Sofia Vergara gets candid about marrying super hunk Joe Manganiello

HOLLYWOOD stars don’t get much nicer or hotter than Sofia Vergara and she’s chatted candidly with news.com.au about her upcoming wedding with super hunk Joe Manganiello.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello are sure to be a hot bride and groom.

IT’S hard to believe that one of Hollywood’s sexiest bombshells, Sofia Vergara, would be intimidated to meet her future fiance, the True Blood hunk and star of Magic Mike, Joe Manganiello.

“Well, I had just come out of a relationship and I wanted peace and quiet. It sounded like such a bad idea to date the hottest bachelor in Hollywood,” Vergara explained to news.com.au. “And he’s four years younger than me. It sounded like a lot of work to me at that moment.”

Yeah Joe Manganiello looks OK with his shirt off.

Manganiello, 38, began pursuing the Colombian beauty as soon as she broke up with her then-fiance, businessman Nick Loeb. “So, I was like, ‘I don’t want to deal with that. I’m going to meet an older guy, a more normal guy, but he convinced me to out with him one time. I still was like, ‘OK, I’m going to go out one time and have a good time.’ But then I met him and I found out how he was.” She laughs loudly. “And then he started looking less and less handsome.”

And is the ‘work’ as big a load as she first thought?

“No, it’s not a lot of work at all,” she smiles. “A girlfriend of mine who kept telling me to go out with him says to me now, ‘You see? You could have missed a good opportunity because you’re so stubborn judging people by their cover.” She can’t seem to wipe the smile from her face. “But it’s so great, it’s really good.”

Sofia and Joe are the picture of happiness (and hotness).

A whirlwind romance, the couple began dating in July 2014 and Manganiello popped the question Christmas Day. Though no date is set, the couple plans to marry this year. “I said, ‘Joe let’s just go to Vegas,’ because I wanted a small wedding, but then I thought it has to be super special for Joe because it’s his first wedding.” She shrugs. “So, it’s going to have to be big.”

Sofia’s stunning engagement ring.

Vergara was first married at age 18 to her high-school sweetheart. They had a son, Manolo, in 1992, and divorced the following year.

The Modern Family star looks stunning in an electric blue sleeveless top and a tight-fitting black pencil skirt. Without question, she is one of the rare actresses in Hollywood who looks as glamorous in person as she is onscreen.

The Latin beauty stars with Reese Witherspoon in the upcoming action comedy, Hot Pursuit, in which her character is relentlessly mocked about her age. How does the 42-year-old star deal with ageing in real life? “If any woman tells you she doesn’t care about ageing, I don’t think it’s true. Of course it bothers me,” she admits, candidly.

Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara in a scene from Hot Pursuit

“I wish I could be young forever but it’s a reality you have to learn to embrace, because what can you do? If you get too crazy about it, it can go all the way and then you look even weirder, or worse,” she says. “So I have regular facials. But in general, I think women are ageing better and better.”

Has she found an upside to ageing?

“The important thing about ageing is that now you know more about life so you can make better choices, like with Joe, but not just because he’s hot.” As evidence she has not made her romantic choices based on physical allure, she offers, “I’ve been out with short, tall, skinny, fat … I don’t have a problem with any of that.”

Those facials really seem to be working. Sofia is gorgeous at 42.

For all her perpetual upbeat demeanour, Vergara has certainly endured more than her share of tragedy. Her older brother, Rafael, was murdered in Bogotá, in 1998. The same year her younger brother, Julio, who had long battled with drug addiction was deported from the US. Two years later she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer though after treatment has made a full recovery.

Her latest drama is a bizarre battle with her ex fiance, Loeb, over custody of their frozen embryos. In short, Loeb wants to bring them to term and Vergara wants to destroy them, especially given that they are no longer a couple and she will soon be married to Manganiello.

Sofía Vergara with ex-fiance Nick Loeb.

As the situation is not yet legally finalised, this is not a subject open for discussion.

Admirably, she has the ability to roll with life’s punches. “It’s a choice to be happy. I’ve never felt I had the right to get depressed because tragedy happens. I’m like everybody. I sometimes get sick, or somebody in my family dies or gets sick. I make the choice not to think too much about it and just keep moving.”

Surely something can put Vergara in a grumpy mood? “Yes. When I’m hungry I start hating everybody,” she jokes.

Vergara raised Manolo on her own and beams with pride when speaking about him. The comedienne-actress, who studied dentistry at college declares, “Manolo is 23 years old and has never had one cavity. That is one of my greatest achievements.” For the last four years her only child has been away in Boston completing a college degree in film studies. “He’s coming back to LA to look for work so I’m very excited.”

Sofia Vergara and son Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara.

Clearly, this is a happy time in her life and she and Manganiello enjoy a low-key lifestyle. “Joe and I are very similar. We like eating, which is my favourite thing to do, and we go to the movies, the theatre, normal things.”

What else does she enjoy doing when she’s not working?

“Well, I think I’m starting to get really old,” she confesses. Leaning forward and lowering her voice, she says, “I’m starting to collect china!” With her signature accent she has a knack for making anything sound funny. “These days, I love to set tables for entertaining and I found that the Netherlands makes amazing china.” She deadpans. “Does that mean I’m old now?”

Originally published as Sofia Vergara gets candid about marrying super hunk Joe Manganiello