Born in Salvador, Bahia, in 1974, Wagner Moura is a Brazilian actor, director, jornalist and musician. He first began acting in plays in his hometown, where he would also find his first film roles. His participation in Carandiru (2003), by Héctor Babenco, established him as a major actor in Brazil, leading him to star in many features, including Elite Squad (2007) by José Padilha.
His role in Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium (2013) marked the beginning of his international career, which was reinforced by his role as Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series Narcos (2015-2017), earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a TV Drama. Recently, Moura was cast in Olivier Assayas’ feature Wasp Network (2019), which was part of the Official Selection at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
In a recent interview with Italian Rêve, Moura expressed always facing his work as political, not only because he sees the world in that light, but also for feeling that responsibility. This year, LEFFEST will feature a special screening of Moura’s Marighella (2019), presented at the Berlin Film Festival, marking his directorial debut.