NEW YORK, (Reuters) – For the third consecutive year, Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, one of the stars of the hit ABC comedy “Modern Family,” is the highest paid actress on U.S. television, with estimated earnings of $37 million, Forbes magazine said yesterday.
Like last year, Vergara, who earns $325,000 for each episode of “Modern Family,” outpaced Mariska Hargitay, the Emmy-winning star of NBC’s “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” who came in second with $13 million. Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, 28, of CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory,” came in third, with $11 million.
“At 42, the ‘Modern Family’ star continues her streak in large part due to her business savvy,” said Forbes.
In addition to her TV work, Vergara has endorsement deals with beverage, cosmetic, clothing and other companies. She also co-founded Latin World Entertainment, a talent, management and entertainment marketing firm.
Hargitay, the 50-year-old star of the longest-running drama series currently on TV, earns $450,000 per episode and bulks up her earning through syndication profits.
Emmy winner Julianna Margulies, 48, of the CBS legal drama “The Good Wife,” was in a three-way tie for fourth place with Ellen Pompeo, 44, of the ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” and 32-year-old Cobie Smulders, of the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.” Each actress earned an estimated $10 million.