She is the highest paid actress on TV, as she has been for many years. It’s been six years, in fact, that she has held this monetary lead, and for 2017, she was at $41.5 million, according to Forbes.com.

A big chunk of that change comes from playing the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, for which the actress has been nominated for an Emmy.

And the show in question, Modern Family, has been on the air ever since 2009.

Forbes says that about one-quarter of her earnings come from that well-known source, with additional income – more than half of the total, in fact – coming in from “licensing and endorsement deals with brands such as Head & Shoulders, Pepsi and CoverGirl.”

But before all of this explosive success, the superstar was, in fact, a teen mom.

The actress is listed on Google as being 5 feet 7 inches tall and born in 1972, making her 45 years old today. Her place of birth is Barranquilla, Colombia, but her popularity in the United States is fairly long-lived.

Although her, ahem, MODERN life has seen her married to a famous actor and becoming a household name, the actress’s past involves a teenage wedding, a short-lived marriage, and becoming a teen mom.

Let’s look back at 15 throwback pics of young Sofia Vergara, a teen mother, and bride.

15 Gather ’Round

Her real modern family life has seen her married to Joe Manganiello since 2015. This famous husband and father is 41 years old and also in the biz.

He’s a famous actor, producer, director, and more who’s played roles in super hero movies, Magic Mike, many TV shows, and more, including a handful of movies currently in production or recently announced, if you simply take a look at IMDB.com.

Back in 1991, though, Vergara was married to a Joe Gonzalez, and the two were husband and wife until 1993 (this much is apparent on Google’s results and has been widely reported on celeb news sites).

From there, it was on to, well, stardom.

But before all of that, there was something a bit more like, well, this, as featured at RadarOnline.com.

Fans may note that even in this throwback, Vergara wears a fabulously shiny blouse, largely unbuttoned or maybe even just tied on in the front, it appears.

She pairs the top with a super-’90s jean and (what look like) animal-print – maybe snakeskin? – heels, the likes of which I bet you could pick up for a pretty penny in a trendy boutique today. (Yay for the ’90s making a long-running comeback!)

I bet this shot might remind some readers out there of a quite familiar family scene, perhaps on a birthday or holiday, with all the generations gathered around in the living room, telling stories or even singing songs…

14 Halloween Of Yore

Yes, it is truly the very same person – albeit many, many years ago – shared by none other than the incredibly successful actress herself.

DailyMail.co.uk said, “Sitting surrounded in children, barefoot [and] holding her baby, a teenaged Sofia Vergara could not have imagined how different her life would be today.

The actress is actually holding the baby in what appears to be an infant car seat, actually.

“Fast forward 22 years and the now mega star is showing off the picture of that Halloween night in Colombia to her more than 5.2 million online fans,” the site continues.

This nostalgic shot was reportedly shared about 4 years ago, by the then-41-year-old actress. She posted it to WhoSay, something I’ve never personally heard of, which goes to show you learn something every day!

She was 19 years old at the time of this photo, as she sat amid kids and holding her own son, Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara.

“While the star is now famed for her curves, at the time she was just a tall skinny 19-year-old with her simple cotton dress swapping her slender frame,” DailyMail.co.uk says.

I would like to add, though, that there appears to be some sort of sheen to the fabric of her dress, don’t you think?

The baby Manolo sported a costume appropriate to the holiday, along with the rest of the kids.

The same site says that it was just a year later that the young mother and the father of the child split up, leaving Vergara a single mother.

13 Just A Babe

Dressed, again, in white and wearing her hair pulled away from her face with a headband, the young mother Vergara gave a bottle to her tiny babe.

Is it just me, or do her expression, composure, and eyes already hint at someone more than ready to become a model?

As reported at USMagazine.com,

her son, Manolo, was born back in 1992, quite shortly after she was married to her now longtime-ex-husband.

The actress and entrepreneur has reportedly claimed that being a mother at a young age wasn’t all bad, even if it did, of course, come with a necessary change in lifestyle.

US reports that the star said, “When I had Manolo, I was 19, and I had the energy for everything.” And yet, of course, as shared with Redbook in 2011, “It’s a big responsibility; you can’t go out much at night. Instead of buying a pair of shoes, you have to buy diapers. When you have a kid, you have to be more mature.”

US reports that the actress’s first husband was her “college sweetheart,” whom she married at the age of 18 and divorced two years later.

A lot has changed for this woman over the last few decades, to be sure!

12 Quite The Occasion

Is anybody else beginning to see even more clearly that the young woman in these old pictures is very obviously the actress who’s become a household name?

Her son appears to maybe have some clownish aspects to his costume yet again.

The young Vergara looks brightly at the camera as she holds her little one in her lap.

Her hair is worn long and wavy, and her makeup appears to be applied carefully.

Earrings, rings, and a bracelet are worn as accents.

The clothing worn this time is black, and sleeveless, rather than the innocent white ensembles that we saw in earlier throwback images.

Does it perhaps look like a birthday celebration or some other sort of party or festivity?

Also, is it just me, or could this easily be a trendy young woman in your daily life today – funny how all of these trends quite quickly come back around again, isn’t it?

Check out the styling of the lips, the eyebrows (most especially), and the hair.

With his cowboy hat and rouged cheeks, Vergara’s little boy looks right up at the camera, too – if, perhaps, a bit more solemnly.

A sort of half-grin appears to be spreading across the young mother’s lips.

11 With Her Boy

“My life as a mother has been hard, but not a nightmare,” Vergara said in 1993, according to RadarOnline.com. “I do like all working moms do. No life is perfect. What I do, it’s part of life.”

She’s seen here again holding her little boy and giving an apparently calm and bright smile for the camera.

Her cosmetic style appears somewhat similar, with some light highlights in her brown hair, carefully manicured brows and what appear to be made-up eyes, and a lipstick applied tidily in a natural hue.

Rings are worn on her visible right hand, and you know what I noticed?

Again, she is wearing black.

I guess she tended to favor some stunningly simple shades in her wardrobe at the time. I like it!

Her little one wears jeans and a T-shirt as the two sit happily posed together. Awww. It makes me want to try to get some pictures of myself and my little ones in which I look calm, pretty, and put-together… Maybe once I’m done writing this.

In any case, does anyone else feel like the ’90s were, like, yesterday?

Although some of us becoming parents in recent years were just small children ourselves when these throwback photos of the model and actress were taken, the aesthetic is just so familiar and almost doesn’t feel old at all.

Although part of this is surely due to the fact that all things 1990s are back in full force lately and don’t seem to be going anywhere any time too soon.

10 Serious Talent

The star whom DailyMail.co.uk has described as “husky-voiced” and who is now known far and wide for her looks and acting had to start somewhere, and although time has changed a few things, it doesn’t seem to have changed everything!

Sofia was a young teen when this black-and-white photo was taken,” according to RadarOnline.com, “but it is clear she had major star presence already! She dropped out of dentistry school to pursue a career in entertainment once she was scouted for modeling. She soon [landed] several gigs, including a starring role in a Pepsi commercial that many of us probably remember.”

In this old photo, her wrap is worn off the shoulders, exposing the straps of a dark, snugly fitting tank top.

The actress has that model look down at this point, with a gaze that seems to be straight at the camera and yet also somehow sort of go right through you.

With lightened hair worn down and swept back away from the forehead, Vergara poses for the black-and-white photo.

Her arms are crossed, and her lips are unsmiling and slightly parted to form that fashionable partial pout.

It would be much more than modeling for this rising star in the years to follow…

9 It’s Showtime

“How cute was she? It looks like Sofia was onstage performing in the candid. Little did she know that she would end up becoming the highest-paid actress on television!” writes RadarOnline.com to provide a caption for this shot of Vergara as just a young girl – in costume, striking a pose or maybe putting on a little show.

With hair perfectly in place, abundant makeup, apparently nautical attire, and plenty of pizazz,

the little girl who grew up to be the ridiculously wealthy actress is already grabbing the spotlight with apparent ease.

While I would describe some of her smiles in later pictures included in this list as somewhat carefully posed, or even a bit humble or demure, this little show stopper would appear to be perfectly at home on a stage or in front of a camera.

Did you grow up with anyone like that – or were you maybe even like that yourself? Getting attention and feeling comfortable while putting on a show… dressing up in costumes… the whole song and dance…

It seems, in my experience, like some people are just naturally comfortable doing stuff like this – or naturally excited about doing it.

Do you think part of her knew way back then what she might be destined for?

8 Pool Party

Now that, my friends, is quite the 1980s bikini, if I’ve ever seen one!

I know trends come and go and then come again, but I don’t think I’ve seen the bottom of any one-piece in many decades cut with hips quite so high or a front quite so low… That’s some truly vintage stuff, to be sure.

The actress herself reportedly shared this snap, a celebration of that (sort of) long-ago time.

The then-young woman and her crew all seem to be squinting into the bright sun as they pose in their bathing suits.

The posting of this old-school pic reportedly happened a few years ago, now, in 2016.

“Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello both shared flashback photos from their early days on Thursday,” according to a June 30, 2016, article at the website DailyMail.co.uk. “The actors, who married in November, posted coordinated throwback pics of their teenage years to Instagram.”

Vergara’s picture was of course of herself as just a young teen, wearing a bikini in pink and black.

Her caption for the post read, “Tbt Barranquilla in the 80s!!13 ys old.'

She poses with sunglasses atop her head and her hand on her hip, with one hand resting on the shoulder of her companion.

7 Queen Of Hearts, Already

“It probably wasn't hard to spot the teenaged Sofia Vergara in a crowd,” according to DailyMail.co.uk.

“The Colombian beauty shared the story of how she broke into stardom, thanks to a talent searcher's keen eye, as well as early childhood snapshots,” the site recapped, reporting on a TV feature that had recently occurred: Modern Family: E! Entertainment Special.

“Even at a young age Sofia was a natural beauty who was bound to be rich and world-famous,” the same site opines.

Vergara shared what exactly happened to lead to the chain of events that would change her life forever.

“I was 17. I was at the beach with my parents, and some scout asked to take a Polaroid of me,”

she spoke of the important life moment way back then.

This photo reportedly captures what she looked like back in that day at the time of her discovery, “with long hair, bangs and thick eyebrows, wearing a light blue pinafore embellished with a red heart and red-striped shirt,” Daily Mail reports. “Sofia, now 41, couldn't have known then, as she sat crosslegged on a lawn between two similarly attired girlfriends, how her life was about to change.”

After being spotted on that day, the young woman got her first Pepsi commercial gig. In the ad in question, she is seen wearing a purple bikini while walking on the beach in search of the soft drink.

6 Ahoy, There!

Check her out, posing in costume beside an adorably dressed-up little baby girl!

Vergara shared the snap with a little tweet back on January 10, 2013.

Haja me in Barranquilla during Carnaval,” she captioned the photo.

“Who would have thought Sofia Vergara was gorgeous even as a little girl?” said a piece about the tweet at PerezHilton.com. “Put your hand down, Sofia, we know you knew! LOLz!”

The celeb news site continues to include that the Modern Familyactress shared the photo from her childhood as part of Throwback Thursday (which I’m assuming the whole world knows is #TBT, at this point in time).

“Wow! How ADORBz can you get?! No wonder everyone she met told her she should be an actress! Well, they should have anyway!” said PerezHilton.com.

There seems to again be a nautical theme to the little lady’s costume, and she sure is smiling happily in her festive attire, as she waves toward the camera.

Straight, short hair with some layering and bangs frame her bright face, and she wears a cherry-red lip to match the ribbons and other details of her costume as well as her ankle-laced flats.

She appears to join her baby companion atop a table as they pose for the pic.

5 Stunning In White

There are actually a handful of photos from Sofia Vergara’s first wedding out there, and so we have divided them into two categories here to make them, hopefully, a bit easier to digest.

First off, we will include a couple portraits that appear to be from the event’s reception.

The young woman, then 18, holds a small, simple bouquet embellished with a golden ribbon as she poses elegantly, looking sideways to something off camera.

Her wedding gown is elaborately beaded and embellished on top, with long sleeves and a high neckline befitting a traditional religious ceremony performed in a church setting.

The bottom portion of the gown appears to be simple off-white satin gathered at the waste, creating the look of a separate skirt.

Very, very heavy makeup appears to be worn, including, of course, that bright-red lip. Eye shadow in what looks like a metallic mauve of some sort extends up to the brow.

A quite elaborate head band accompanies her long lace veil atop her head, and her hair is pulled back in an up-do.

What do you think – does it seem about right for a fashionable bride at the time – the time being the very early ’90s?

4 Down The Aisle Already

Even more details of the star’s dramatic wedding look can be seen, I think, in the shots of her walking down the aisle and during the ceremony itself.

According to USMagazine.com, again, this was just “at the tender age of 18, and thanks to photographic evidence, there is proof: She looks like she hasn't aged a day!”

They describe that Vergara “headed to the chapel in a classic, embellished white dress, complete with long sleeves, satin gloves, and a veil topped with white posies. But take a good look at her face: Teenage Vergara boasted wide eyes, chiseled cheekbones (bronzed for the day), a plump red pout, and a strong jawline.”

Some of the features and styling that the famous figure is still known for were similarly displayed way back then!

“Looks like the mom to Manolo, 22, found her signature look at a young age and stuck to it!” US states, adding that if you check out the actress during modern appearances and events, “you'll see nearly the same bombshell, with the same red-lipped grin and barely a wrinkle in sight.”

To me, even at this very young age, the actress looked incredibly confident and comfortable being made up and having many sets of eyes focused right on her.

3 Posing With Rugrats

By age 23, Sofia was a runway model, and from 1995 to 1998, she co-hosted a travel show, Fuera de serie, which gave her exposure in the United States,” the site RadarOnline.com includes while discussing some of the earlier photos of the now mega-star.

The actress appears to be carefully made up and dressed, again, in black, and this time accessorizing with a choker necklace. (She was a rising star of the 1990s, after all…)

It looks like a family member or friend’s party, to me – if I had to guess – or maybe even some sort of public appearance?

I believe, if my eyes (belonging to someone who was a kid in the ’90s) do not deceive me, that there is some sort of Rugrats theme happening in the background of this throwback photo — am I right?

Is that Chuckie’s mug and bangs and the rim of his blue glasses peeking out behind the people in focus, toward the left? I believe so.

Although it’s not for a professional ad campaign, a head shot, or her professional portfolio, the famous lady looks quite perfectly posed and put-together, as seems to have been her trademark style for many, many years at this point.

2 Petite Performer

“She doesn’t seem to have aged at all!” comments RadarOnline.com to accompany a majorly throwback pic of the star.

She appears to be posing just offstage with a group of other windbreaker- and 80s-belt-wearing kids, and smiling happily.

If you ask me, there seems to already be a look of ease and confidence on the young lady’s face, especially as compared to the other youths with whom she poses.

Maybe they are at a concert? Perhaps they are actually in the “backstage” area and were performing in some capacity on that day?

If you look closely, you may notice that what appears to be some sort of boy band is apparently dancing in unison up on the stage in the background of the photo.

Though the fashions may have changed just a bit since the time of this pic, some would say the person in question hasn’t, really, all that much.

Maybe here we see an early glimpse of someone destined to be a performer, even if things like dentistry school, teen marriages, and becoming a mom before turning 20 years old were all in there, as well.

And hey, maybe there will even be some young moms out there inspired to look ahead to all the amazing things that life may still bring…

1 Party People

“We all know Sofia likes to let loose when she heads to award show after parties, and when she was a teen, it was no different,” opines RadarOnline.com in a slideshow about the earlier years of the actress’s life, featuring some super-throwback pics. “She’s seen here hanging out with friends at a venue,” they write.

Two other girls as well as three dudes are pictured in the celebration-centric photo.

Does it maybe remind anyone out there of posed shots with friends and their dates at, say, school dances back in the day?

There’s even a disco ball front and right of center, for Pete’s sake!

And again, of course, Vergara dons all black. This time it’s an LBD (little black dress, of course) along with what appear to be black heels with pointed toes.

Her long hair is again worn down and this time swept to one side.

Some of the revelers in this photo even appear to be mid-dance move, if you ask me.

Vergara’s focus appears to be on… the camera, of course.

With bright red and pink lips, mini-dresses, and dancin’ shoes, this ’90s crew looks ready to partay!

Dude, what song do you think was on while this photo was taken?

References: Forbes.com, DailyMail.co.uk, USMagazine.com, DailyMail.co.uk, Perezhilton.com, USMagazine.com, DailyMail.co.uk, DailyMail.co.uk, RadarOnline.com