Wagner Moura is widely known for his breakout role as drug lord Pablo Escobar on Netflix‘s crime-drama series ‘Narcos.’ His portrayal of the King of Cocaine earned him massive acclaim, given his intense performance. But criticism followed from regional circles due to Moura’s accent.
Nevertheless, the actor recently stated in an interview that he still receives a lot of offers to play similar roles. However, Moura has apprehensions about being associated with a stereotypical character caught up in cartels.
Wagner Moura Calls Out Hollywood Typecasting After ‘Narcos’
During his recent interview with Variety, Wagner Moura emphasized not wanting to reinforce any kind of stereotypes by playing the same character again. He also stated that offers to play an identical drug lord have been piling up since ‘Narcos.’ Yet, he has no intention of re-entering that world, especially for the representation of Latinos that these kinds of crime series perpetuate.
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Wagner stated, “The amount of offers that I got after ‘Narcos’ to play that exact same thing, I was like, no. I had to say no because it’s a perception of our people. I don’t want to keep reinforcing that stereotype.”
He further stated how he wants to try new roles and would love to play journalists, doctors, and engineers to remove the drug kingpin perception from everyone’s minds. “I want to go for the same characters that white American actors are going for“, said the 49-year-old.
So what’s next for Moura’s acting dreams? “I want to keep working with great directors. I would love to work with Paul Thomas Anderson. I would love to be in a film directed by Martin Scorsese. I want to have lunch with Leonardo DiCaprio, who is around my age.“
How ‘Narcos’ Changed Wagner Moura’s Life
While Moura aims to avoid such roles in the future, ‘Narcos‘ provided him with exactly what he needed in his career at that moment. The Netflix hit gave him global recognition and once again, the legend of notorious Pablo Escobar became a sensation worldwide.
Despite Spanish not being his first language, Moura excelled in showcasing his skills, but was also at the receiving end of some regional backlash from Colombia due to his Brazilian-influenced Spanish accent.
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Despite such shortcomings, his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in ‘Narcos‘ remains his most respected work to date. The show portrayed Colombia’s political turnings, drug wars, power structures, and real-world impact, all tied to Pablo Escobar.
Hollywood has always been fascinated by gangster tales. No wonder ‘The Godfather‘ changed cinema, and other entries like ‘Scarface‘ and ‘Goodfellas‘ remain fan-favorites. On TV, ‘The Sopranos’ made history, and streaming gave birth to the ‘Narcos‘ franchise.
As for Moura, he continues to explore new genres and has spectacular roles lined up. He recently created history by becoming the first Brazilian actor ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor after his commendable performance in ‘The Secret Agent.’ But don’t hold out hope to see him commanding a criminal empire again.
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