Sofía Vergara is opening up about her accent, noting that it’s led to “limited” acting opportunities.
The Colombian actor recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about her star role in Netflix’s Griselda, a miniseries which follows Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco who was known as “La Madrina” (“The Godmother”) and “La Viuda Negra” (“The Black Widow”).
“I’m always looking for characters because there’s not much that I can play with this stupid accent,” said Vergara, who the Times described as “playfully poking fun at herself.”
“I can’t play a scientist or be in Schindler’s List. My acting jobs are kind of limited.”
The comments come weeks after Vergara, who starred as Gloria Pritchett in the ABC sitcom Modern Family, shut down Spanish-language TV show host Pablo Motos for seemingly mocking her accent when she said the sitcom’s name.
Vergara, elsewhere in her interview with the Los Angeles Times, pointed to Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz while discussing “the barriers she faces as a Latina actor with a distinctive accent.”
“Eva Longoria doesn’t have an accent. Jennifer Lopez doesn’t have an accent. Jessica Alba doesn’t have an accent. Is it frustrating? Of course. In the beginning, more than now,” she said.
“And the frustration was towards me. How come I can’t fucking get this right? I’ve been here for 30 years. How dumb can I be? I have to fight in English, fuck in English, act in English. It’s exhausting.”
Vergara also told The New York Times that it’s hard to find characters because of her accent and because she’s known for comedy, as well.
“So in a selfish way I was like, ‘Oh, this is perfect for me,’” said Vergara of her star role in the Netflix miniseries.
She acknowledged in the Los Angeles Times that her role arrived months after she and Joe Manganiello ended their seven-year marriage last summer.
“I had not realised that, and now you’re making me fucking think about it,” she said.
“I was with this person for nine years. I’m trying to adapt again. I’m 51, so it’s not easy, but it’s been good. And to have people see me in another role because everybody recognises me as Gloria and nothing else because I haven’t really done anything but comedy — it is like a new chapter for me in every way.”