Many of us have gotten to know Sofía Vergara through the beloved sitcom Modern Family, where she brought the laughs as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, a confident, devoted housewife who is married to Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill) and the mother of two boys, Manny Delgado (Rico Rodriguez) and Joe Pritchett (Jeremy Maguire). While the Colombian-born actress has been acting for decades, there's been one role in particular that she’s been dying to play: Griselda Blanco.
In a new interview with the LA Times, the 51-year-old actress discussed how she became fascinated with the female crime boss—who spearheaded her own cocaine trafficking business in Miami, Florida, from the late 1970s through the early 2000s—after watching the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys and later reading an article detailing her rise to power. “I read every single book, every single article, every new note on the internet that came out. For many years, I read and read and read,” the actress shared with the publication.
And now, fans will get to see the Modern Family actress, best known for her comedic chops, portray the infamous drug lord. In the new Netflix limited series Griselda (which is now streaming), Vergara fully embodies the controversial figure and takes on a role unlike any she has played before in her career.
Produced by Vergara and Eric Newman with Andrés Baiz serving as director (they were the brilliant minds behind Narcos and Narcos: Mexico), the six-episode series chronicles how the Colombian drug lord created one of the most infamous cartels in history. Though the miniseries features many new (and talented) faces, Vergara undoubtedly shines with her powerful, gripping performance as Blanco.
