Sofia Vergara is a force to be reckoned with and her enormous success has not come easy. Known for her lovable role on ‘Modern Family,’ Vergara is more than just a great actress. She’s built her own empire and made a name for herself that has landed her the title of Forbes‘ highest-paid actress in the world for seven consecutive years.

In regards to the Forbes’ title, “I am super proud,” “I feel like it’s a bit of an exaggeration though -- don’t forget that I have to pay horrific taxes too. When everyone is like, ‘Oh, my God, you have so much money,’ I always say, ‘No, I don’t have as much as you think I have. I have to f*cking pay Uncle Sam! And managers! And lawyers! And agents!’”

Think back to the early 1990s when the actress’ career began with different hosting gigs and roles at a young 22-years-old in the Spanish-language market before landing the role that would eventually make her a household name, Gloria Pritchett in the sitcom ‘Modern Family’ in 2009.

“I was very young when I signed my first contract, and I did it myself,” Vergara told Variety. ”I needed a manager, and that didn’t exist for a Latina personality. It existed for Latina musicians, but not on TV,” she said in the interview.

Today, Vergara has her own clothing, fragrance, and even furniture collections. The 48-year-old has also added “talent show judge” to her resume from her work on ‘America’s Got Talent.’

According to Variety, Vergara has made most of her money from businesses and brand deals. “I’ve made a lot with endorsements and being a spokesperson,” she says. “That has given me a lot of money – and I’ve done a lot of them.”

Vergara has always had the attitude that one must ask for what they want and deserve.“I do feel sometimes that women have that thing that they’re scared to negotiate. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want and what you deserve,” Vergara says, “Because somebody is going to make that money, and somebody is going to take that money, and it needs to be you. That has worked for me, always.”