Sofía Vergara says her acting jobs are ‘limited’ because of her accent

(CNN) — Sofia Vergara says that her Colombian accent hasn’t always allowed her to land roles she’s wanted.

Vergara, who is currently starring as Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco in Netflix’s “Griselda,” has intentionally sought characters where her accent is an asset.

“I’m always looking for characters because there’s not much that I can play with this stupid accent,” she told The Los Angeles Times. “I can’t play a scientist or be in ‘Schindler’s List.’ My acting jobs are kind of limited.”

It was after she watched the 2006 documentary “Cocaine Cowboys,” that Vergara said she first got the idea of playing Blanco. She joined “Modern Family” in 2009, but kept Blanco in the back of her mind over the years, periodically studying her.

“I read every single book, every single article, every new note on the internet that came out,” Vergara told the publication. “For many years, I read and read and read.”

Blanco, known as La Madrina ( Godmother) and La Viuda Negra (Black Widow), ran a cocaine ring before she was fatally shot in Medellín in 2012 at age 69.

“Griselda” is now streaming on Netflix.