Netflix crime series Griselda explores a fictionalized version of Griselda Blanco, one of the most influential forces ever seen in the world of drug cartels. The drama examines the rise and fall of the queenpin and her large role in the 1980s Miami cocaine trade, and the gruesome history that earned her the nickname “The Godmother.” All episodes of the new series are directed by Narco‘s Andres Baiz, and the show stars Modern Family‘s Sofia Vergara in the titular lead.
While Andres has an impressive history of directing crime dramas, Griselda departs from the typical Narcos creative formula in many ways, serving much more as a character study than a historical snapshot. This focus on Griselda‘s characters also extends to both Griselda’s allies and enemies, including homicide detective June Hawkins (Aidén Martinez). The real-life Hawkins served as a consultant for the series, helping give a closer look at her instrumental work in taking down Blanco, which in turn caused major damage to the infamous Medellín Cartel.
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Screen Rant recently interviewed actress Juliana Aidén Martinez and director Andres Baiz to discuss bringing authenticity to the show’s characters, telling an intimate story, and differentiating creatively from Narcos.
Juliana Aidén Martinez & Andres Baiz Talk The Women Of Griselda
Screen Rant: I would first love to dive a little bit into your character, Juliana. You’re on the right side of the law in this show, and I’m curious what it’s like playing that sort of Pedro Pascal-esque character in this one.
Juliana Aidén Martinez: Yeah. It’s definitely, I think, what makes our series so special, that it centers around these two women and their parallel journeys – or the rise, if you will – in this world that’s dominated by men. To play June Hawkins was such a privilege of mine.
She’s one of the first female homicide detectives in the Miami or the Metro-Dade unit. She was essential in helping find Griselda Blanco, who is also a real-life person, and definitely a woman that was savage, a murderer, but also a mother, also a wife. And so to be able to play this woman who’s multidimensional, just as Griselda Blanco’s character is, was an absolute honor.
And I know that June Hawkins was a consultant on the show as well. Did you get to interact with her a lot?
Juliana Aidén Martinez: Yes, so June Hawkins was very generous with her time. I’m also from Miami myself, and so when I was able to talk to her for the first time, she was just like, “Juliana, ha ha ha. You are a Hialeah girl,” which people from Miami will understand what that means. But she laughed.
She was so generous. She told me stories of what she had to do when she was dealing with the men, how she had to conduct herself, how she had to operate. And I definitely feel like there’s such a stillness, a subtlety to her, but also just an absolute dedication to how she thinks, how she maneuvers with people, a resiliency that I wanted to pay an homage to her.
There’s so much little clues to her as well. The sunglasses are essential to her. We have pictures of that’s what she wore, the outfit. I studied how she spoke for several months working with the coach, and so there was definitely things to her that I wanted to give an homage to, and to talk to her was – she’s amazing.
Andres, I know that you really wanted to make this project creatively distinct from your work on Narcos. I’m curious the areas of this series where you feel that distinction is made the most.
Andres Baiz: Well, yes. Narcos has trademarks. For example, an opening credit sequence with an amazing song. It has a voiceover, it has archival footage, and it’s done more in a documentary style. I didn’t want anything of that in Griselda because I wanted to distance myself from that work.
Griselda is much more of an intimate work. It’s much more intimate, it’s much more a character study. So I said, “I don’t want a voiceover. I don’t want the documentary feel. I don’t want the archival footage, and I don’t want even a credit sequence.” That’s why every time we see Griselada’s close-up for the first time in every episode, that’s where the word Griselda appears on top of her face.
But again, I wanted to make a much more intimate show. That was the goal. And Narcos is much more political. It’s a broader context on the war on drugs. This is a character study.
Andres, you also directed episodes of The Sandman, which was an incredible series. What was that experience like for you?
Andres Baiz: It was a great experience in the sense that I had been working in Narcos for seven years, and I wanted to prove that I could do something in another genre with a different crew, in English, in a different city. It was shot in London.
Unfortunately, it was shot during the pandemic, so I was in London for the first time in my life, for three months without my family, but everything was closed, so I was just focused on work and I couldn’t get to see London very much. But it was a great experience and it made me a better director, because I explored other areas that I never explored before. It was a fantasy series.
More On Griselda
GRISELDA is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother.”
Check out our other Griselda interviews here:
- Eric Newman
- Alberto Guerra, Martin Rodriguez, and Christian Tappan
Source: Screen Rant Plus
Griselda
- Release Date
- January 25, 2024
- Cast
- Alberto Ammann , Paulina Davila , Alberto Guerra , Martin Rodriguez , Sofia Vergara , Diego Trujillo , Juliana Aidén Martinez , Christian Tappan , Gabriel Sloyer , Vanessa Ferlito , José Zúñiga
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Doug Miro , Eric Newman , Carlo Bernard , Ingrid Escajeda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Directors
- Andrés Baiz
