For the fifth year in a row, Sofia Vergara has been named the highest-paid actress in television. The “Modern Family” star took home nearly $43 million excluding management fees and taxes, Time reports. This is a history-making sum — $43 million marks the most any TV actor, male or female, has ever earned in a year.
Forbes writes that Vergara’s income has increased by 66 percent since last year. The salary boost is not the result of a her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC’s long-running hit sitcom, but of her endorsement and licensing deals, which include a furniture line. New research from Dr. Martha Lauzen revealed that in the 2015–16 season, only five percent of female characters on broadcast network programs were Latina, making Vergara’s ascendance especially noteworthy and welcome.
The fact that a considerable chunk of Vergara’s earnings come from outside of acting is not at all unusual. It’s common for both female TV and film stars to make much, or even most, of their money via advertising contracts.
“The Big Bang Theory’s” Kaley Cuoco is the second highest-paid actress, and made just over half of what Vergara did: $24.5 million. Unlike Vergara, Cuoco’s earnings are primarily from her TV contract.
The top 15 highest-paid actresses include Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”), Priyanka Chopra (“Quantico”), and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (“Veep”). For the complete list, head over to Forbes.
