How did you come to work on Griselda?
I had worked on the Starz series Counterpart for two seasons, my producer from Counterpart, Phil Barnett, was on Griselda and brought me to the table. Pre Covid, they had done a makeup test and were trying to figure out Sofia Vergara’s look. Cut to the summer of 2021, Phil pulls me in. We started shooting in 2022.
What was the process for transforming Sofia Vergara into Columbian drug lord Griselda Blanco?
Our intention was never to make her look like the original Griselda, time and money constraints would have never allowed it. We wanted Sofia’s very recognizable face to disappear. She’s beautiful, but we felt she needed to have an edge. Finding the right look was a process of experimentation. Bill Corso had done the original makeup test and decided they would erase her eyebrows, and change her teeth which were made by Art Sakamoto. Once Ken Neiderbaumer and I did our makeup test we suggested we give her a more turned-down nose. She has this beautiful perky nose, but visually, it didn’t work with the eyebrows and teeth. We reached out to Stevie Bettles who made all the appliances and asked for him to sculpt a nose with our specifications. We added the prosthetic nose and started to see this character come alive.
Realizing how time consuming this makeup was and having about 80 other characters to create, we brought in the very talented artist Todd McIntosh to do Sofia. He and Kelly Kline, who had done her hair for 15 years, were her personals. During the process, Todd had to make some modifications and figure out her aging process. Her makeup took an hour and a half each day, including prosthetics and beauty.
Where did you look for references when designing the look for the characters?
There was a lot of research and everybody shared references across departments so we were all on the same page. A lot of the story comes from the character of June’s viewpoint. We spoke with the real June, referenced Griselda’s real photos, the internet, and magazines from the time. We custom made every tattoo that was used in the show. The Marielitos, or Cuban boat people as they were known, had come out of the prison system in Cuba when they came to Miami. They had very identifiable, specific tattoos. Many of them with religious and Santeria reference. Actors always have a little bit of what they want to impart into their character as well so you also consider that.
How much did you collaborate with other departments?
This show was very collaborative. Our first costume designer wasn’t able to complete the show so the assistant designer, Safowa Bright Bitzelberger, took over. There were a lot of skin-baring outfits and a lot of tattoos that needed to be covered. We worked together in terms of that. Dennis Parker came on to head hair. We had done Counterpart together. The production designer and set decorator were also from Counterpart, so we all knew each other and worked well together. We came in with the same mindset of creating a believable world in which this story took place, and I think we succeeded.
What was essential in depicting Griselda’s Miami during that era?
It all comes together with the hair, makeup, clothing, and set. It’s all in the details from covering up tattoos to featuring the right nail shape to era-appropriate facial hair. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, nobody had the amount or design type of tattoos that they do now. There were days I had 15-18 makeup artists just covering tattoos. All of the Columbian girls were very done up, and manicured. We couldn’t find press-on nails in the correct oval shape and color to represent that era so we ended up buying sets of 100 that came on a tree from Amazon. Then of course period-appropriate lip colors and eye shadows. We had wigs galore, and almost every one of the guys had facial hair and chops glued on. If the character didn’t have facial hair initially, we might add it to age them a little bit. Or if they had a goatee, we expanded it to show the passage of time.
Must-have products on set for Griselda?
We went through so many periods–with flashbacks and flash-forwards. We couldn’t have survived without long-lasting lipsticks from Kiko Cosmetics and Max Factor. And of course, with all of the facial hair pieces and prosthetics we needed lots of Telesis Glue.
Were there any challenges you faced while filming?
Midway through the show, my entire department changed. I had started the show with Ken Niederbaumer, Marissa Lafayette and Rela Martine. We started shooting in January 2022 and shot for three months. We had to shut down for one month so Sofia could fulfill her AGT contract. My crew were offered other gigs while we were down. Also, while we were shut down, our trailers got robbed! When we returned for the last three months I brought in Michele Tyminski Schoenbach, Rene Napolitano and Gina Homan.
What did you like best about working on this project?
I loved working with our director, Andy Baiz. He is a visionary. He came to set every day with so much passion and energy. We had full permission from Andy to go for it. I’m most proud that we created a world that feels authentic and believable, with all the nitty-gritty details and imperfections. And having a great rapport with all of the people who have this vision. I love working with Dennis and I do that as often as I can. I also had the opportunity to meet and work with some truly amazing people.
Words: Shannon Levy
Photos: Courtesy of Netflix
