Modern Family Star Is Highest Paid TV Actress

Modern Family star Sofia Vergara has been named the highest paid US television actress for the third year in a row.

The 42-year-old earned $37m (£22m) in the last year, significantly more than the top paid actor, Ashton Kutcher, who made $26m (£15m).

Forbes magazine said the Colombia-born actress reportedly makes $325,000 (£197,000) an episode for playing Gloria in Modern Family, but earns much more from endorsements.

She is also the co-founder of multi-million dollar talent management and marketing firm Latin World Entertainment, and earlier this year she launched her own perfume.

In second place is Law and Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay, whose estimated earnings total $13m (£8m), while Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory took home an estimated $11m (£6m) for third place.

Tied in fourth spot were The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies who earned $10m (£6m), as did Ellen Pompeo of Grey's Anatomy and Cobie Smulders of How I Met Your Mother.

Forbes' list is determined by estimating pre-tax earnings between June 2013 and June 2014 from the actresses' TV work, endorsements, residuals and advertising work, and by talking to agents, managers and lawyers.

The estimate does not include management fees and other expenses.

The top 10 actresses on the 2014 list made a combined $140m (£85m). That compares with the $214m combined earnings of the 10 leading TV actors.