{"id":44390,"date":"2024-01-24T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1963423"},"modified":"2024-01-24T10:33:57","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T09:33:57","slug":"sofia-vergara-explains-challenging-transformation-into-griselda-blanco","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/sofia-vergara-explains-challenging-transformation-into-griselda-blanco\/","title":{"rendered":"Sofia Vergara explains challenging transformation into Griselda Blanco"},"content":{"rendered":"

The former Modern Family star developed a back injury from playing the role. <\/p>

By David Craig\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 24 January 2024 at 08:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Sofia Vergara has discussed her physical transformation to play notorious crime boss Griselda Blanco in Netflix<\/a>\u2018s latest true crime drama, including an ongoing condition she developed while working on the project.<\/p>\n

The Colombian-American actor is best known for her comedy work on the hit US sitcom Modern Family<\/a>, but is stepping into a more dramatic light for this collaboration with Narcos<\/a> producer Eric Newman.<\/p>\n

Vergara stars as the so-called \u2018Godmother of Cocaine\u2019 in Griselda<\/a> \u2013 which chronicles the tumultuous gang wars that plagued Miami, Florida in the 1970s and \u201980s \u2013 donning prosthetics for the demanding role.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a lot of tests to find her,\u201d Vergara said at a press conference. \u201cWe knew from the beginning that we didn\u2019t want me to look exactly like Griselda Blanco, because we didn\u2019t have time.<\/p>

\u201cWe were doing a TV show, we didn\u2019t have eight hours to do makeup every day. But the most important thing for me was to disappear. For Sofia to disappear, for Gloria Pritchett from Modern Family to disappear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want people to think \u2018oh, that\u2019s Gloria with a fake nose\u2019. That was my main worry. And it took us a lot of tests to see different wigs, different noses, different eyebrows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vergara continued: \u201cI was nervous about it because I sometimes watch movies and it distracts me a lot to see [prosthetics], so I wanted her to look human and I wanted to be able to act with all those things that I had on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The additions were considerable, with the actor revealing that her teeth, eyebrows, hairline and nose were all modified with prosthetics, while she also altered her skin tone and complexion for the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to change as much as I could without looking like I was in a Halloween costume,\u201d summarised Vergara.<\/p>\n

\"Sofia\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Sofia Vergara as Griselda. Netflix<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Beyond prosthetics, she changed her physicality in other ways, wearing clothes aimed at \u201cminimising\u201d certain parts of her body and changing her posture to reflect the real Griselda\u2019s shorter stature.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the latter resulted in an injury to Vergara\u2019s spine, which could potentially be an ongoing issue for the star.<\/p>\n

\u201cI put myself in a body position for six months. The only time that I didn\u2019t go to work was because I\u2019d gotten up in the morning and my back [hurt],\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t get up because I was 50 doing this weird position, walking like that, smoking \u2013 and the doctor is like, \u2018You\u2019re crazy. You can\u2019t do that at your age\u2019. They injected me. Now I have a problem with a disc from walking like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vergara added: \u201cIt was worth it! I\u2019m not going to be saying that in 10 years when I need an operation. But now I have to be very careful, I have to go to physical therapy every once in a while because if I forget about it, it comes back.\u201d<\/p>