‘Griselda’s Sofia Vergara Makes History As First Latina Nominated For Lead Actress In Limited Series

Sofia Vergara has earned her fifth Emmy Award nomination today for her portrayal of real-life drug queenpin Griselda Blanco in the Netflix miniseries Griselda, the first dramatic role of her career. The recognition makes Vergara the first Latina nominated in the “Lead Actress in a Limited Series” category.

Vergara’s four prior Emmy nominations (2010-2013) were under the “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” category for her portrayal of Gloria Pritchett in ABC’s Modern Family.

From creators Eric Newman, Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda and Carlo Bernard, Griselda chronicles the life of Colombian-born Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family.

Across 6 episodes, Vergara flexed her dramatic chops in a performance unlike any project she has tackled in the past. She channeled “La Madrina” physically through prosthetics and period costuming, hair and makeup and via her performance of a woman who was tough to rattle and nearly impossible to beat. In her heyday, Griselda stoked fear in some of the scariest men in the game— including Pablo Escobar.

“There were a million things that I was nervous about, mainly my performance,” Vergara previously told Deadline. “This was my first time acting in Spanish, my first time doing drama and I was nervous if I was going to be able to convince people that it wasn’t just Gloria Pritchett with a plastic nose.”

She added, “It’s a risk to do something like this because you never know. To realize people actually love it, it’s a gift.”