Sofia Vergara highest paid actress on US TV, again: Forbes

NEW YORK - Sofia Vergara of ABC's successful TV comedy Modern Family is the highest-paid actress on United States (US) television for the second consecutive year with estimated earnings of US$30 million (S$38.3 million), Forbes magazine said on Wednesday.

The voluptuous Colombian-born actress easily surpassed Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Mariska Hargitay of NBC's Law And Order: Special Victims Unit and Kaley Cuoco, a star of CBS's The Big Bang Theory, who both tied for second with $11 million.

"As the reigning queen of celebrity endorsement deals (thanks largely to her bilingual portfolio), Vergara's earnings over the past year reached $30 million - making her far and away the highest-paid actress on prime time," Forbes.com said.

Vergara, 41, has clothing and home goods lines sold at Sears Holding Corp's retailer Kmart and lucrative endorsement deals with PepsiCo Inc's Diet Pepsi, Proctor & Gamble Co's CoverGirl and others.

Sisters Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian of the E! cable reality series Keeping Up With The Kardashians, shared the No. 4 spot with earnings of US$10 million each along with three other women, including Melissa McCarthy of CBS's Mike & Molly.

McCarthy scored a hit on the big screen in Bridesmaids, a film that grossed about US$288 million at the global box office, and in The Heat with Sandra Bullock.

Like Vergara, the Kardashian sisters have a clothing line and other licensing deals.

Forbes compiled the list by estimating earnings for the year to June 2013 from the actresses' TV work, endorsements, residuals and advertising work, and by talking to agents, managers and lawyers.

Amy Poehler, a first timer on the list, was No. 13. The Parks & Recreation star earned US$7 million and also signed a book deal.

Forbes estimated that the top 20 actresses and reality stars earned a combined total of US$183 million.