Sofia Vergara is most famous for playing the lovable Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, an indomitable matriarch in the comedy Modern Family – a role she had for 11 years and one which propelled her to stardom. However, the 51-year-old actress is taking on a new challenge, ditching the iconic housewife for a "complex" drug trafficker.
"I didn't want to create a story where there was a happy ending. I wanted change," admits Sofia, who was in London to speak about her upcoming Netflix series, Griselda.
In the new six-part drama, which is out this month, the actress stars as Griselda Blanco, an ambitious Colombian businesswoman and devoted mother, widely known as "the Godmother of the underworld".
"There were many things that I loved about that character because as an actor getting the opportunity to be someone so complex was fascinating," she mused. "I don't understand many things about her but I took on the role because I'm Colombian, I'm a woman, I'm a mother and I'm an immigrant."
Sofia, who announced her split from second husband Joe Manganiello in July, joked about being an independent woman – just like her savvy character. "I don't feel like I need a man. I mean, no, I want one but I don't need one," she said with a laugh.
The actress also commended Griselda's grit and determination to break male dominance and prejudice in the criminal world. But it was their shared Colombian roots that attracted Sofia to this role. "I grew up there," she added. "We're very loving, very protecting, we're all about family and sacrifice."
Sofia was personally affected by the drug trade. Her older brother Rafael was murdered in their hometown after a failed kidnapping plot. After the tragedy, Sofia and her family relocated to Miami – however, her younger brother Julio battled drug and alcohol addiction which resulted in 30 arrests.
"I couldn't understand [Griselda's actions] but I also knew the business of the narco traffic," she revealed. "My brother was in that business. I grew up in that during that era."
© GettyAsked whether there was anything else she could relate to, Sofia mused: "I think I would totally kill for my son. I don't think I would think twice." The star jokingly then quipped: "Maybe I'd kill my ex-husband. No, I'm kidding. I like working hard for the money, I don't want to marry rich."
Sofia immersed herself into Griselda Blanco completely, wearing vintage clothing from the seventies, a voluminous wig and prosthetics. "Most of the clothes I picked were vintage because they don't make those shiny materials like that anymore," she said. "But if you sweat on that, the smell was horrific."
Elaborating further, she divulged: "I've never really done a job that was as complicated and as different as this. It was a lot of work. We didn't have eight hours in the day to do hair and makeup. But the most important thing for me was to disappear, for Gloria from Modern Family to disappear.
"Here, my eyebrows were fake, my nose was fake – I even put colour all over my skin, I wanted to feel different." She added: "I would wear a [special] bra to help minimize me, and held my butt in so I didn't move it a lot."
© NetflixThrowing herself into so much preparation had its drawbacks. Sofia confessed she may have a slipped disc after altering her body's posture during filming. "I changed my body's position for six months," she revealed. "The only time that I didn't go to work was when I got up one morning with my back [in pain], I couldn't get up because I was 50 and doing this weird position."
The star added: "I think I have a problem now with the disc from walking like that. I now have to be very careful as I now have to go to physical therapy every once in a while."
Despite this, Sofia will always remain proud of what she created in Griselda. The drama was led by a Latin American cast, with Eric Newman and Andrés Baiz, the team behind Narcos, taking helm as producer and director – something, which Sofia was very proud to be a part of.
"The chance to work with this team was like a dream come true," she said, adding: "Working with them and bring them to Hollywood, I hope open doors. I hope that Griselda is for those actors, what Modern Family was for me."
Griselda will be released on Netflix on 25 January.
