Wagner Maniçoba de Moura (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvaɡneʁ mɐ̃niˈsɔbɐ dʒi ˈmowɾɐ]; born 27 June 1976) is a Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker. Wagner started his career doing theater in Salvador, where he worked with renowned directors, and soon scored some appearances in films. In 2003, he got his first leading roles in movies, in addition to having a prominent role in Carandiru, which propelled him to the main scene of Brazilian cinema. He continued starring in national feature films, including the box office hits Elite Squad and Elite Squad 2, playing the famous character Captain Nascimento. The first film received the Golden Bear award and both productions reverberated outside Brazil, which boosted the actor's international recognition.
In 2007, he was the antagonist of the telenovela Paraíso Tropical, being praised for his performance by both the public and the critics. In 2013, he was cast in the American science fiction feature film Elysium, opposite Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. The film marked the international debut of the Brazilian actor, who received praise from critics for this work. In 2015, he went on to star in the series Narcos, playing drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, a role for which he was nominated for several awards, including the Golden Globe. Later, Moura returned as director for two episodes of Narcos: Mexico.
Besides being a well-established and acclaimed actor in Brazil, Moura has achieved international success as a part of the movement that seeks positive representation for Latin Americans in Hollywood. In 2021, he made his debut as a movie director and screenwriter with Marighella, a biopic about Carlos Marighella, which hit cinemas after a well-received debut at the Berlin Film Festival in 2019. The movie won several awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Moura in different ceremonies.
Source : Wikipedia
