Sofia Vergara's Physical Transformation for Netflix's Griselda

The Transformation Process

Sofia Vergara reveals the steps it took for her physical transformation in her new Netflix series 'Griselda'.

Sofia Vergara Shares Prosthetic Transformation for New Show Griselda

Vergara, 51, told E! News in a Wednesday, January 18, interview, 'I needed to disappear. It was in Miami in the \\u201970s and the \\u201980s. Getting the look correct was very important to me.'

Sofia Vergara Shares Prosthetic Transformation for New Show Griselda

Vergara has taken on the role of Griselda Blanco in the series, out January 25, an infamous Colombian drug lord who creates one of the most profitable cartels in history.

'Her physical transformation, that was one of the toughest aspects of the whole show,' director Andr\\u00e9s Baiz shared. 'What we decided was that she has to be different than Sof\\u00eda, but we shouldn\u2019t imitate Griselda Blanco.'

Vergara sat for hours in makeup every day for Griselda. Her makeup artist, Todd McIntosh, and hairstylist, Kelly Kline, revealed that the process included 5 wigs for multiple different timelines as well as prosthetic eyebrows, a fake nose and false yellowed teeth. Vergara even changed her posture as Griselda ages throughout the show.

Co-creator Eric Newman said that when Vergara stepped on set, no one could tell it was her. 'By the time she left her makeup trailer, she was Griselda. And that\u2019s why Sofia is so perfect,' he shared.

Capturing the Essence of Griselda

The physical transformation wasn\u2019t the only thing that Vergara had to get. She also had to get the essence of Griselda, who was a woman of firsts despite their evil underbelly.

'There are so many nuances to explore in terms of who she was \\u2014 as a woman, as a mother, and, of course, as a drug lord who created one of the most profitable cartels in history,' she told E!.

'She was not as famous as someone like Pablo Escobar, but even he was scared of her at the time. She stood on her own.'

'The truth is as much as Griselda broke down barriers, she\u2019s definitely not a hero.' Vergara continued, 'It is not about a glamorous life\\u2014it was often bloody and terrifying. In the world she came from, she did what she knew how to do.'

Griselda's Complex Legacy

Not glamorizing Griselda was something equally important for Vergara and the team behind the series.

'The truth is as much as Griselda broke down barriers, she\u2019s definitely not a hero.' Vergara continued, 'It is not about a glamorous life\\u2014it was often bloody and terrifying. In the world she came from, she did what she knew how to do.'