Netflix viewers hail Sofia Vergara’s ‘shocking’ new series as Griselda sets Rotten Tomatoes milestone

Netflix’s latest original series Griselda has set a milestone on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

The six-part miniseries is based on the real-life story of Colombian drug trafficker Griselda Blanco, who ran a cocaine cartel in 1980s Miami.

Modern Family actor Sofia Vergara stars in the titular role, while The Candidate’s Alberto Guerra also features.

At the time of writing, Griselda is the highest rated film or TV show Vergara has ever appeared in, having earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 88 per cent. Vergara’s previous successes include the culinary drama Chef, which has a rating of 87 per cent.

Modern Family, the popular sitcom in which Vergara plays the younger wife of wealthy Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill), sits slightly further below on 85 per cent.

Reactions to Griselda have been positive from viewers, with many sharing their appreciation of the series – and Vergara’s acting – on social media.

“I’m watching Griselda and I’m really blown at the fact that Sofia Vergara has been acting for so long but this is the first time she’s truly getting an opportunity to show us her range. She’s acting her ass off and I know the next award season is going to bless her,” one viewer wrote on X/Twitter.

Another commented: “This was shocking! Finished all 6 episodes back to back! A MUST watch! To see how Griselda Blanco dominated the Miami Drug Cartel and took down her male competitors was just mindblowing! She was ruthless!”

“The person who thought Sofia Vergara would be perfect in the role of Griselda Blanco in #Griselda deserves an award,” someone else remarked.

During an appearance on Good Morning America earlier this month, Vergara spoke about taking on the role, which she said was her first Spanish-language performance.

“It’s been a pleasure and a torture at the same time to be part of this project,” she said.

In an interview with Kelly Clarkson, Vergara spoke about the extensive make-up that was required to make her look more like the actual Griselda Blanco.

After Clarkson suggested that the change “looks slight”, Vergara replied: “It was a lot! They did a lot to me! It was teeth, it was wig, it was nose. It was plastic from here to here.”

For the series, Vergara also had to teach herself how to consume fake cocaine.

Griselda is available to stream now on Netflix.