This Is What Sofia Vergara First Thought of Joe Manganiello

Now they are one of the most talked about – not to mention, gorgeous – couples in Hollywood. But Sofia Vergara wasn’t sold about going out with Joe Manganiello right away.

The Hot Pursuit actress, 42, said that it took a plane ride for the Magic Mike XXL actor, 38, just to get a first date with her.

“I’m so lucky I couldn’t believe it. At the beginning I didn’t want to go out with him,” the Modern Family actress told Ellen DeGeneres on Friday during a visit to her show to promote her new comedy. (She also got a stripper-filled bachelorette party on the show, in true Ellen fashion.)

Why? Because the True Blood heartthrob seemed like a lot to sign up for, Vergara said.

“I had just finished a relationship … he seemed like a lot of work because [he’s] so handsome and younger than me and like so sexy and whatever, best bachelor or whatever he was,” she explained. “And I’m like, ‘Ugh.’ Just too much!”

But after a hop, skip and a flight to Louisiana, PEOPLE’s Hottest Bachelor convinced her otherwise.

“He flew to New Orleans and forced me on a date. And then I couldn’t [you] know – I’m like, ‘He’s a great guy, super fun, super normal and … we click.’ It’s super easy to hang out with him.”

The engaged couple first met briefly in May 2012 at the MTV Movie Awards and again at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner two years later.

But by December 2014, Manganiello had popped the question in Hawaii and are now in the process of moving in together.

“She’s got the curves, she’s got a beautiful face, beautiful hair, just gorgeous. Naturally beautiful. She’s feisty!” the actor told PEOPLE in August.

Hot Pursuit, which stars Vergara and Reese Witherspoon, hits theaters Friday.

This article originally appeared on People.com.