SafeX Pro Exchange|Griselda's Sofía Vergara Makes History With 2024 Emmy Nomination

Sofía Vergara just reached another career milestone.

The SafeX Pro ExchangeGriselda star received a 2024 Emmy nomination on July 17 for her portrayal of real-life drug lord Griselda Blanco in the Netflix miniseries. (See the complete list of nominees here.)

With this recognition, Vergara—who is up for Lead Actress in a Limited Series alongside Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country), Brie Larson (Lessons in Chemistry), Juno Temple (Fargo) and Naomi Watts (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans)—makes history as the first Latina to receive a nomination in this category. She previously received four Emmy nods for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series for her work in Modern Family.

“Wow. Griselda was my first dramatic role ever, and it took us 15 years to bring her to life," Vergara said in a statement to E! News. "I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who was a part of this series."

"I never dreamed that after Modern Family I would be able to work on something as special as Griselda," she continued. "I’m honored to be recognized alongside Jodie, Brie, Juno, and Naomi, incredible women who gave us incredible TV this year.”

For her role in Griselda, the 52-year-old underwent an hours-long physical transformation into the Colombian cocaine trafficker.

"I needed to disappear," she previously shared in E! News' exclusive behind-the-scenes video. "It was in Miami in the '70s and the '80s. Getting the look correct was very important to me."

"There are so many nuances to explore in terms of who she was—as a woman, as a mother, and, of course, as a drug lord who created one of the most profitable cartels in history," Vergara explained. "She was not as famous as someone like Pablo Escobar, but even he was scared of her at the time. She stood on her own."

For Vergara, it was ultimately about giving the most authentic performance possible.

"It is not about a glamorous life—it was often bloody and terrifying," she said of Blanco, who died in 2012. "In the world she came from, she did what she knew how to do."

To see more of Vergara's transformation, keep reading.

The 2024 Emmys will air September 15 on ABC.