Whether or not you believe Hollywood focuses too much on drug cartel stories when claiming they are contributing to the Latine narrative, Sofía Vergara is all in for her upcoming Netflix series Griselda on Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco.
Vergara, who portrays Blanco, tells Vogue Mexico in an interview that took place before the SAG-AFTRA strike that she “wasn’t afraid to talk about” the topic because it’s part of her country’s history. Vergara was born in Barranquilla, Colombia.
“I grew up in Colombia during the drug trafficking era,” Vergara told the magazine. “It was a very difficult time. Unfortunately, it is part of my country’s history. We are what we are because of what we have lived. Colombia has moved forward.”
For Vergara, portraying Blanco was more than simply playing the leader of a drug cartel. Vergara wanted to capture every aspect of Blanco’s life in the role. “[Griselda] caught my attention because she was a woman with many layers,” she said. “She wasn’t just a drug dealer; she was also a mother, a wife and a monster, all at the same time.”
Vergara also wanted to make the series different from others that have come before it. Just because the show is centered around the world of drug traffickers doesn’t mean it’s the only thing it should cover.
“The intention is not to show drug trafficking, it is to show the story and that was what we tried to do with the series and with the character of Griselda: portray the woman within such a horrible business and how it transformed her,” Vergara said.
We’ll see how Griselda plays when it premieres on Netflix on January 25, 2024. In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer with Sofía Vergara below.