The night sparkled with glitz, glamor, and a galaxy of stars when Sofia Vergara made history by being the first Latina nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. This historic award recognized her stunning performance in the Netflix original series “Griselda,” where she took on the turbulent life of Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco. While viewers and fans held their collective breath hoping to see Sofia with the golden statue, the honor went to Jodie Foster for her role in “True Detective: Night Country.”
As the crowd cheered Jodie Foster’s impressive win for her extraordinary performance, all of the attention swiftly turned to Sofia, who—rather than showing any disappointment—put on a display that wowed even the most steadfast Sofia fans. It may not have been her night, but you wouldn’t know it by watching the video posted by a close friend after the fact. In the clip, Sofia spills some buttery popcorn kernels all over the floor. She then walks into the frame, putting up a ridiculous amount of confidence. Nostalgic yet somehow mock-offended, she says in Spanish that she was robbed. “¿A mí qué premios, si me robaron?” (“What awards did I get, since they robbed me?”) she says, with diva-esque enunciation.
Sofia Vergara kept the good times rolling after the Emmys, heading to Instagram to share a more light-hearted memento from the event. On the night when she was up for the top honor of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (which she lost), Sofia posted a selfie to the ‘gram that was two parts goofy and one part delicious. “I didn’t get an Emmy,” she wrote alongside the picture, “but I got a [Music] hamburger!” With the post, Sofia cooked up some serious fanfare.
Sofia Vergara had an exclusive chat at the E! News red carpet with S.L. Cox. There, she discussed with the utmost sincerity the journey she undertook to portray Griselda Blanco, the Colombian drug lord, in the Netflix limited series “Griselda.” It is a role, she said, that picked her when she was quite “perplexed” as to whom to pick for her first serious dramatic role after a career spent largely in comedy. The character of Blanco, she noted, is very much a “badass,” and it really took a collaborative, creative effort on the part of her team to bring that character to life in the show. “Griselda” is a project Vergara has been working on for 15 years.
This fateful evening was about much more than Sofia’s success; it was about the hopeful future it promised for aspiring actors around the world. Sofia’s accomplishment has done exactly that and is doing exactly that, paving the way for more diverse representation in Hollywood and, importantly, in the kinds of roles afforded to actors who may not fit the traditional mold. The casting directors’ decisions to set Sofia on the path toward this leading role—and ultimately, to this award nomination—have definitively paid off.
Even though she did not win the award, Sofia is cheerful about the whole thing and still cannot believe the amazing experience she has had. When she thinks about her future, she is not shy about sharing her new, much deeper appreciation of drama. She is giving me her thoughts on the nature of comedy versus drama, and her perspective is enlightening. Despite being a comedy darling, Sofia seems to feel that comedy is overrated in terms of the amount of skill that it takes to do it well. She places a high premium on the ability to pull off drama, which she seems to revere as being much more difficult and much more of a toll on one’s heart and soul. Nevertheless, Sofia is wanting to try on the dramatic for size much more often in her career.
Sofia Vergara is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Whether she is charming us with her comedic prowess or bringing us to rapt attention in a more serious role, she is someone who is hard not to pay attention to. It was all the more delightful, then, to see her win the award for Favorite TV Actress at the 2023 People’s Choice Awards because she is someone who puts the “people” in “People’s Choice.”
