Sofia Vergara admitted that taking on the roll of “Griselda” in the Netflix series took a big toll on her body.
She spoke about her character’s life as a drug queen-pin during an interview with Variety published Aug. 14, and explained it wasn’t easy for her to transform into the role. Vergara told the outlet that she reached out to an acting coach to help her bridge the gap between her funny character on “Modern Family” and the darkness she had to embody for “Griselda.” The famous actress admitted that it wasn’t an easy transition, and she resorted to unconventional methods to cope.
PASADENA, CA – APRIL 06: Sofia Vergara is seen at “America’s Got Talent” on April 06, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Getty Images
Vergara had never starred in a drama before and hadn’t even taken an acting class, so she knew she needed some help if she wanted to nail the role of this complex character, she told Variety.
“I’m like, OK, who is a comedic actress that did good in a drama?” she recalled thinking.
Vergara connected to Jennifer Aniston and set up an appointment with acting coach Nancy Banks, who had worked with the famous “Friends” star since 2013, according to Variety.
Banks worked with Vergara to hone in the skills required for the role. The famous actress admitted to having a difficult time crying on cue, which is something they really had to spend time on, she told the outlet.
“Nancy said, ‘If you want to cry, you just have to think of something.’ And I did have a lot of horrible things to think about,” Vergara said in the interview, explaining how she channeled the challenging times she had faced in her personal life, off-screen.
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 26: Sofía Vergara arrives at the “America’s Got Talent” Season 19 Red Carpet at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 26, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic) Getty Images
After some dedicated time and effort, Vergara discovered that she was indeed capable of crying on-screen when the role required it, she told Variety. Reliving the thoughts she channeled to make herself cry continued to haunt her well after her time on-set. she recounted.
Vergara admitted in the interview that she struggled to sleep for the first three weeks of filming, and was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with her.
“I was anxious. Nancy told me, ‘You’re killing, you’re screaming, crying — everything — during the day. You go home and your body doesn’t know that you weren’t doing those things for real, feeling those things,’” Vergara told Variety.
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA – JANUARY 23: Actress Sofia Vergara attends the Miami premiere of “Griselda” at The Fillmore Miami Beach on January 23, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mireya Acierto/WireImage) Getty Images
“So I had to start taking a little bit of Xanax at night to calm down. I was not prepared for that,” she admitted to Variety.
Vergara reflected on the experience.
“I didn’t know,” she said in the interview. “That’s why actors go crazy! How do they do that for years?” (RELATED: Colombian Mob Family Sues Sofia Vergara, One Of America’s Favorite Actresses: REPORT)
“Griselda” chronicles the life of the prolific Godmother of Miami’s drug empire, and was released January 2024.
