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Who was Griselda Blanco?

Are you ready to know Who was Griselda Blanco? 13 things to Know about Sofía Vergara while Portraying Griselda Blanco(Visual Story)

Griselda Blanco was one of the most notorious cocaine traffickers in the history of the United States. She rose to power in the 1970s and 1980s, when she controlled a vast network of drug smuggling and distribution from Colombia to Miami and other cities. She was also known as the Black Widow or the Cocaine Godmother, because of her ruthless and violent methods of eliminating her rivals and enemies. She was killed by a gunman on a motorcycle in her hometown of Medellín in 2012, at the age of 69.

How Sofía Vergara relates with Netflix TV show Griselda 2024?

Sofía Vergara portrays Griselda Blanco and is also the executive producer of the Netflix TV show Griselda 2024. In the show, Sofia plays a woman who is a mother and wants to keep her children safe. She is a survivor, who did trafficking and narcos drugs business to do everything for her family. She had a horrible childhood, full of abuse and violence.

13 things to know about Sofía Vergara while portraying Griselda Blanco

1. Sofía Vergara: Enjoys to work with Latin American actors for the first time

Sofía Vergara is playing the lead role of Griselda Blanco, the notorious Colombian drug lord, in the Netflix series Griselda. She is joined by a cast of Latin American actors, such as Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan and Orlando Pineda. This is the first time that Vergara is working with a Latin American actors in a major project as Sofia said in “Good Morning America“

Believe it or not, I am working with Latin American actors for the first time.
Sofía Vergara

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2. Sofía Vergara: Lots of drama and crying for Griselda

The series is a dark and gritty portrayal of Blanco’s life, from her humble beginnings in Medellín to her rise and fall as the cocaine godmother in Miami. Vergara had to show a lot of emotions and cry in many scenes, which was challenging for her. She said:

“It was very hard for me because I’m not used to crying. I’m used to making people laugh. So it was a very different experience for me.”
Sofía Vergara

3. Sofía Vergara: Learned how to smoke and pretend to take drugs

Blanco was a heavy smoker and a cocaine user, so Vergara had to mimic these habits for her role. She learned how to smoke and how to fake taking drugs, which was not easy for her. She said:

“I never smoked in my life. I had to practice for three months how to smoke. I was laughing and saying, ‘After 50 years of my life, I’m a smoker for Griselda.”
Sofía Vergara

4. Sofía Vergara: Spent hours in makeup to transform into Blanco

Blanco was known for her distinctive appearance, with platinum blonde hair, dark eyebrows and a gap between her teeth. Vergara had to undergo a drastic makeover to look like her. She said in “Good Morning America”

“It took three to three and a half hours every day to do the makeup. They did prosthetics on my teeth, on my head to cover my hair and my eyebrows. It was a weird makeup that didn’t look nice.”
Sofía Vergara

5. Sofía Vergara: Working in a drama for the first time

Vergara is best known for her comedic roles, especially as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the hit sitcom Modern Family. Griselda is her first drama series, and she said it was a challenge to switch genres. She said:

“It was very different for me to work in a drama. I had to be very serious and focused. It was a big change for me.”
Sofía Vergara

6. Sofía Vergara: Exhausted after filming

The series was filmed in Los Angeles, while Griselda’s story location was in Miami and Colombia. she said it was very tiring. She said:

“I was exhausted when I came back home. It was a very intense shoot. I had to work long hours and deal with different time zones.”
Sofía Vergara

7. Sofía Vergara: Working in Spanish for the first time

The series is bilingual, with dialogue in both English and Spanish. Vergara said it was the first time she worked in Spanish in a major project, and she enjoyed it. She mentioned in “Good Morning America“

“It was very nice to work in Spanish. It was easier for me to express myself and to connect with the other actors. It felt more natural for me.”
Sofía Vergara

8. Sofía Vergara: Can relates to Blanco’s story

Vergara said she felt a connection to Blanco’s story, because she grew up in Colombia during the same time period. She said she witnessed the violence and the corruption caused by the drug trade, and she even lost her brother, who was involved in the cocaine business, in the 90s as Sofia said in “CBS Morning”:

“I grew up at that time and I knew the characters. I unfortunately lived there and I saw what happened. I felt a connection and I agreed to play Griselda.”
Sofía Vergara

9. Sofía Vergara: Praises the director and the crew

Vergara said she was impressed by the director Andrés Baiz, who also worked on Narcos, and the crew of the series. She said they helped her to get into the character of Blanco and to deliver a realistic performance as Sofia said in “CBS Morning”:

“It was very well directed by Andrés Baiz, who made me feel like Griselda. He taught me how to smoke and how to do cocaine. Everything like cigarette and cocaine are fake, but my acting is real.”
Sofía Vergara

10 Sofía Vergara: From Dental School to Drama Star

Sofía Vergara is a versatile actor. She is in dental school, a model, a travel show host, a comedic actor and now a dramatic actor. She wants to earn more money for the betterment of her son’s future, Sofia reveals in “CBS Morning”:

I want to earn more money for my son, his college and career
Sofía Vergara

11. Sofía Vergara : Challenge to play a killer

Sofia portrays a ruthless killer in Miami. She feels “My body didn’t digest to kill someone”. This is Griselda’s daily routine. In fact, Griselda Blanco killed more than 100 people. She was more dangerous than a man could be, Sofia said in “CBS Morning”:

“She was a monster. She was worse than any man. She had no mercy. She had no remorse.”
Sofía Vergara

12. Sofía Vergara : Griselda’s an Insane

She has been working in the entertainment industry for 15 years. She thinks the Griselda character is insane. She said:

“It was a very hard character to play. She was a monster. She did things that I couldn’t even imagine.”
Sofía Vergara

13. Sofía Vergara: Pleasure as well as Torture as part of Griselda project

Sofía Vergara, the star and executive producer of the new Netflix series Griselda, reveals the challenges and rewards of portraying the notorious Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco. She says:

“It’s been a pleasure and a torture at the same time to be part of this project. It was very hard for me to play this character, who was a monster and a genius at the same time. She did things that I couldn’t even imagine.
Sofía Vergara