Wagner Moura arrives at the BFI London Film Festival looking remarkably energized despite taking a break from performing on stage in Brazil to promote his latest film. The affable actor clearly thrives on passion projects, and both his current stage role and new movie The Secret Agent represent exactly the kind of politically charged work that has defined his career and occasionally put him in dangerous territory.
The 49-year-old star has never shied away from controversy, a trait that has cost him professionally but never deterred him from speaking his mind. His latest collaboration with writer-director Kleber Mendonca Filho explores themes that hit close to home, examining what happens when standing up for values becomes a matter of survival under authoritarian rule.
A friendship forged in opposition
Moura and Mendonca Filho first crossed paths at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, when the director was still working as a film critic and Moura was attending for the first time with Lower City. The connection between the two men from northeast Brazil ran deeper than geography. They bonded over their shared opposition to former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his defense of the country’s military dictatorship.
The friendship grew stronger as both men faced consequences for being vocal critics of the government. Moura’s feature directing debut Marighella, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2019, was effectively censored in Brazil and not released there until 2021. The government cut off every avenue he had planned to distribute the film domestically, a clear retaliation for his political stance.
Mendonca Filho faced his own struggles during the same period, creating a bond between the collaborators that went beyond typical filmmaker relationships. The director wrote The Secret Agent specifically for Moura, crafting a role that reflected their shared experiences and beliefs about resisting authoritarian power.
Personal memories of dictatorship
Set in 1977 during Brazil’s military dictatorship, The Secret Agent follows a university professor hunted by hitmen after conflicts with corrupt officials. The timing holds personal significance for Moura, who was born in 1976 and grew up in the shadow of authoritarian rule that lasted until 1985.
He recalls childhood memories of his parents lowering their voices during certain conversations, creating an atmosphere of fear he did not fully understand at the time. Once, after repeating the word communism that he had heard elsewhere, his father quickly warned him never to say that word in their home. The caution came not from political disagreement but from legitimate fear of government retaliation against anyone perceived as a threat.
Those visceral memories of living under dictatorship informed Moura’s approach to the character. He had already researched the period extensively while directing Marighella, a drama about poet and communist militant Carlos Marighella who died opposing the dictatorship. The styling details, from the shirts his father wore to the way men carried cigarette packs in their left pockets, created an accurate sense of the era.
Embracing Brazilian identity in Hollywood
Despite building a successful international career that includes notable roles in Elysium, Civil War and the massively popular Netflix series Narcos where he played drug lord Pablo Escobar, Moura maintains strong ties to his Brazilian roots. The Los Angeles resident keeps a home in Salvador and deliberately brings his cultural identity to every role he takes.
He expresses confusion about actors from other countries who try to blend in and become generic American performers. For Moura, staying true to his Brazilian background is what makes him interesting and gives him power in the industry. He actively looks for opportunities to make characters Brazilian even when not written that way, improvising lines that reflect his heritage.
His approach extends to his directing work as well. He is currently preparing his second feature Last Night At The Lobster, which he describes as an anti-capitalism Christmas movie about New England restaurant employees fired before the holidays. The cast includes Brian Tyree Henry and Elisabeth Moss, reuniting him with actors from previous collaborations.
Democracy’s victory
The Secret Agent premiered at Cannes where it won prizes for both director and star before being acquired by Neon for North America and Mubi for international territories. When the film released in Brazil in early November, it faced no political interference, a fact that fills Moura with pride about his country’s democratic resilience.
He draws parallels between the storming of government buildings in Brasilia when Bolsonaro challenged his 2022 election defeat and the Capitol attack in Washington when Donald Trump disputed his 2021 loss. The key difference, Moura notes with satisfaction, is that Brazil held its former leader accountable in ways America did not.
The actor sees The Secret Agent as validation that sticking with values can lead to positive change, even when the personal cost seems high in the moment.
Source: Screen International