Sofía Vergara discusses injuring herself while preparing to play Griselda‘s title character. In addition to starring in the Netflix miniseries, Vergara also serves as a producer on the project. Griselda tells the true story of Griselda Blanco, an infamous drug lord in Colombia. Since the show’s release on January 25, it’s garnered positive reviews and topped Netflix’s global chart in its first week.
In a video posted by Netflix (via Cosmopolitan UK), Vergara details how she prepared to play Griselda:
Vergara explains that she wanted her Griselda character to feel completely separate from Gloria, her breakout role on Modern Family. Vergara achieved this by altering her walk, though the decision had some negative consequences. Vergara’s full quote is below:
I wanted to make Griselda’s movements, mannerisms completely different than my character that I played for eleven years in Modern Family. That was one of my main concerns. I wanted not to walk like me or Gloria, not to stand like that, not to use my hands in any way that was sexy and very Latin, like how I am. I created this body position that, after three months, got me in trouble. I had to get injected in my lower back from walking in this bad position, and then I had to do it for three more months. I think I hurt my back now forever. But I thought that the character needed me to change my body, needed me to use Spanx to try to, you know, hold my butt and my boobs, and kind of like shape my body different than me and Gloria Pritchett.
Griselda Is an Exciting Departure for Vergara
Critics have been especially appreciative of Vergara’s performance in Griselda, citing it as one of the show’s biggest strengths. With that in mind, it’s clear Vergara’s commitment to the character paid off. While Gloria will probably be the role Vergara remains most known for throughout her career, she does disappear into the part of Griselda quite effectively, thanks to a combination of her acting choices and the show’s skilled hair and makeup team.
It’s always exciting to see an actor fully commit to a role in that way, while also trying something audiences may not have expected. While many actors pivot from comedy to drama and vice versa, the difference between Modern Family and Griselda is quite extreme, especially in tone. Together, the performances show off Vergara’s impressive range.
Griselda also proves that Vergara is more than capable of leading her own project. While she was often a scene stealer on Modern Family, the show was, at its core, an ensemble, and Griselda gives Vergara the opportunity to really take control on screen. With any luck, her work on the show will open more doors going forward.
Griselda
Griselda is a Netflix mini-series inspired by the savvy and ambitious Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. A devoted mother, Blanco’s lethal blend of charm and unsuspected savagery helped her expertly navigate between family and business, leading her to become widely known as the “Godmother.”
- 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
- Writers
- Ingrid Escajeda , Doug Miro , Cassie Pappas
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Directors
- Andrés Baiz
- Showrunner
- Ingrid Escajeda
