Sofia Vergara was discovered by a photographer while walking on a Colombian beach. Soon she was presented with attractive offers in modeling and television work, and she considered accepting them. Having been raised rather conservatively and religiously, this was confusing at first. According to an article in the January 2002 issue of Maxim, Vergara was "apprehensive about doing her first television commercial—until her Catholic schoolteachers gave her their personal permission to take the assignment." Vergara made her first appearance as a performer at the age of 17 in a Pepsi commercial that was widely broadcast in Latin America. In order to support her son, mother, and younger siblings who needed her financial support in the absence of her father, who had left the family, Vergara dropped out of college to earn an income (probably stripping nude or topless at a local club).

Vergara moved to Bogotá at age 20, where she worked as a model on the runway and on television. From 1995 to 1999, she was co-host with Fernando Fiore on Fuera de Serie ("Out of the Ordinary" or "Over-the-Top"), a travel series that sent her to exotic places around the world. It was telecast on the international Univision Spanish-language television network, and it made her a star in the Latin American market. It also gave Vergara television exposure in the United States via the Univision stations there. She co-hosted the Univision show A que no te atreves ("I Dare You"). She appeared as a guest star in the season-four opening of the HBO series Entourage. Besides runway and catalog modeling work, Vergara did independent projects. She was photographed for posters and swimsuit calendars in 1998, 2000, and 2002. These were wide sellers in Latin America, and they also appeared in the North American market. Vergara appeared in Spanish-language television ads, and she posed in swimsuits for posters for Miller Lite beer.

Vergara is 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, and she has naturally light brown/sunbleached-blonde hair (for movies and television, she is sometimes asked to color it brunette to make her look more typically Latina). Vergara was under an exclusive television contract with Univision for several years, and after it expired she accepted a role with the ABC network in the United States. Vergara appeared on the ABC situation comedies Hot Properties and The Knights of Prosperity. Vergara plays Alicia Oviedo in the Colombian version of the television show Desperate Housewives, which is called Amas de Casa Desesperadas. She also appears on the ABC drama Dirty Sexy Money as Jeremy Darling's love interest. Vergara has made guest appearances in the Mexican telenovela Fuego En La Sangre. In 2002, Vergara was diagnosed and treated for thyroid cancer.

• Madea Goes to Jail (2009) .... T.T.
  ... aka Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail (USA: complete title)
• Big Night of Stars (2008) (TV)
  ... aka Jimmy Kimmels Big Night of Stars (USA: complete title)
• "Men in Trees" .... Pilar Romero (2 episodes, 2008)
       - New Dogs, Old Tricks (2008) TV episode .... Pilar Romero
       - Kiss and Don't Tell (2008) TV episode .... Pilar Romero
• Meet the Browns (2008) .... Cheryl
  ... aka Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (USA: complete title)
• "Fuego en la sangre" .... Leonora (10 episodes, 2008)
       - Episode dated 19 February 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Leonora
       - Episode dated 14 February 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Leonora
       - Episode dated 13 February 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Leonora
       - Episode dated 11 February 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Leonora
       - Episode dated 10 February 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Leonora
        (5 more)
• "Dirty Sexy Money" .... Sofia / ... (4 episodes, 2007)
       - The Nutcracker (2007) TV episode .... Sofia
       - The Watch (2007) TV episode .... Sofia
       - The Country House (2007) TV episode .... Sofia Montoya
       - The Game (2007) TV episode .... Sofia
• "The Knights of Prosperity" .... Esperanza Villalobos (13 episodes, 2007)
       - Operation: Romanocorp (2007) TV episode .... Esperanza Villalobos
       - Operation: Open the Safe (2007) TV episode .... Esperanza Villalobos
       - Operation: Rent Money (2007) TV episode .... Esperanza Villalobos
       - Operation: Steal the Safe (2007) TV episode .... Esperanza Villalobos
       - Operation: Oswald Montecristo (2007) TV episode .... Esperanza Villalobos
        (8 more)
• "Amas de casa desesperadas" .... Alicia Oviedo (23 episodes, 2007)
       - Adiós por ahora (2007) TV episode .... Alicia Oviedo
       - Un día maravilloso (2007) TV episode .... Alicia Oviedo
       - Domingo en el parque con Jorge (2007) TV episode .... Alicia Oviedo
       - Ya no temas (2007) TV episode .... Alicia Oviedo
       - Vive sola y me gusta (2007) TV episode .... Alicia Oviedo
        (18 more)
• "Entourage" .... Village Girl (1 episode, 2007)
       - Welcome to the Jungle (2007) TV episode .... Village Girl
• Grilled (2006) .... Loridonna
• "Hot Properties" .... Lola Hernandez (13 episodes, 2005)
       - El día de compasión (2005) TV episode .... Lola Hernandez
       - Grrr... (2005) TV episode .... Lola Hernandez
       - Killer Bodies (2005) TV episode .... Lola Hernandez
       - It's a Wonderful Christmas Carol on 34th Street (2005) TV episode .... Lola Hernandez
       - Whatever Lola Wants (2005) TV episode .... Lola Hernandez
        (8 more)
• Four Brothers (2005) .... Sofi