Battle of the brunette bombshells: Sofia Vergara beats Kim Kardashian to the top of Forbes' list of TV's highest paid woman after raking in $19m
Sofia Vergara has been named as the highest earning women on TV - just three years after landing her first major series.
The Modern Family star beat reality star Kim Kardashian to top the Forbes list of TV's highest paid stars.
Colombian born Vergara, 40, earned $19m (£12.7m) in 2011 while Kardashian took in $18m.
The majority of Vergara's bumper pay day came from her business deals rather than he role as Latino mother Gloria on the award winning show where she earns an estimated $100,000 an episode.
Big earners! Sofia Vergara earned $19m in 2011 while Kim Kardashian took in $18m
While Modern Family brings in over $1m a year Vergara scores with a clothing deal at Kmart and other lucrative endorsements, including deals with Pepsi and Burger King.
TOP EARNING FEMALE TV STARS
1. Sofia Vergara $19m
2. Kim Kardashian $18m
3. Eva Longoria $15m
4. Bethney Frankel $12m
5. Khole Kardashian $11m
6. Tina Fey $11m
7. Mariska Hargitay $10m
8. Zooey Deschanel $9m
9. Felicity Huffman $9m
10. Ellen Pompeo $9m
She also has her own production company and has landed roles in several Hollywood films, including New Year's Eve.
According to Forbes Vergara's huge earning power is down to her cross-over appeal and her ability to tap into the $1trillion in consumer spending for the Hispanic community.
'If we really want to talk about Sofia Vergara, we’re talking about Sofia Incorporated. She’s earning more than $12 million in endorsement deals alone,' said Forbes writer Meghan Casserly.
'The Hispanic market in the U.S. is estimated to be something over $1 trillion in consumer spending.
'Sofia Vergara is the Hispanic crossover star that I feel like the U.S. has been waiting for.'
Vergara's rise to the top of the pay list has been nothing short of meteoric having landed her first major series in Modern Family in 2009.
Fan favourite: Sofia plays Latino mother Gloria on the award winning show Modern Family
Until that role she had been a bit part actress appearing in several TV shows, including Baywatch.
As the Queen of TV Reality series 31 year old Kim Kardashian has used her fame to promote her clothing line as well as perfume that brought in $6m, according to Forbes.
Even a marriage that lasted less than three months has failed to dent her popularity and she has appeared on the cover of 63 magazines in the last 12 months.
The series Keeping up with the Kardashians is worth $10m a year.
Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria is third on the Forbes List with $15m a year.
She was paid $375,000 an episode for the final series of Housewives and has lucrative deals with Pepsi and L'Oreal.
Reality star Bethnney Frankel is fourth with $12m and another reality star Khole Kardashian was fifth with £11m.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2175415/Sofia-Vergara-beats-Kim-Kardashian-Forbes-list-TVs-highest-paid-woman-raking-19m.html#ixzz2117S5yZ2