SOFÍA AND MANOLO Life the Vergara Way

Sofía Vergara created a modern family of her own when she welcomed her only child, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, at 19 and brought him to America by herself. The duo chats with Us about their unconventional life and exciting new culinary venture

- by JAIME HARKIN & AMANDA WILLIAMS

For the Vergaras, everything starts at the table.

"Our vacations are planned around breakfast, lunch and dinner," Sofía says. "[For] Latin people, we grow up around food, and that's like our only entertainment." The actress and her son, Manolo, have long connected over a good meal — whether it's celebrating milestones, arguing over who gets the best order or building their Latin culinary brand, TOMA.

That bond began long before business. Sofía was just 19 when she welcomed her son with high school sweetheart Joe Gonzalez in Colombia. By 24, she was single and moved to Miami with Manolo in search of bigger opportunities. "It was super hard," she says. "There are things that, as a young person, you're not supposed to be thinking about. It's a lot of pressure and you're trying to figure out your own life." They eventually landed in L.A., where she scored her breakout role on Modern Family in 2009. For Manolo, it was a childhood like no other. "It was awesome and weird and cool," he says. "It's the only life I know, and I wouldn't change a thing."

In many ways, the mother-son duo grew up together, and they're still very much a team. In addition to launching TOMA, Manolo, 34, joined Sofía’s Latin World Entertainment talent management firm. Sofía, 53, who's in her sixth season as a judge on America’s Got Talent and scored a Golden Globe nod for her role in the 2024 Netflix series Griselda, also has her beauty line, Toty, and iDios Mío! coffee brand. On Oct. 18, they'll host a Grand Tasting of TOMA’s empanadas at the New York City Wine & Food Festival. “We work very well together,” says Manolo. “We've learned not to step on each other’s toes.”