Sofía Vergara confesses what it’s like to star in a drug series, which sparks family drama

Sofia Vergara is the protagonist of Griseldathe series from the creators of Narcos which will be available on Netflix starting Thursday 25th. This is the first time the actress dares to take on a dramatic role. Accustomed to modeling and comedy, Vergara accepted the challenge of playing Griselda Blanco, the most powerful and feared drug trafficker of the 70s and 80s, pioneer of cocaine trafficking from Colombia to the United States.

After 11 continuous years of working on the hit television series Modern Familythe Colombian will leave Gloria Pritchett, the character who made her known throughout the world and helped her win the hearts of the public, for Put yourself in the shoes of the founder of the Medellín Cartel.

Exclusively, Sofia confessed Clarion why he decided to make this change to his career, what were the difficulties he encountered and What’s it like filming a violent drama from the inside?.

As soon as the telephone communication began, in her voice and in her way of talking about this project, one could perceive the actress’s happiness and emotion. She is also an executive producer.. “I don’t have a lot of opportunities in general. That’s not a complaint, because I’ve had a spectacular career. But with my accent and my looks, I don’t have that many opportunities to play complex characters,” Vergara said. .

Exploring the drama genre, in particular, was not something Sofía had in mind for her career. acting, but when they asked him to do it Griselda She immediately knew it was for her. “It wasn’t a plan that I had. I just found this character and was fascinated by it. I felt like I could do it,” the actress said.

His connection to the world of drug trafficking

In the 90s, shortly before finally emigrating to the United States, in Sofia He had to experience drug trafficking as a family drama. His brother was involved in that affair and, consequently, he was killed during an attempted kidnapping. This was one of the reasons that pushed Sofía to accept the role of Griselda Blanco. However, this posed an additional challenge to the actress: telling this story with extreme responsibility.

-In your family they experienced drug trafficking very closely, what was it like for you, emotionally, to rediscover that world every time you went to record?

-It was very difficult, but that’s why I thought I could play this character, because I lived it. My brother was part of that business for a while and unfortunately They killed him very young. But not only my family experienced it. Many families in Colombia have suffered greatly. I could do Griselda because I have all those feelings, I remember everything very well. When an actress, in order to act, has to enter into her soul and her heart… I recognize it Many times I had to go to very dark places, where I rarely go anymore.because I understand that we must try to continue living and accepting life.

-Did you have any prejudices about her, due to the type of person she was?

-Yes, I have always been very careful about this. Myself I love these stories about drug dealers, police and anti-heroes., but when push comes to shove you have to be very careful and not glorify these characters. Griselda, although she was a fascinating character, a woman with a lot of power and also a lot of strength, personality and intelligence, He too has become a monster. That’s why I always wanted to be very careful about how we showed her, to make sure we weren’t glorifying her, but rather humanizing her as a woman and a mother.

A physical and acting transformation

At 51, Vergara had to reinvent herself in all aspects to be able to put herself in the shoes of Griselda Blanco, the woman who inspired the drug lord Pablo Escobar. Like any actor with a television success of the magnitude of Modern familythe Colombian had to work not only to break into the drama genre, but to be as different as possible from her character in the award-winning television series.

-In “Griselda” you are practically unrecognizable. Were you afraid that people wouldn’t be able to dissociate you from Gloria Pritchett, who is such a beloved character?

-This was one of my big worries. I I didn’t want people to think it was Gloria Pritchett who put on a plastic nose.. But it seems like people really liked it and there isn’t a single person who told me they remembered Gloria. So the truth is, I’m super excited about it.

-You went through a major physical transformation for this character. What were the biggest costs you faced in this process?

-They were The three hours I spent doing my makeup were very exhausting., and also fix the wig. I don’t know if it was a good or bad idea, but I changed my posture, the way I walk and the shape of my body. The only day I couldn’t go to work was because my back was locked, because, well, you can’t do that at 50. The whole process of becoming Griselda was difficult, even until learn to smoke. I had never smoked in my life. I went through a lot of things that were quite challenging for me.

The challenge of being Latina in Hollywood

When she started in the acting world, it seemed like there was no place for her in Los Angeles. Vergara She had to adapt her appearance to fit the stereotype of a Latina woman that Hollywood directors had.. Because of her hair, which was naturally blonde, her white skin and her green eyes, Nobody at the auditions pigeonholed the Colombian as “Latina”.

The only thing they saw in her, he recalls, was her thick accent. To get her roles, the model had to dye her hair black and start sunbathing to look tanned. Despite the passing of the years, in Griselda Sofia also relives that moment in her life.

-In the series we follow the story of a group of Latina women who emigrate in search of the American dream, and things turn out to be more difficult than they imagined. When you came to Hollywood, did you have to pay a flat fee to be Latina?

-Yes of course, It was very difficult and still is, especially because of my accent.. Also because I don’t look very Latino, because I have light skin and blonde, so it’s not easy. But I was lucky enough to find it Modern familyso I don’t have much right to complain.

-Griselda Blanco was a woman who had to make her way in a male-dominated industry. Leaving aside the distance, have you ever felt like less of a woman in the world of entertainment?

-I think as a woman you always find moments like that, but I’ve never let that stop me. When I heard this a little, I focused on the fact that there are other paths and other ways. I don’t let this stop me. My career has cost me more as a Latina than as a woman..