Sofía Vergara in ‘Griselda’.Photo:Netflix
Netflix
Sofía Vergaraknows what it takes to fully step into a new role.
In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE at Netflix’sGriseldaMiami premiere, the actress, 51, opens up about the challenges she endured to embody a cutthroat character like notorious drug boss,Griselda Blanco.
“It was a lot of work, it was a lot of preparation,” she explains. “I had to really investigate what it meant to be a woman in that era. A mother, a Colombian woman… that turned into this monster. So, it was a really difficult task for me to understand it.”
Sofía Vergara at the ‘Griselda’ Miami premiere.Manny Hernandez/FilmMagic
Manny Hernandez/FilmMagic
“We are both Colombian, we are both immigrants, we are both mothers, we are both women,” she adds. “So I did relate to her a lot.”
TheModern Familyalum stars in Netflix’s upcoming limited seriesGriseldaas the titular murderous Miami queenpin.
Sofia Vergara as Griselda.Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix
According to Orlando Pineda, who plays one of Vergara’s on-screen sons Dixon, the actress “didn’t feel like a boss” but more like “a mom.”
“She was always hugging us, giving us a lot of love. A lot of sweets – alotof sweets,” he tells PEOPLE. “Which is unbelievable because she eats sweets and she has that body – ahh, I wish!”
Juliana Adien Martinez, who takes on the role of June, also echoes Pineda’s sentiments and recalls how Vergara came in “so down, so game, so generous with her cast.” Noting how many know her as the “incredibly powerful” and “funny woman” onModern Family, Martinez shares the first moment she saw Vergara snap into her bloodthirsty character.
“So many people know her as Gloria, for instance, and to see her go into a fully dramatic role – to own it, to be there, to be transformative. I think people are going to be shocked, excited, enthralled. It’s going to be amazing to watch,” she adds.
Other cast members also open up about her dedication to her role.
“She was willing to risk everything – three hours of makeup, transformation, to look different,” Aurora Cossio recalls. “That is amazing.”
“You need a lot of confidence to understand that playing a character is not only about talent, it’s about being strong inside your brain — everything in here,” she says gesturing to her head. “So you can show up and do your best”
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Griseldapremieres Thursday on Netflix.
source: people.com
