Forbes magazine has released the 2016 edition of its annual rankings for the highest paid television stars, and Colombia’s Sofía Vergara once again beat out every other woman on the small screen. This is her fifth straight year out-earning all other actresses — and this time it wasn’t even a contest.
The Modern Family superstar’s yearly paycheck of $43 million is nearly twice that of the second-place finisher, Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory, who made $24.5 million. And her total absolutely dwarfs those of the next highest women, Mindy Kaling of The Mindy Project ($15 million), Ellen Pompeo of Grey’s Anatomy ($14.5 million), and Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ($14.5 million).
While the Emmy-nominated Colombian actress pulls in a huge check for her work on Modern Family — making just as much as any of the men who appear in the hit show — Forbes notes that the biggest bump for Vergara in recent years has come through endorsements.
Sofía Vergara has had deals with Head & Shoulders, Pepsi, Avon, Covergirl, and Kmart, among others. Just this week, Avon celebrated the launch of a new perfume called So Very Sofía that is designed to smell like Colombia’s national flower, the cattleya orchid or flor de Mayo. “Sofía is a strong, beautiful woman…and she inspires all of us with her drive and creativity,” said Avon vice president Meg Lerner upon the release.
Endorsements and products bearing her name work have led to a huge bump in just the last year alone. In Forbes‘ 2015 rankings, Vergara was credited with making only $28.5 million, putting her in a tie for first place with Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory. But she managed to pull in another $15 million over the past 12 months despite not getting a huge jump in salary for her television work.
In an era when most women in Hollywood find it harder and harder to get roles — let alone amass a fortune — as they near their 40th birthday, Sofía Vergara continues to shatter the glass ceiling. The 44-year-old from Barranquilla is still the queen of television — and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Television’s Top Paid Actresses
1. Sofía Vergara – $43 million
2. Kaley Cuoco – $24.5 million
3. Mindy Kaling – $15 million
4. Ellen Pompeo – $14.5 million (tied)
4. Mariska Hargitay – $14.5 million (tied)
6. Kerry Washington – $13.5 million
7. Stand Katic – $12 million
8. Priyanka Chopra – $11 million
9. Julianna Marguiles – $10.5 million
10. Julie Bowe – $10 million
11. Pauley Perrette – $9.5 million
12. Patricia Heaton – $8.5 million
13. Emily Deschanel – $7.5 million (tied)
13. Julia Louis-Dreyfus – $7.5 million (tied)
15. Zooey Deschanel – $7 million
