What do Michael Jackson, Stephen Hawking, Magic Johnson, and Sofía Vergara have in common? Technically nothing, but as of this Sunday they will all have been guest stars at some point in The Simpsons generation-defining 26-year run. That’s right, this Sunday, January 10th Vergara will join the likes of José Canseco, Tito Puente, and Oscar de la Hoya as one of the many Latino cultural icons who have left their mark on the long-running animated series.
In the episode “Teenaged Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles,” Vergara will play Bart’s new school teacher Ms. Barreras, who understandably captures the imagination of our favorite pre-teen travieso and inspires him to win her heart. Bart’s helped along in his romantic mission by a new hormone-packed milk Homer picks up that causes early puberty, while Lisa is besieged by a case of acne that leads her to discover the wonders of makeup and popularity.
The Colombian telenovela veteran and Modern Family star has found herself rendered in two dimensions a few times before, most notably in Seth MacFarlane’s The Cleveland Show and Family Guy back in 2013. Though with her roles in those shows credited as “Señora Chalupa” and “Buxom Woman/Hispanic Woman,” we can only hope Ms. Barreras’ character on the upcoming Simpsons episode is more than just an over-the-top Latino stereotype.
The “Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles” episode of The Simpsons featuring Sofia Vergara airs Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 8 p.m. on Fox.