Colombian bombshell Sofia Vergara is almost as funny as she is sexy, and she brings her feminine wiles to The Knights of Prosperity‘s weekly heists. The one camera comedy airs Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. on ABC.
The show focuses on a group of janitors and security guards who decide to rob Mick Jagger. Their leader (Donal Logue) lets waitress Esperanza Villalobos (Vergara) in on the secret, so she invites herself into their gang, proving herself valuable in the first two episodes. She distracted a security guard and did a Matrix-style flip over a high fence.
HW: Esperanza’s style is very modern with the jeans and boots? Did you influence that?
SV: Well, I guess they were looking for something like a real woman living in New York with her type of job, her type of life would be wearing. We didn’t want anything fancy or uncomfortable because she’s in a criminal organization so she has to be ready for everything, jumping, running, hiding. So it was kind of like trying to get her to look comfortable and cute.
HW: With all the guys on set, do they ever get vulgar, making dirty jokes?
SV: No, no, no, because we work so long hours, it’s our job. We just want to do everything the best we can. Of course we have fun. We kid around but we just want to finish our work and everybody’s very respectful and we love each other. We became very close friends, all of us.
HW: Do you feel like you’re in Oceans 11, though?
SV: Yeah, yeah. That’s what it feels like but completely the opposite. We do everything wrong.
HW: What are Esperanza’s tasks coming up?
SV: Well, we all try to always divide the responsibilities when we’re trying to do a job. In every episode it’s different. I usually distract people and she’s also like the most flexible one, more trained so she’s sometimes doing all the hitting and the fighting.
HW: I saw the Matrix flip, that wasn’t you, right?
SV: [Joking] Of COURSE it was me. Didn’t you see? [Laughs] It’s very easy. I do it in Colombia all the time.
HW: Are they giving you any other stunts to do?
SV: Well, we haven’t shot anything like that anymore but yeah, of course there’s going to be hopefully if we keep shooting, but we’ve pretty much been doing everything like that.
HW: Have you finished the first 13?
SV: Yeah, we finished shooting the 13 episodes. We’re waiting to see if we’re going to get picked up again to finish the rest of the season which would be nine more episodes I think. Hopefully. We’ve been having tough competition. They have shown three times but every day has been something, like last time was the president talking. Tomorrow we’re going to go against American Idol so it’s been tough.
HW: Will there be any more crazy outfits?
SV: Well, oh my God, I’ve been in more suits throughout this sitcom than ever in my life. I’ve done it all, like every costume, every stupid outfit I’ve done. In the next episode, you’ll see, crazy.
HW: Do you like dressing up?
SV: I mean, I don’t care. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable but if it’s funny, I don’t mind. It can be anything but if it fits myself in the story and it’s funny, I’ll wear anything.
HW: When did you discover your gift for comedy?
SV: Well, I’ve always, even when I was in school in Colombia, I always was the class clown and stuff like that. And I enjoy doing it so it’s been kind of like a natural thing for me to do.
HW: Is doing Knights more like a movie than a sitcom?
SV: Yes, definitely. The hours are crazy, like we’re on the set 15 hours. But I thought that it was going to be a sitcom, it was going to be easier but no. It’s like a movie.
HW: How has it compared to the movies you’ve done?
SV: Well, yeah, pretty much the same thing. You do a scene until it’s perfect and you don’t have an audience. It’s unfortunately we don’t have time to rest because usually we’re all, the whole cast is in every scene so that’s why it makes it so hard.
HW: What episodes should we look forward to?
SV: Well, tomorrow we’re training to be able to beat the security guards at Mick Jagger’s apartment entrance. So that’s pretty funny. We’re all trying to get fit and get the right moves to be able to do this. And we have a great, great, great some episodes with Ray Romano. So that should be a lot of fun too. He was amazing to work with. We’ll have Kelly Ripa and we also have Dustin Diamond. We have Regis and a lot of people.
HW: Does that change the group dynamic to have a celebrity guest come in?
SV: Usually with everybody in the scenes because we’re the group trying to figure out what to do, making plans. But yeah, sometimes when you have a celebrity, we try to make them like the most important thing in the scenes. Of course the producers and the writers write special stuff for them to be able to do it.
HW: How have you been keeping busy in the down time?
SV: I’ve been doing stuff like I usually do, like in South America because when I’m shooting here in the United States, it’s hard for me to go back so I’ve been doing all that kind of stuff. I’m executive producing Desperate Housewives for Latin America so I did that in Argentina. So I try to do things that I can’t do when I’m working here.
HW: Is that based on the actual scripts from our version?
SV: It’s the same story, just translated with Latin actors.
HW: How did you get involved in that?
SV: Well, it’s been such a great hit everywhere in the world. It was an opportunity for me because it was a great story, we had a great team to be able to do it as a show. It’s amazing. I was watching yesterday the pieces that we have filmed and it was very good quality and everybody’s very excited.
