Sofia Tops Forbes Highest Earning TV Actresses List

Sofia Vergara has been named the highest earning woman on TV — just three years after landing her first major series. The Modern Family star beat reality star Kim Kardashian to top Forbes magazine's list of TV's highest paid stars. Colombian born Vergara, 40, earned $19 million in 2011 while Kardashian took in $18 million.

When you convert the US dollar to our Rand, Vergara earned aproximately R156 million while Kim made about R148 million.

The majority of Vergara's bumper pay day came from her business deals rather than her role as Latino mother Gloria on the award-winning show where she earns an estimated $100,000 an episode.

While Modern Family brings in over $1 million a year Vergara scores with a clothing deal at Kmart and other lucrative endorsements, including deals with Pepsi and Burger King.

She also has her own production company and has landed roles in several Hollywood films, including New Year's Eve. 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.

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 $6 million, 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 $10 million (R82 million) a year.

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria is third on the Forbes List with $15 million a year. She was paid $375,000, thats about R3 million an episode for the final series of Housewives and has lucrative deals with Pepsi and L'Oreal.


Full List Of highest Earning TV Female Stars:

1. Sofia Vergara $19 million (Mordern Family)

2. Kim Kardashian $18 million (Keeping Up With The Kardashians)

3. Eva Longoria $15 million (Desperate Housewives)


4. Bethney Frankel $12 million (The Real Housewives Of New York City)

5. Khloe Kardashian $11 million (Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Khloe and Lamar)

6. Tina Fey $11 million (30 Rock)

7. Mariska Hargitay $10 million (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

8. Zooey Deschanel $9 million (New Girl)

9. Felicity Huffman $9 million (Desperate Housewives)

10. Ellen Pompeo $9 million (Grey's Anatomy)

Catch Sofia on Modern Family currently airing on Etv, Sundays at 19h30.