What the cast of Netflix's 'Griselda' looks like in real life
Palmer Haasch
- Sofía Vergara executive produces and stars in the Netflix series "Griselda."
- The show follows drug lord Griselda Blanco in 1970s and 1980s Miami.
After garnering acclaim as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the ABC sitcom "Modern Family," Sofía Vergara is taking the helm of "Griselda," a Netflix series based on the Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco.
Vergara is the series' executive producer, in addition to its star. As The New York Times reported, she pitched the series to "Narcos" showrunner Eric Newman in 2015. Newman, and his "Narcos" collaborator director Andrés Baiz, eventually signed on.
The series, which has drawn backlash and a lawsuit from the real Blanco's adult children, follows Blanco's life in the 1970s and 1980s, focusing on her time in Miami. Vergara was first put on to Blanco, she told the Times, after watching the 2006 documentary "Cocaine Cowboys." Her fascination with Blanco was also something that struck her as personal opportunity.
"It's hard for me to find characters because of my accent, and because I'm known for comedy," Vergara told the Times. "So in a selfish way I was like, 'Oh, this is perfect for me.'"
Vergara stars alongside Alberto Guerra, Karol G, Juliana Aidén Martinez, and an ensemble cast in the six-episode series, which hits Netflix on Thursday.
Here's what the cast of "Griselda" looks like in the show and real life.
Sofía Vergara stars as Griselda Blanco, the drug lord known as "the Godmother."
Blanco was known as the "godmother of cocaine," and was shot and killed at age 69 in Medellín, Colombia in 2012. She was a major fixture of the Miami cocaine scene in the 1970s and 1980s.
This is the time period that "Griselda" focuses on. According to Netflix's character description, Blanco leverages years spent running her husband's drug scheme in Colombia and New York to establish herself and her three sons in Florida.
Alberto Guerra plays Darío Sepúlveda, Blanco's assassin-turned-husband.
Sepúlveda, according to the Netflix description, shows up in Florida to assassinate Blanco. However, he eventually becomes her third husband.
Christian Tappan plays Arturo Mesa, Blanco's accountant.
Mesa, per Netflix, was one of Blanco's former connections from Colombia, where he worked as an accountant for her and her former husband. She convinces him to help her set up shop in Miami.
Martín Rodríguez plays Rivi Ayala, Blanco's go-to man who was previously working for her rival.
According to Netflix, Ayala is the lieutenant for one of Blanco's rivals when he first meets her. But after seeing the way that Blanco works first-hand, he eventually comes to work for her.
Juliana Aidén Martinez is June Hawkins, a Miami police department analyst on Blanco's trail.
Per Netflix, the fictionalized Hawkins is a female officer who constantly bumps up against the misogyny of her male colleagues. As a rare Spanish speaker on the force, she investigates Blanco.
According to the Financial Times, the real Hawkins served as a consultant on the series.
Vanessa Ferlito plays Carmen Gutiérrez, one of Griselda's former associates who works as a travel agent.
Per Netflix, Gutiérrez worked with Blanco on her and her husband's New York operation. Sober and working as a travel agent, she doesn't want to get caught up in Blanco's cocaine operation in Miami.
Fredy Yate plays Chucho Castro, an immigrant from Colombia who ends up working for Blanco.
According to Netflix, Castro initially picks up a one-time job for Blanco. However, he ends up working for her for years.
Carolina Giraldo Navarro — better known as Karol G — plays Carla, one of Griselda's friends and confidants.
Carla hails from Medellín, and travels to Miami with other sex workers to transport product, according to the Netflix character summary. She was previously one of Blanco's close friends in Colombia, and remains close with her in Florida.
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