When Netflix dropped its gritty miniseries in early 2024, everyone basically collectively lost their minds over Sofia Vergara. It wasn’t just the Spanx or the prosthetics—though those were a whole thing—it was the fact that the woman we knew as the bubbly Gloria from Modern Family was suddenly beating people with baseball bats and snorting her own supply. But if you think she’s the only one who has stepped into the heels of the "Cocaine Godmother," you’ve got some catching up to do.
Griselda Blanco was a monster. Let’s be real. She was a woman who supposedly ordered hundreds of hits and basically invented the drive-by shooting in Miami. Playing someone that ruthless is a career-defining move for an actress. It's not just about the accent; it's about capturing that weird, sociopathic mix of maternal instinct and "I will kill your whole family" energy.
Sofia Vergara: The Transformation That Broke the Internet
Honestly, the Sofia Vergara Griselda Blanco era was a massive gamble. Vergara spent years trying to get this project off the ground. She was actually terrified of the role for a while because the real Griselda was still alive when Vergara first saw the Cocaine Cowboys documentary.
The physical toll on Vergara was no joke. She spent six months walking in a hunched-over, "old woman" posture to capture Griselda's weary, heavy presence. It actually landed her with a permanent back injury. She had to get injections just to keep filming. That’s commitment. She also wore a prosthetic nose, fake teeth that were yellowed from "chain-smoking," and eyebrow covers to hide her own famous features.
But why did it work? It worked because she didn't try to make Griselda a hero. Vergara was very vocal about the fact that she didn't want to romanticize a psychopath. She played her as a woman who started out trying to save her kids and ended up becoming the very thing she was running from. That’s the nuance that won her an Emmy nomination.
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Catherine Zeta-Jones and the Controversy of Cocaine Godmother
Before Netflix, there was Lifetime. In 2017, Catherine Zeta-Jones played Griselda Blanco in the TV movie Cocaine Godmother.
Look, Zeta-Jones is an Oscar winner. She can act. But the casting was... controversial, to say the least. People were rightfully annoyed that a Welsh actress was playing one of the most infamous Colombian figures in history. It felt like a missed opportunity to give a Latina actress a major leading role.
Despite the backlash, Zeta-Jones leaned into the "terrifying when she does nothing" vibe. She researched the role for three years. She even found out Griselda had a dog named Hitler (which didn't make it into the movie, probably for the best). Her performance was gritty and dark, but for many viewers, the "brownface" aspect of the makeup and the lack of cultural authenticity made it hard to swallow.
The Telenovela Version: Ana Serradilla in La Viuda Negra
If you grew up in a household with Univision or Caracol, you know about Ana Serradilla. She played the Godmother in the massive hit telenovela La Viuda Negra (The Black Widow).
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This version is way longer than the Netflix series. We're talking 80+ episodes. Because it's a telenovela, it’s a bit more stylized and dramatic. Serradilla brought a certain "femme fatale" energy to the role that was different from Vergara's weary exhaustion. She played into the myth of the woman who used her beauty and her brains to outsmart the men in the Medellín cartel.
Serradilla’s portrayal is actually how a huge portion of the Spanish-speaking world first learned the details of Griselda's life, even if the show took some pretty big creative liberties with the facts.
Other Actresses Who Stepped Into the Ring
Griselda is such a "juicy" role that several other actresses have played her in smaller capacities or different formats:
- Luces Velásquez: She played a character based on Griselda in the iconic Colombian series Escobar: El Patrón del Mal. Since that show was focused on Pablo Escobar, she was more of a side player, but she was terrifying nonetheless.
- Catalina Sandino Moreno: The Academy Award nominee played her in the 2019 film The Godfather.
- Jennifer Lopez (The "What If"): For years, J.Lo was attached to an HBO project called The Godmother. She was set to star and produce, but the project has been stuck in development hell for ages. Honestly, seeing J.Lo take on the ruthless 1970s Miami underworld would have been a sight to see.
Why Griselda Still Matters to Hollywood
Why are we so obsessed with who played Griselda Blanco? Basically, she’s the ultimate "anti-heroine." In a genre dominated by men—your Escobars, your Corleones, your El Chapos—Griselda was the one woman who didn't just survive; she dominated.
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She was a mother. She was a pioneer of smuggling techniques (like the famous hollowed-out bra and shoe heels). She was also a murderer. Actresses love this role because it’s a "prestige" trap—you get to look "ugly," act "crazy," and show off your range.
But there’s a responsibility there, too. Each actress has had to navigate the line between "cool drug lord" and "real-life monster." Vergara probably came the closest to finding that balance by showing the tragic, self-destructive end of the empire.
Ready to dive deeper into the real story?
If you've finished the Netflix series and want to see how the portrayals stack up against the actual history, here is your next move:
- Watch "Cocaine Cowboys" (2006): This is the documentary that started it all. You’ll see the actual footage of Griselda and realize that Vergara’s prosthetics weren't actually "too much"—the real Griselda was a force of nature.
- Compare the "Dario" Portrayals: Look at how Alberto Guerra plays Griselda's third husband in the Netflix version versus how he's portrayed in La Viuda Negra. It's a fascinating study in how different writers interpret the same toxic relationship.
- Check out the "Becoming Griselda" BTS: Netflix released a short feature on the makeup process. It’s wild to see how they essentially "de-glammed" one of the most beautiful women in the world to make her look like a chain-smoking queenpin.
Griselda Blanco's life was a blood-soaked tragedy, but for the women who play her, it's the role of a lifetime. Whether you prefer the gritty realism of Vergara or the dramatic flair of Serradilla, the "Black Widow" remains one of the most complex figures ever put on screen.