Who's Wagner Moura? Brazilian star makes history at Golden Globes
What's the story
Wagner Moura, the Brazilian actor best known for his role in Narcos, made history at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards by becoming the first Brazilian to win Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama). He was honored for his performance in The Secret Agent. In his acceptance speech, he thanked everyone involved in the film and called his fellow nominees "extraordinary."
Film details
Moura's role in 'The Secret Agent'
In The Secret Agent, Moura plays Armando, a former university professor trying to escape political persecution by Brazil's military dictatorship in 1977. His performance earned him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The film also won Best Director for Kleber Mendonca Filho and two other awards: Art House Cinema Award and FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film.
Film nominations
'The Secret Agent' also won at the Golden Globes
Apart from Moura's win, The Secret Agent was nominated for Best Motion Picture in the Drama category at the Golden Globes. It also competed and won in the Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language) category. It became the first Brazilian film to be nominated in both these categories.
Significance
Moura's win is a milestone for Brazilian cinema
Moura's win is not just a personal achievement but also a historic moment for Brazilian cinema. He was nominated alongside heavyweights Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein), Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere). The ceremony was hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser for the second year in a row.
About him
Learn more about the star
Born in Brazil's Salvador, Moura is a 49-year-old actor and director famous for playing Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series Narcos, which also earned him his first Golden Globe nod. He made a mark with Walter Salles's Behind the Sun in 2001, then starred in The Man of the Year (2003), Elite Squad (2007), and Elysium (2013). In 2024, Moura was seen in A24's Civil War for director Alex Garland. He's married to photographer Sandra Delgado; they have three sons.