Sofia Vergara‘s younger sister has revealed what it’s like to live in the shadow of a famous Hollywood starlet—while detailing how her life has changed since she stepped into her own spotlight as a real estate agent on the Netflix series “Selling Sunset.”
Sandra Vergara, 37, quickly turned heads when she made her debut on the popular Los Angeles-based real estate series and drew many a comparison to the “Modern Family” alum, 53, who is her biological cousin and adopted sister.
Formerly a journalist for People, Sandra recently traded her reporting skills for a career helping California’s wealthiest to buy and sell homes—a journey that is now being documented on the series.
And while the luxury real estate agent—who is working as part of Jason Oppenheim‘s eponymous agency, The Oppenheim Group—told Fox News that she understands comparisons with her sister are natural, she is eager to prove that she has her own talents that are separate from Sofia’s on-screen skills.
When asked about what it’s like living up to the Vergara name, Sandra said, “That is such a f—ing amazing question that I would ask. I love it. It’s brilliant.
“Because, it’s like, in a sense, immediately you’re gonna be compared just for the fact that you have the same last name—that happens to everyone who’s related to somebody that’s huge, that’s just how it goes.
“But, at the same time, no, because I’m completely different, and right now I’m doing something completely different.”
Still, Sandra was quick to credit her sister with helping her to find her feet in Los Angeles, explaining that Sofia welcomed her into her own home with open arms when she first made the move to the city.
“She brought me here years ago, right? Like I’m here. I came to L.A. [and] I moved in with her. She supported me for a long time. So I have a lot of respect for her and for what she’s done. So it’s not bad, the comparison,” she noted.
She is, however, eager for viewers on “Selling Sunset” to see her in her “own light,” revealing that she didn’t actually tell her sister that she was joining the hit show.
But she did share her secret with Sofia’s son, Manolo, 34, explaining that the two of them have developed a firm friendship because they are so close in age—and adding that he readily encouraged her to seize the opportunity to cut her own path in the industry.
“I told Manolo about ‘Selling Sunset,’ and he’s like, ‘Boo-Boo, you gotta do it. I love it. I’ve seen it all.’ So I’m like, ‘OK, done.’ So I only asked Manolo and I did it. And then after I did it, I told everybody and everybody’s very happy and supportive,” Sandra said.
As for whether viewers can expect a Sofia cameo in the future, Sandra revealed that her cousin and sister may just make an appearance on the show if she ever decides to sell her abode.
Sofia may well be grateful of her sister’s help, having recently sold a home for well under her original asking price—a Beverly Hills mansion that was initially listed for $19.6 million, but sold for $13.7 million after several years on the market.
Helping her sibling to sell a home would give Sandra the opportunity to return some of the advice and guidance that she says Sofia has given her, explaining that the best lesson the actress has taught her is to have “confidence” in everything that you do.
“Confidence. Confidence is everything. You just have to be really sure of who you are. So basically know thyself and own it. Like no matter what. No matter what,” she shared.
“Like you don’t know how to do something? Well learn. But like just show up very confident in who you are and what you do. And that is the best advice. It works for her, it works for like a lot of people,” she added.
Sandra also touched on the drama featured in this season of the series, noting, “I want peace in the office ’cause if they’re all getting along and there’s harmony, we can all become better and more productive. But like, they have a backstory, man, that they’ve already accumulated for like seasons over seasons.”
The journalist-turned-real-estate-agent revealed she began selling homes after going through a “really hard” breakup.
“So, I meant to meet with Netflix to maybe do their live events. My family has always said like, ‘You would be amazing in real estate.’ The seed was planted,” Sandra revealed.
“So, when the opportunity came into my hands, I was going through that breakup. It was the perfect challenge. I needed to get myself out of like the funk. And it worked.”