Sofia Vergara split from Joe Manganiello because he wanted children and she did not.

The 51-year-old 'Modern Family' actress - whose eight-year marriage to Joe, 47, broke down last summer - has reflected about their divorce and the reasons for the end of their relationship.

She told Spanish publication El Pais: "My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn’t want to be an old mom."

While she has "respect" for anyone who becomes a parent later in life, she insisted it isn't the right move for her.

She added: "I feel it’s not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but that’s not for me anymore."

Sofia - who has son Manolo from her first marriage to Joe Gonzalez, her high school sweetheart - insisted she feels more prepared to be a grandparent instead.

She explained: "I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I’m ready to be a grandmother, not a mother. So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children."

She also pointed to where she's at in her own life as she looks ahead to her 50s and beyond.

She added: "I’m almost in menopause; it’s the natural way of things.

"When my son becomes a dad, let him bring the baby to me for a while and then I’ll give it back to him and go on with my life; that’s what I have to do."

Sofia recently admitted she is ready to start the search for a new partner - and she suggested New York City could be a good place to find Mr Right because there are "more men" and they don't all work in show business.

During an appearance on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' - which is filmed in Manhattan - she pondered: "I think that you have more options with men ... I'm single now ...

"So in New York there's more people, there's not only like actors, [writers] or directors. I think there's like a bigger … I'm going to spend more time in New York."