Wagner Mula is no stranger to his intense role, but his latest performance in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent” may at least define his career for an American audience.
The Brazilian actor, known to the American audience for Netflix’s “Narcos,” won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of Marcelo. actor.
The historic political thriller set during Recife’s carnival follows Marcelo as he attempts to escape persecution while reconnecting with his estranged son. For Muura, its role was both homecoming and calculations.
“It was free to do something again in Portuguese,” Moura tells Variety. “The last time I acted in my language was over a decade ago. Returning to my house, going back to Recife and working with Clever – it was like going back to the roots of what made me an actor.”
The connection between Moura and Mendonça Filho dates back to nearly 20 years when the actor first encountered the director’s shorts and later encountered his breakthrough, “Adjoining Sounds.” Moola recalls meeting him at Cannes in 2005, when Mendonza Fillho was still a critic.
“He’s my movie soulmate,” Mula shares. “He’s deeply political, but the Brazilians are also deeply Brazilian. He’s influenced by the American films of the 1970s, lens, structure – and becomes something that belongs exclusively to Brazil. That’s rare.”
That creative fusion paid off at Cannes. “The Secret Agent” was one of the festival’s most famous titles, winning Best Director, Fipresci Award, Art House Cinema Award, and Moura’s own acting honor. It was featured by neon and is currently getting a full court Oscar campaign, looking for a nom for international features and best photos.
Marcelo is the central character, but the emotional heart of the film lies in a fractured relationship with his son Fernando. Moura admits that she approached the role at the stage where she was fully living at Marcelo before considering Fernando.
“I wanted people to feel like they were looking at two different people,” he says. “For me, it was about imagining what it means for a child to grow up without knowing his father. I have three sons. My father has passed away. The theme of father and son – that drives me the most as an actor.”
He compares emotional strength to playing Hamlet in his early 30s. “That was the greatest acting experience of my life. And this film touched on the same part as me.”
If Moura’s performance in “The Secret Agent” is converted to an Oscar nomination, it marks a historic milestone. In almost a century of the Academy Awards, only five Latinx men have been nominated for best actors, including Jose Feller, Anthony Quinn, Edward James Ormos, Demian Vicil and Colman Domingo. Not only will Moura join the sixth rank, he also became the first Brazilian ever to be recognized in the category, with Fernanda Torres from “I’m Still Here” becoming the second best actress, following her mother Fernanda Montenegro 30 years ago. “I’m Still Here” also picked up the best photo nominations that were surprised (and won), earning Brazil’s first international feature.
Since “Narcos,” Moura has been selective about his role in the United States. “Can you imagine the amount of offers I could have played a drug dealer afterwards?” he shook his head. “As a Latino actor, I felt a responsibility to not reinforce stereotypes. I want the same kind of roles that white American actors are offered. That’s the real battle.”
He recalls that he is constantly pushing his character to be Brazilian rather than generally “Latin.” “That’s odd. When people say Latino, people rarely think of Brazilians. But I’ll argue that. Why aren’t they Brazilians?”
Beyond acting, Moura is stepping behind the camera once more. His 2017 feature, “Marighella,” addressed the dictatorship head-on. Next is Last Night, an English adaptation of Stewart Onan’s novel, produced by Peter Saraf (Little Miss Sunshine). What he calls an “anti-capitalist Christmas movie” stars Elizabeth Moss, Brian Tyree Henry and Sofia Carson. Set a franchise of red lobsters about to close during a snowstorm a week before Christmas, the story blends American holiday traditions with European realism.
“It’s about empathy and generosity. There’s no magic from Santa Claus. The magic comes from people,” says Moura.
The theme of “secret agent” – memory, truth, and resilience – resonates beyond Brazil. Moura sees an echo between his country’s recent struggles and the democratic challenges of the United States.
“The Brazilians know what a dictatorship is, and Americans don’t,” he says honestly. “That’s why we were efficient in defending democracy when our institutions were attacked. People sometimes take democracy for granted here in the US, and that scares me.”
He worries that the truth itself is adaptable. “The facts don’t exist anymore. There’s only a version, a story. That’s dangerous.”
With the opening of “The Secret Agent” through Vitlin Film in Brazil this November, Moura is at a new crossroads in his international career. Still, he remains grounded. “It’s about sticking to your values during difficult times,” he shares. “That’s what this film is about, and that’s what I want my sons to remember.”
