Why Sofia Vergara’s White Dress in ‘Griselda’ Amplifies Her Transformation Into a Ruthless Drug Lord
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Countless stories have been told about the male-dominated culture of drug kingpins such as Pablo Escobar and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, but little has been written about female Columbian drug lord Griselda Blanco. “Every story you’ve ever heard about Griselda is that she’s a demon and monster, but it’s never that simple,” says “Griselda” executive producer and showrunner Eric Newman.
In telling her story, there needed to be an emotional heartbeat to the character as they peeled back her layers, Newman says. “One thing that was important to us was that the audience loved her, and we got on her side quickly because she does some pretty horrible things.” Netflix’s six-part limited series “Griselda” stars Sofía Vergara as a woman who flees Colombia and rises in 1970s Miami.
There, she builds her cocaine empire and charts a downfall marred by paranoia, power and, ultimately, tragedy. Vergara, who also executive produces the series, found that emotional heartbeat by showcasing the character’s maternal side. “She wasn’t your regular gangster,” she says. “It was fascinating for me that she was a woman in that era — more ruthless, brutal, intelligent and fearless, but also a mother.
I wanted to think that she had all the good intentions of providing, surviving and caring for her family and that her only motive was to support her family and to save herself.” She adds, “But then you realize that there was a lot more to it, that there was a lot of stuff that she was doing just for herself or her ego.” Composer Carlos Rivera saw Griselda as someone larger than life that could be treated with an operatic approach, especially as she gave several inspiring speeches to rile the people.
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