See Sofía Vergara's transformation into Griselda Blanco for new Netflix series: Photos

Goodbye, Gloria. Hello, Griselda.

Sofía Vergara, best known for her Emmy-nominated turn as Gloria Pritchett on the long-running ABC comedy series "Modern Family," is returning to the small screen in January for Netflix's bilingual "Griselda."

The series is inspired by Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco – a woman many came to know as "the Godmother" – who was behind one of the most profitable cartels. Vergara also executive produces alongside several others including Luis Balaguer and Andrés Baiz, who directs every episode.

"This was a chance to reinvent herself and step out of her comfort zone, which was very brave of her," Baiz told EW. "She knew she had to dive in completely into this role and feel insecure and afraid, but she knew that all she had was her work, that she had to push herself to the limit."

The production has released some production stills, featuring Vergara sporting a shorter hairdo and in more precarious situations than her previous high-profile role in a network comedy – including one with a series of cuts on her face.

Early last month, Vergara issued a legal response nearly two weeks after her husband of seven years, Joe Manganiello, filed for divorce.

She asked a Los Angeles court to dissolve her marriage with Manganiello due to irreconcilable differences and uphold the pair's prenuptial agreement, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

Manganiello also made these requests in his July 19 divorce filing, which came two days after the couple issued a statement to Page Six confirming their separation.

The two married in November 2015 and have been separated since July 2, according to the documents.

In their individual filings, they both asked the court to separate their assets, such as jewelry and artwork, as well as their earnings accrued both before and since their marriage. USA TODAY reached out to Vergara and Manganiello's representatives for comment.

Contributing: Edward Segarra and KiMi Robinson

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