Sofia Vergara Discusses Brother’s Tragic Killing by Drug Cartels in Colombia: ‘Difficult’

Sofia Vergara's newest release, slated for later this month, has all her fans sizzling with anticipation. Griselda, the series which will be released on Netflix, has Vergara stepping into the character of Griselda Blanco, a late-50s Colombian woman who ran one of the most powerful drug cartels in the world during the '70s.

In an appearance on the Spanish talk show El Hormiguero, the Hot Pursuit star disclosed that she had experienced a traumatic event with her family, revealing that playing the character of a drug cartel boss isn't too far removed from her own experience. "I lived it. I experienced the 70s, 80s and 90s in Colombia," Vergara explained.

For the former Modern Family star, the drug trade had a significant impact. At the height of the drug epidemic in the South American region, her brother became entangled in it and sadly lost his life as a result. "Unfortunately, my brother was part of the business, and he was killed in 1996 in Colombia. After I had to take my family to Miami. It was a really difficult period in Colombia," she revealed. 

Vergara characterized Griselda as 'a complex person.' She revealed in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, "There are so many nuances to explore in terms of who she was as a drug lord and, of course, as a woman, as a mother," she explains. "She was someone who did whatever it took to protect her family." She added, "I wanted to explore that from the point of view of, you know, of her being one of the only women in history to have gone as far as she did."

Vergara was able to effectively transition into the drug kingpin and leave the shadow of her adored Modern Family fictional character, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, with the aid of some very amazing makeup and a curly, brown wig that mimics Blanco's signature hairstyle. "I wanted no one to think of me or my last role," Vergara notes. "I wanted to get inside her head and understand her mentality."

Griselda, which will debut on Netflix on January 25, was conceived by Narcos showrunner Eric Newman, directed by Andrés Baiz, and features showrunner and writer Ingrid Escajeda. Vergara serves as executive producer. The fictitious dramatization, spanning six episodes, will delve deeply into the creation of one of the most powerful cartels in history, led by Blanco. Along with Vanessa Ferlito, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Martín Rodríguez, Christian Tappan, Alberto Guerra, and Juliana Aidén Martinez, it also has a special guest appearance by Colombian actor Karol G. On January 9, Madrid, Spain, hosted the premiere of Griselda, which Vergara and the other cast members attended. The actress, dressed in a black off-the-shoulder dress, looked stunning, as she always does.