake nose and a wig. Yeah. So that was my main concern. I wanted to create a woman that looked human but that it was not me or Gloria. And then... Also if you go too far and

like you make yourself look so crazy, it's actually distracting. They want to see a little bit of you. Yeah, yeah, there. I'm obsessed with those things when I watch movies. I mean, I thought they're going to get upset at me because I kept saying, no, no, no, no. But I couldn't see her. And then the last day, it was like two weeks before we started filming. So you hadn't found a makeup person?

No, we still haven't found what I needed her to look like. And then the last day, I suddenly, I look in the mirror, I'm like, I tell the producers, like, that's her, that's Crisella. And they were like, oh, thank God, because we only had two more weeks before we started. But I love that you were so, that was so important to you, because that is, I mean, first of all, you're embodying her,

so you have to feel good about what you're doing. But also that attention to detail, which I know that you are like very detail oriented. I've been to your house and everything's like perfect. But I love that you got carries. Yeah, but I love that it carries into, you know, your work as an actress. It's fun.

With Griselda, I kind of like did a lot of different things because I also wanted to change the way I was walking. The way. The physicality that you found in her is incredible. Like I didn't want it to be with my ass up in the air, how I walk and my boobs out, you know. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Sophia tells me the physical toll

channeling Griselda had on her and why she felt so compelled to take on the role of the notorious drug trafficker. Okay, be right back. So recently I've gotten back into somewhat of a consistent workout routine but one thing I did realize and I'm embarrassed to say this is that some of my athleisure wear was looking a little worse for wear. I ended up doing a little refresh with some items from Quince. I got a few of the Flow Knit Breeze Performance T's

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Visit superstore.ca to get started. and PC optimum points. Visit superstore.ca to get started. And we're back with more dinners on me. Oh, that looks good. Oh my God, that looks amazing. Super amazing. I was so worried that when you invited me to this, I'm like, what if it's props?

You know me with food. I do. So I was like, should I come from home and already eat something? I put a lot of thought into this knowing that you like to eat. That's good. That's what you wanted, right? That's perfect. No tomato. It's really just bread and cheese. That's what I could live on this.

That's delicious. The honey, so good. Wait, I wanted to go back to Grosel for a little bit. The physicality. Physicality, right. Yeah, it was hard. It was so hard because I didn't want it to walk with my tits in the air and my ass.

So I bought this really bad bra. I would put two spanks on my butt, didn't jiggle when I walk, so to make it flat. And then I, the worst idea I ever had was that I created like this walk, like one of my ass and my cousin's honcho were putting my ass inside, like it was weird. Which I thought is great because,

and I would sit completely different, that I see it. I was making a big effort to make my posture different. And then like on like month three of filming, I got out of bed one day and it was, I couldn't get up. You wrenched your back? I couldn't get up. The doctor, they had to inject me and the doctor is like, what did you thought that you were going to be about 50 to be slumped over all day.

To be slumped for three months and so they had to inject me but I had to do it for three more months anyways. Oh my gosh. I think I fucked my back forever because I think something happened to my disc. Yeah, so now every once in a while I have to be very careful. So whatever. I mean, I, you know, in the opening scenes of Griselda,

you're bandaged, you got wound and like, you have this, you were just gushing the side of your body. I was, I mean, I noticed you carrying that through though. Like you would walk and you would be like touching it. And like you did such great detailed work. You saw all that? Yes. Are you kidding me? Yes, it means something.

You know what I did? At the beginning, I put a plastic fork. I broke a plastic fork so you only have this part. The sharp part? Yeah. The sharp part. And the first day, because I wanted to remember that I had a pain, but I also couldn't, you know, I was thinking of so many things.

The wig, the teeth, everything. So I put it there and I taped it. That's such a good idea. It would give me pain the whole time. Maybe that's what fucked up your back. No, not because that was like just for those. But that's so smart. We kind of film in order.

So it was like... You've got to film in order? Kind of. So it was a huge deal. So I could understand the character getting crazier and crazier Yeah, but that was super cool. I noticed all of that. It's And it was like those subtle things that you did also there is and I think a lot of this is something you could draw from like what you were saying, you know growing up in Colombia and

Especially in the 90s when things were really dangerous then, you know, having violence touch your family in such a personal way, but also being an immigrant and being someone who came to Miami to, you know, start a new life and to sort of get out of the- I thought I was just gonna marry Rich, but it didn't happen. No, you became Rich.

Yeah, but it would have been so much easier. Yeah, it would have been. I know, right? I still have time. You do have time. Divorce now. Yeah, you can still marry Rich. I can still marry Rich. But there's a scene in the third episode where you're talking to this group of Cubans who have come in and it's an incredible speech

What's that? Yeah, yeah You want me to say it Malito's Say it again. Say it again. I'll repeat it. Los Marielitos Los Marielitos Yeah, those were the Cubans that escaped Cuba in the mariel which was a boat Right a very famous boat that reached the coast of Florida, right? You have this incredible speech where you say You know When I walk into a room people just see me as a woman and when you walk into a room people just see you as

someone with tattoos who doesn't speak English and you know we can change all that and like if you you know I'm gonna take care of you I've proven that I'm gonna take care of you and you will you won't be just washing their dishes you're gonna be sitting at the table with them and really that is the embodiment of like the American dream I mean Rosalda aside like what a wonderful opportunity to talk about something so American and like that dream of being an American, even though it's coming through the vessel of this pretty horrible person.

Yeah, this horrible person. You know, it's like it was a very horrible person, but at the beginning I wanted to think that she had a lot of good intentions. I started to like admire things in this woman, so I had to like catch myself and it's like, oh wait, wait, wait. What did you admire about her though? Like just her. Wait, remember.

Well that, I mean, who gets to the level of that freaking business that it's 100% men. There's no woman. Yeah. And to be at that level or even higher than them. And with four kids, an immigrant, a woman that really... She came from nothing. From nothing.

I mean, it's tricky because you don't want to glorify her, but at the same time, you have to put something in there for the audience to care about. And there were times that I was rooting for her. I'm glad you said that because it made me super happy. Look, I'm going for another piece of pizza. I am a pig. It's some Valentine's day. It's not only pizza though. It's basically just I'm going for another piece of pizza. I am a pig. It's Valentine's day.

It's not really pizza though. It's basically just delicious bread and cheese. It is pizza. It's not pizza. It's bread in the shape of a pizza and not cheese. Okay. No. No.

But I forgot what I was saying. When you were, I was saying I sometimes admired her. I like was rooting for her. Oh, so when we did the premiere in Miami, I said, you know what, I'm gonna sit with the audience. And it was crazy that the moment that this woman would get away with something horrific, everybody clapping.

Oh wow. Like, yeah! But hello. And like, she just got away with something horrible. But that was what I wanted the character to do, and I always thought about Tony Soprano. I wanted Griselda. Yeah, the anti-hero.

Yeah, to be like Tony Soprano, that people want her to win. Right, I just feel like there's no other reason to do it unless you're gonna give the audience something to root for. You know Ed O'Neill called me. Did he? He watched it. Yeah. What did he say? He called me like three times. He calls me from these numbers that they're like... Same. That they're like weird or that they're like private numbers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course. I don't answer my phone. I think he has a burner phone. What is he doing out there? I don't know my phone. I think it's a burner phone. What is he doing out there?

I don't know what this life that it has after Modern Family. But he was so excited. He loved it. I was very happy to hear that. Yeah. Yeah. I want to know what the response was. First of all, did you do a premiere of Griselda in Colombia?

Yeah. It was amazing. I mean, you're so loved there. I traveled to Colombia with Justin a few times and the only advice you gave me when I traveled was don't buy the drugs off the street. I was like I don't think we're gonna be buying drugs at all but thank you for the advice. I mean you never know what could happen. You never know. You know, just be careful. But when I went there, I mean, the entire, first of all, people would see me and they know, they know our show, they know Modern Family.

And they would, so many people just came up to me and just gushed and gushed and gushed about how much, how proud of you they are. I mean, your country loves you. I do. So, I can only imagine going back. I don't go enough. I don't go enough. I know. So tell me what it was like to take Griselda to Colombia.

I arrived, how do you call those advertising things, the things in the store? A billboard. A billboard. So I was in a song with a bad bunny, you know the singer Bad Bunny? Of course, yeah. And so some months ago, he named me in the song,

and in the song he says, Sofia Vergara es linda pero es mas linda en persona, which means in English, Sofia Vergara is beautiful but it's more beautiful in person. And when I arrived in Colombia, they had a big billboard and it said, Sofia Vergara is beautiful but it's more beautiful in Colombia. So it was like really really amazing. How was how was the actual show received there? The show? Amazing. It was like I think it's one of the countries that it's done like the most amazing. Also we had this

cast there's a lot of Colombians in the cast. There's a lot of Latin American actors that I always wanted to work with. And it was so exciting for me for them to be part of this because I always thought if at least one of them becomes their modern family in a way, that opened doors for them and now they can get agents and managers here, that will be like a dream come true for me. Well, you've always put your mouth where your money is in that regard because you are holding doors open for people, you're very generous.

I mean, that's why it was so important for me to do this TV show in English and in Spanish. Yeah. Because I wanted it to feel authentic. Yeah. I wanted it that they needed to get Latin actors to complete the whole cast because that's how it was gonna feel. Authentic. Authentic.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm gonna throw up, Jesse. Why did you eat the whole thing? Because it's delicious and I'm a pig. Something that I think a lot of people don't know about you and I completely forgot about it until I was reading my research. What?

I mean, you were with me for 11 years, morning and night. Something I actually did forget is that you studied to be a dentist. I find that so fascinating. I didn't finish. I know, but for three years you went to dental school, right? But I didn't finish, I wish I had though. Why?

No, I didn't wish I had been a dentist. I wanted to be a doctor, so at that time, fucking 40 years ago in Colombia, nobody was a doctor, you were a woman, you weren't a doctor. Right. And I wanted to have kids, I wanted to get married to my high school sweetheart.

So I said the next best thing, because I love science, is it was dentistry. Mm-hmm. But I didn't finish. I had too many opportunities working. Yeah. Yeah. I mean you came to Miami when you were what, 20? Like 22? 22. Yeah. Was it modeling that project there? No. I went to Miami because I got a TV show at Univision. Univision is the Hispanic network in the United States. But I have been in Miami for 100 million times. My mom used to have a place in Miami in the 70s

because Miami's two hours and 15 minutes away from Barranquilla. So it's like, you're right there. When did you decide to bring your mom and sister and brother to? I didn't really decide. When my brother was killed in Colombia in the 90s, we didn't really know what the situation was.

The whole family was in danger. We weren't clear who had done it, so my mom and my other two siblings, the ones that were left, moved to Miami. Right, right, right. But I was super young. I was already there for only a year. But I just think it's really impressive

that at such a young age, you were like, kind of the one to say, okay, let's move so we can be safe, and you brought them to you. Yeah, it was hard. To be so young, and also a young mother at the same time too. Yeah, Manolo was a baby. Manolo was three years old. My niece, Claudinella, was two.

It was very hard. And now that I'm 51 years old and I see the new generations and I see younger people, I'm like, I don't know how I did it at 23 years old, being taken care of a kid, of a family that was not really very stable in the head because after a trauma like that,

it wasn't like they were happy people. It was like my brother that is alive, he became an addict. He became really bad for years. He was horrible. He became a crack addict, which is the worst thing that could happen to a person and you know, he changed, he kind of like ruined his life and it's been hard, it's been very hard, yeah.

Yeah, and I guess another parallel is like, in Griselda, Griselda becomes a crack addict herself and like so the parallels that you have in your life and the art that you've got to sort of express that through it's kind of fascinating. I knew all of those characters. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's heartbreaking and fascinating.

Not that it's great, not that it's, you know, but I guess now that I'm done with it, I think, you know what, I guess it was all of those things, they served me for something, not just for bad memories. Right, right. And then shortly after that, you know, Justin and you have certainly bond on this, but you, you, you would kind of, you had thyroid cancer.

Yes. At a very young age. And that was something else you were dealing with. 28. Yeah. I mean, you've been through a lot. I know. You've been through a lot in your early years.

I know. And I'm still so young and fat. I know. Right? I'm like, I'm destroyed, Jesse. Totally destroyed. I need plastic surgery. Oh, come on.

I don't have Jesse. Totally destroyed. I need plastic surgery. Come on. I don't have downtime. Hardly. I'm going to do it all, facelift, necky. Yeah, you're just looking at a whole different person? All of it. No, now it's great. Now plastic surgery is amazing.

Just do the prosthetics. Have the prosthetic team. No, it's awful. Can't have sex with a plastic nose. You'll never know until you try. Now for questions. Oh, it's awful. Can't have sex with a plastic nose. You'll never know until you try. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Sophia shares the concerns she initially had for her character Gloria on Modern Family and why Ed O'Neill leaves

her voicemails calling himself Dad. Okay, be right back. Hello, it's Elizabeth Day from How To Fail here. How To Fail is the podcast that believes all failure is data acquisition. Coming up on How To Fail, I talked to actress Lashana Lynch about dealing with racism as a child, her most difficult stunt in a movie, and this. I didn't know when I was auditioning that Nomi was going to be 007. Didn't you? No, no, no, no, no. How cool?

When did you find out? When you got the script? Well kind of, yeah. Yeah. Listen to How to Fail wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's your beauty and wellness BFFs and we're here to answer all your burning questions. Skincare, makeup, parenting, and more.

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Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh my God. Yeah. So I was curious, I knew that that was a show that you did right before Modern Family, right?

Yeah. That was a show that you did for ABC that you got your deal with ABC. It's interesting, because I had never seen it, so I watched the pile, I was like, what is this show that I know Sofia did? Well, I mean, we all looked young when we first started doing Modern Family.

But there was also this thing where you were sort of like the hot one and you were sort of like, you know, you walk out the room and all the guys can't talk. And it's something that I feel like you've continued throughout your entire career is, even though you were like, quote unquote, the hot girl of the group, like you still were like in on the joke

and you still were also ahead of the joke. Like you weren't, you know. Yeah, I've always, I mean, I'm not afraid of that, you know? You know me, I love to make fun of myself. And in some way, I like to make fun of people. Also, I think what a lot of people don't realize that... And we've even talked about it just during this meal, but you contributed so much. So many of the things like that, the things you say wrong in English and that the the things that you

The way you say certain things that thing that we make you know We laugh at are things that you actually brought to Gloria. They weren't in the writers room I think some of them learned, but they did learn you know at the beginning. I was worried because Writers usually write about what they know and they know you they know Julie because they've all had American You know girlfriends or American Wives and sisters. I don't think anyone in that room had ever had like a Latin crazy Latin woman, you know So at the beginning I was like I'm gonna have to be like seeing like if they let me guide them a little bit and I think

they talked to me like three times at the beginning and then suddenly the writing it was like Spectacular for Gloria. I didn't know comment comedic wise what I could do right at that point and they didn't know they didn't had They didn't know us really they didn't know any of us. You did an audition. You were brought to this project because you had a development deal. I did an audition. So it was like for them, it was like, we've never had this woman, a Latin woman. I've always known what I had and I've always made sure I used it.

Yeah, I mean that's, we have to figure it in this business. I've never been apologetic of being, you know, looking good or, it has never felt, made me being, you know, looking good or... Yeah, for sure. It has never felt, made me feel, you know, like insecure of other things. I remember when we were going to Sarah Hyland's wedding and you asked what the dress code was, and I said, I don't know, I think you're just supposed to be like comfy, and you're like, comfy? Oh, who's going to go to a wedding comfy?

He's like, those are the things. Did you say that or was it Julie saying that? I think maybe Julie said that. He's like, of course, Julie always wants to be comfortable. And I'm like, why? Why do you want to be comfortable? It's like, that's the last thing I think about when I'm getting an outfit.

Yeah, what's good to be comfortable. No, I don't care. That's not. I love it. When I first read the Modern Family Pilot, I know we're jumping all over the place, but when I first read the Modern Family Pilot, I loved it so much. The one thing I was concerned about that I couldn't picture, I was like, I don't know how this is gonna work, was the relationship between Gloria and Jay. I was like, I don't know how this is gonna work, was the relationship between Gloria and Jay. I was like, I didn't know. And I was like, it's gonna feel like a joke.

And I know you've talked about it, like how you were nervous. This was even before I knew you were doing it and Ed was doing it. I was just reading it as a script. I was like, that's the one couple that feels like- Because it felt like a gold digger kind of situation, an immigrant with nothing,

going with the American older guy. I, at the beginning, I was very worried. I was like, you know, how are they gonna like Gloria? Because you want people to love your character. You know, and more in a comedy. So it's like, they're not gonna like anything about her because she's... Why is she married to this guy?

It seems like a gold digger situation. Which she actually named an episode Gold Digger. Yeah, Gold Digger. But it's because Julie Bowen's character, Claire, calls you a gold digger. And I think you'd think it means something else. Yes. I mean, I think immediately in the first table read,

I was like, oh, I completely believed this. It completely clicked, it was completely believable. And by the end of the 11 seasons, I couldn't imagine you two with anyone else other than, but even you and Ed, just as human beings, had such a deep love for each other. We had such a big chemistry from the beginning. And I was worried because I understood that because we were such a big cast and we were all like different

families I knew that all most of my scenes were always and most of my seasons were gonna be with Ed. You know sometimes I didn't I wouldn't even see you in a week because I was like you know Gloria's house and and at the beginning I'm like oh my god what am I gonna be doing with this? Because Ed is like 20 something years older than me. So I'm like, I'm not gonna have anything in common even though I've been a fan of Ed O'Neill's, you know, married with children,

Al Bondi and all of that. And I was like, but I was like thinking, it's like, oh, there are people that are more contemporary to my age, you and Julie and the rest. I'm not going to be with them as much as with Ed. So I was a little bit concerned that I was not going to have that much fun and whatever, but it was absolutely like the opposite. It was like perfect. But also, I mean, it was one of those friendships, my friendship with Ed, I feel like he's my age. Yeah. You know, I don't know. I feel like even though he tells like these rambling long stories sometimes, I'm like, he still feels like.

But wait, when we met him, he was almost our age. That's true. He was 60 something. And I thought that he was so old. And now that I'm 51, I'm like, oh my god, he was so young. It was like crazy. OK, now I'm going to throw up. What?

I don't know if I need this now. Well, you can take it home. Yeah. I'm gonna have a little bit. Oh, it's very good. Is it good? Mm-hmm, hot. I mean, I was supposed to go to a Thanksgiving,

not a Thanksgiving, what is it? The Valentine's Day? Valentine's Day dinner tonight. Why is Thanksgiving? Okay, I do have to tell this story. What story? You'll remember. You'll remember have to tell the story. What story? You'll remember. You'll remember once I start telling it. Which one?

So we shot the episode in Australia, which is of course on the other side of the world. And we all came back on the same flight and we had to work like two days later in Los Angeles. And you were so tired and so jet lagged. One of the crew members said to you, good morning, Sofia, and you said, happy Thanksgiving. Do you remember this? It was like April.

Yes, but you laughed at me for like a year. It's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Happy Thanksgiving. Because sometimes you know how my brain works in English. I do right now. Unfortunately, and I think it's now I appreciate it that I am like that, I guess, but my problem is that I don't,

I talk before thinking, and sometimes the things that come out is not what I was thinking. Sometimes it's not even English. It's not even English. Sometimes it just sounds. The blooper reels. The blooper reels of your, your blooper reels will make me cry with laughter.

If you have, for the listeners, if you have a moment, just go to YouTube and look at, at Sofia Vergara's bloopers from Modern Family. It is gold. And Ed's reactions made it. All of, yeah. I mean, we're all just like, what did you just say? What did you just say? Did you and Ed ever get into a fight?

You never. Really? And he would always tell me, it's like, he doesn't understand how we've never, we never, but not even once, and I am not exaggerating. Not a thing of, where were you, or do the line, or, I mean, not one thing. I mean, Eric and I had fights.

I know, we all know. But I mean, like in the same way that I fight with my loved ones. Exactly. What's that? Enjoying yourself? Yes, very much. It's delicious. Amazing.

So, I've had Julie on the show, I've had Sarah on the show, you and Ed. I've asked them all like what that experience of ending the show was like for them, especially you know, right after, it didn't go in there, did it? No. Salmon in your boob? I'll find it tonight on my date. On your date?

Thanks, Sophia, you smell like fish. Yeah, well, I'm gonna see the salmon in my boob. My boobs, it was Jesse. But having to finish that show and then going right into a pandemic where we didn't even get to see each other again, like, it's already hard enough ending as something that goes on for 11 years.

You were into your, I never see you cry. You were crying. Yeah, I never used to cry. I was crying and I was not only crying there. I was crying like a month before. Yeah. I think we all, the month before the last episode, the last scene, it was really hard for us.

It was everybody, you know, it's like, we were a family. We never had a problem between each other. It was such a pleasure to go to that set, right? It was like a dream. And then the pandemic happened two weeks later and we're all closed. It was like a dream. And then the pandemic happened two weeks later and we're all closed. It was horrible. It was like, I didn't get to see you until like two years later.

I know. It's like Ed was super happy because he moved to Hawaii, his mansion in Hawaii. Although he sort of got bored, I think, because I don't know about you, but he would call me randomly. Oh, yeah, believe me. he would call me randomly Oh, yeah And sometimes it would be by accident like I it would he'd FaceTime me and I would just see like the side of his House like he was like he would be holding his phone

Actually face every so I just feel like seeing his wall So I would like Ed Ed it's me and he would like Justin what do you do on my phone? You know, he does to me a lot? He leaves me messages. I think because my name is Sofia and his daughter is Sofia. That's hilarious. He leaves me messages all the time,

but it's to the daughter. Oh. Do you call him and say that's not? No, when I know it's important things that she needs to know, I do, but when it's not, I'm not. That's really funny. And it's always-

Did you tell her that? Yeah. It's like Sophia and he always starts, Sophia is dad. I'm like, at the beginning he was like, why is he calling himself dad to me? You know? And then I was like, oh it's Sophia, the daughter. Oh my God. It's so funny.

I love that. I'm going to do my lipstick, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my God. I am going to tell a story about our very first Emmy Awards. Oh, that's so funny. I love that. I'm gonna do my lipstick, you know me. Oh my god. I'm gonna tell a story about our very first Emmy Awards. It was the first season of Honor Family.

We were nominated for Best Comedy and the Best Comedy category was coming up and you were sitting in front of us and Julie was sitting next to me and you turned around and you said, Put your lipstick on, we're going to win. I'm like, Julie, put your lipstick on, because I turned around to share with you guys the excitement, now it's our turn,

and then I see her and she had no lipstick on. I mean, to me, that's like... She looked at me like I was insane. And then we won, and she never really thanked me. was insane. And then we won. And then we won, and she never really thanked me. I didn't. I didn't.

I didn't. We were all over, remember? With those pictures up there. Yeah, yeah. And I did put my lipstick on. I'm not sure if she put it on, though. No, probably not. It's really funny.

Are we going to order dessert or not? Do you want dessert? Maybe not, because I'm going to eat again soon. Do you want? You eat super healthy. I'm eating with Justin tonight. You changed. Me?

You eat a lot of garbage, and now? You're not like me. I did not eat a lot of garbage. You, I do remember, there was a period of time, I don't remember why this was happening, but you were just eating sugar? Do you remember? What are you talking about? No, Sofia, you had a table, a countertop, cotton candy machine.

Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean that I only eat sugar. And then on set, you had a literally a thing of marshmallows, and it was labeled, Sofia's Do Not Touch. Remember Josh, the guy that was in charge of the props? He would hide them from me all over the set in every room so that I could have little snacks in between takes. One of marshmallows, one of hot tamales, and it always said Sophia's Do Not Touch.

Hot tamales! I haven't had hot tamales in a long time. I remember they loved me. You ate so much sugar. They took such nice care of me. They did. They did hide all those things so that I was happy loved me. You ate so much sugar. They took such nice care of me. They did. They did hide all those things so that I was happy on set. And then I would give them to everyone. Yeah, no, I knew where your stash was.

I shared, yeah. Even though it said do not touch, I would absolutely crack it to them, yeah. Marshmallows. Marshmallows. I do, I have a balance. Oh, I love you. Thank you for doing this.

Thank you. I miss you you. Thank you for doing this. Oh, thank you, Jesse. I miss you too. Dinner is on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay.

Our associate producer is Angela Vang. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans-Dyl She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balanz-Kalasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.