Sofia Vergara: I 'wanted surgery' because I 'look like a stripper'

Sofia Vergara has not always been as confident about her famous curves as she is now.

In the October issue of Self magazine, the actress admits that, as a naturally blond 13-year-old, she complained to her mother about her body, wishing for a more tomboyish figure.

"I wanted surgery," Vergara, 38, tells the magazine. "I told my mom, 'As soon as I'm older, please take these boobs away.' She said, 'Sofia, shut up. When you're 18, it will be different.' 'I was like, 'Why would I want these huge t--s?' I'm a 34 DD. It's hard to dress. No matter what I wear, I look like a stripper."

Now the actress, older and wiser, says that she accepts her bra size.

"I'm grateful I have them, and honestly, they've helped me a lot in my career," says the actress, who plays the fiery hot housewife, Gloria Delgado Pritchett, on ABCs Emmy-winning sitcom �Modern Family." "And I've always felt sexy."

Another step in transforming herself into a marketable actress was going to the dark side � by toning down her naturally blond locks.

"I'm a natural blonde, but when I started acting, I would go to auditions, and they didn't know where to put me because I was voluptuous and had the accent but I had blonde hair," she says. "The moment I dyed my hair dark, it was, 'Oh, she's the hot Latin girl.' I loved it � Being brunette toned me down a bit."

Vergara adds that embracing her Latino looks helped her develop her onscreen identity as well.

"For every 100 roles that come out for another actress, there are two that fit somebody like me," she says. "I mean, I cannot play a scientist. I know who I am. I know how I look. I know how I sound. I'm not going to tell my agent, 'Book me for �Schindler's List 2.'"