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Last week, Sofia Vergara made history at the Emmys as the frist Latina to be nominated for best lead actress in a limited series for her role in Netflix’s “Griselda.” This nomination comes after years of Vergara battling a double-edged sword: her undeniable talent and her Colombian accent,which were both part of the path she’d carved with her iconic portrayal of Gloria Pritchett on “Modern Family.” Despite the success that ”Modern Family” had — winning 22 Primetime Emmy Awards and garnering 85 nominations as its 2009 debut — Vergara has been vocal about the limitations the industry placed on her as of her accent.
“I’m always looking for characters as there’s not much that I can play with this stupid accent,” she told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. “I can’t play a scientist or be in ‘Schindler’s List.’ My acting jobs are kind of limited.”
With Salma Hayek being a rare exception, Latina actresses with accents frequently enough find themselves relegated to stereotypical roles like fiery maids or sassy best friends.Take Rosie Perez,for instance. The Puerto Rican actress known for her roles in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and “White Men Can’t Jump” has spoken out about how her Puerto Rican Brooklyn accent frequently enough limited the roles she landed. Her role in ”White Men Can’t Jump” was originally intended for an Italian or Irish American actress, but she eventually proved she was the perfect fit for the role.
“Yes, my accent was strong. yes,I was Brooklyn. Yes, I was poor, but did that mean I should be limited to only playing unintelligent, downtrodden, and humiliating stereotypes?” she wrote in her 2014 memoir
