Selling Sunset is finally back for season 9, and this time, expect to see a fresh face in the cutthroat Oppenheim Group. After asking cast member and longtime agent Nicole Young to leave the office following a feud with costars Chrishell Stause and Emma Hernan (because Young previously accused Hernan of sleeping with a married man), The O Group boss Jason Oppenheim decides to bring a new hire on board in hopes that “new energy” will improve the workplace vibes.
That new energy comes in the form of newbie Sandra Vergara. If that last name sounds familiar, it’s not a coincidence: She’s related to Modern Family star Sofía Vergara. But Sandra herself is no stranger to showbiz, which will come in handy as she learns the real estate ropes onscreen in the hit Netflix reality series...and experiences some light drama in her interactions with Stause.
“I don’t know what I’m getting into,” she admits onscreen at one point. “Sink or swim, baby!”
So, who is Oppenheim’s rookie agent offscreen? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Sandra Vergara.
How are Sandra Vergara and Sofía Vergara related?
Sandra and Sofía Vergara attend the Get Rich or Die Tryin L.A. premiere in November 2005.
Sofía and Sandra are first cousins, as well as adoptive sisters. Sofía’s parents, Margarita Vergara Dávila de Vergara and Julio Enrique Vergara Robayo, adopted Sandra when she was just one month old due to her biological mother’s health issues.
“I never felt out of place, thank God,” Sandra told HuffPost during a 2011 interview. “I never felt different or that I didn’t belong, because my mom always made me feel like I was one of her daughters. The same goes for my dad, rest in peace. I always felt that way.”
She also told the outlet that Sofía was always supportive of her pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. The reality star said that Sofía—who is 16 years her senior—invited her to live with her in L.A., although she largely sought out Hollywood opportunities on her own. “There’s really not much anyone can do to help another person,” Sandra said. “For me, leveraging is a myth. As much as Sofía can say to someone, they have to be impressed by you.”
She previously worked as a celebrity stylist and makeup artist
According to her Model Mayhem profile, Sandra worked as a celebrity stylist and makeup artist between 2008 and 2011. Her clients included Asia Argento, Bijou Phillips, Jordana Brewster, Rumer Willis, and, yes, Sofia Vergara.
Nowadays, she still shares her favorite products and makeup how-tos on her social media.
She was also an actress and TV presenter
Sandra has been getting on camera for years, long before she joined the Selling Sunset ensemble. She made her film debut at 16 in the 2004 Peruvian drama Days of Santiago. In 2011, she starred alongside Colin Farrell in the vampire horror movie Fright Night and held a small role in the political satire God Bless America.
Later on, Sandra played Theresa Corazon across six episodes of the iconic CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful in 2013. Her other TV credits include appearances on series like Nip/Tuck and CSI: Miami.
Outside of acting, Sandra has also forged a career as an entertainment journalist, presenter, and reality TV show host. In 2015, she co-hosted Good Work, E!’s one-season plastic surgery talk show, with Drag Race host RuPaul and plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow. You may have also seen her work as the L.A. correspondent for PEOPLE magazine’s digital series PEOPLE (The TV Show), which she joined in 2020.
Sandra has been romantically linked to 'The Boys' actor Antony Starr
Sandra Vergara and Antony Starr attend the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards together on September 15, 2024.
Although Sandra is relatively private about her personal life on social media, she has made a series of public appearances alongside Antony Starr, who plays Homelander on the Prime Video series The Boys. In 2024, the two attended the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Venice Family Clinic’s Heart Gala together. However, neither of them has publicly addressed their alleged relationship.
She is a self-described "brain coach"
Sandra describes herself as a “painter, TV host, and 🧠 coach” on Instagram, where she has over 223,000 followers at the time of Selling Sunset’s season 9 premiere.
She often shares her personal lifestyle advice and opinions with her social media followers, such as a September 27 Instagram Reel in which she likened “hot and cold” romantic relationships to gambling. “That’s not love, that’s a slot machine,” she said. “You’re getting psychologically played.”
In another post from June 2024, Sandra shared her feelings on “cancel culture.”
“Under the standards of ‘cancel culture,’ almost everyone has done something that could lead to their cancellation,” she argued. “You’re better off being a criminal, with the right to due process, than a public figure who faces the modern-day public trial where your very existence can be obliterated without a chance to defend yourself.”
Sandra is new to real estate
Sandra in Selling Sunset.
Sandra is a rookie agent in the real estate business. During an October interview with Netflix’s Tudum ahead of her debut on Selling Sunset, she said that her “love for people” and “eye for design” drew her to the industry.
“Combining [those qualities] in real estate just clicked,” she continued. “I’d seen [Selling Sunset] and always thought the women were incredibly dynamic. But being on the inside now, it’s a whole different level of excitement.”