Los Angeles, May 7 (EFE).– Colombian actress Sofia Vergara on Thursday received her star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in a huge ceremony at which she was accompanied by her fiance, Joe Manganiello, her colleagues from “Modern Family” and her own family, including her son Manolo, who gave a short speech.

Vergara, 42, became the first actress from her country to have her name on a star on the iconic boulevard in the U.S. film mecca, although her compatriot singer-songwriter Shakira was honored similarly in 2011, the first Colombian to receive that recognition.

The actress was visibly moved and thrilled at the ceremony, with the crowd jamming the site and shouting her name.

Vergara said she was very grateful for the honor, especially to the cast and crew of “Modern Family,” the comedy that launched her to popularity in the United States.

She said if Gloria Prichett – her character on the television series – had not been invented, she would not be here.

Vergara, accompanied by many of her family members, including her mother, emphasized the importance of being surrounded by a person’s loved ones because, she said, you can have fame and money, but it’s not worth it if you have nobody to enjoy these things with.

“It is unbelievable for me to be here today standing with all of you,” Vergara said in her remarks to the crowd. “I don’t have anything to say but thank you. The first thanks I have to give is to Modern Family…”

The Colombian’s star is No. 2,551 on the Walk of Fame and is located next to the one for the man who plays her fictional husband on “Modern Family,” Ed O’Neill, who was also on hand to support her at the ceremony, along with Julie Bowen.

The creator of the series, Steve Levitan, and actor Eric Stonestreet, who is part of the cast, also had public words of praise for Vergara, who smilingly endured the repeated mentions of her attractive figure and other physical attributes. EFE