Sofía Vergara leaves Gloria Pritchett behind in Griselda – Modern Family star talks playing crime boss, her accent, using her anger and Mission: Impossible
- Sofía Vergara first heard of Griselda Blanco when she watched a 2006 documentary – and she has wanted to take on a project about the crime boss ever since
- Vergara talks about channelling her past in Colombia into her role in the series, how her accent has hindered her career in Hollywood, and what the future holds
The idea began tugging at Sofía Vergara about 15 years ago.
On the cusp of taking on a role that would eventually put her in the vanguard of the highest paid television actors – as Gloria Pritchett, a hilarious spin on the trophy wife trope, in long-running US sitcom Modern Family – Vergara, who was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, was not yet a star fielding desirable offers.
Griselda Blanco, a ruthless and ambitious Colombian drug boss, first caught Vergara’s attention in passing when she watched the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys. Some time later, she read an article detailing Blanco’s rise and blood-soaked reign, and the female crime boss suddenly became a figure the actor was determined to play.
“I’m always looking for characters because there’s not much that I can play with this stupid accent,” she says, playfully poking fun at herself. “I can’t play a scientist or be in [1993 historical drama] Schindler’s List. My acting jobs are kind of limited.”
At the time, she was in a holding deal with US television network ABC, and two of the shows she was cast in were cancelled after one season.
