How Sofía Vergara's Son Manolo Is Following in His Mother's Footsteps

From Oprah Magazine

• Sofía Vergara's 26 year-old son Manolo Gonzalez Rivera never fails to make headlines anytime he attends an event or red carpet with his mom.

• Vergara had him when she was 19, and raised him as a single mother.

• Here are six things to know about her son, who we suggest you follow on Instagram immediately.

If Sofía Vergara isn't hitting the red carpet with her husband Joe Manganiello by her side, you can definitely expect to spot her son, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, next to her showing support.

In September of 2017, the 26 year-old stood in as his mother’s date when Manganiello couldn’t make it to the Emmy Awards, prompting the rest of us to wonder: Who is this gorgeous human? If he looks familiar, you likely remember his cameo from Vergara’s 2014 Head & Shoulders commercial. And the actress is very outspoken on what it was like to raise her only son as a single mother, and how proud she is of him.

“Every time people compliment me about my son, it is very rewarding,” Vergara told People. “When people compliment me on him, on how well mannered, how charming, funny and well-behaved he is, it makes all the sacrifices worthwhile.”

Manolo actually walked his mother down the aisle during her wedding to Manganiello, and the two seem super close overall. We did some digging, and here are six things to know about Manolo Gonzalez Vergara.

His father is Sofía’s childhood sweetheart, Jose Luis Gonzalez.

When Sofía was 18, she married Jose Luis Gonzalez in Colombia. “[He was] my high school sweetheart, the only one,” she told Parade. “We married and had a son, Manolo.” Though the two divorced after two years, they remain amicable and he remains very present in Manolo’s life. Gonzalez stays with Vergara and her family whenever he visits the U.S., and he attended Manolo’s graduation from Emerson College in 2015.

“I was very young when I divorced his father, so I raised him trying to set the best example and give him the best I could,” Vergara previously told People when asked about Manolo. Mission accomplished.

Manolo Gonzalez Vergara is a model.

With his stellar good looks, branching out into modeling only makes sense. Fun fact: He made his unofficial modeling debut as a kid alongside his mother in a magazine ad back in the ‘90. However, he did a shoot with Paper magazine in 2014, marking his more official debut in a shoot inspired by the films of director Pedro Almodovar.

He’s pursuing an acting career.

Must be in his DNA, right? Manolo actually starred alongside his mother in Hot Pursuit, where he had a part as a DJ. He’s had his fair share of standout roles as well. He’s currently in a film called The Big Feed, which we gather is about vampires from his social media posts, and held a long-running part in the TV series Guilty Party. In addition, he's worked in films including Vandal, Destined to Ride, and #ThisIsCollege. Manolo also has experience on the other side of the camera, and has directed two short films called Waking Up and Post-Mortem. His mother is so incredibly supportive, posting updates on his career and new projects of his to her own Instagram.

He has a killer sense of humor.

Yet another trait he likely inherited from Vergara. You ever scroll through a total stranger’s Instagram and think, "They seem cool, I bet they’d be fun to hang out with in person"? The thought pops into our heads whenever Manolo posts up another photo punctuated with a caption that perfectly blends his irreverent wit with a historical or pop culture reference-or both, if we’re lucky.

He’s a massive fan of Cher.

Talk about a man after our own hearts. Clearly, Manolo believes in life after love, judging by the outpouring of his praises for the one and only Cher. He’s been a fan since he was younger, and according to a post on his Instagram, his grandmother took him to his first Cher concert in 1999. Manolo has been to 10 Cher concerts since then, and in January, he was able to treat his grandmother to a show where they were actually able to meet Cher backstage.

He rescued a dog named Baguette.

In January of 2018, Manolo adopted a chihuahua he named Baguette, and his mother was smitten, even throwing a tea party with multiple cakes for Baguette’s fifth birthday. “My mother didn’t like dogs. For the 20-something years I was alive, she never let me have a dog because she didn’t like dogs and then suddenly I get this one. Now she’s obsessed,” Manolo said in the video below. “My mother treats her as if she’s her granddaughter, 100 percent.”

Honestly? We kind of wish we were Baguette. Between the entirely-couture wardrobe and generally living the luxe life, she’s got it going on.

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