In a stunning and historic victory at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, Brazilian actor Wagner Moura triumphed in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama category. The 49-year-old star, best known globally for his portrayal of drug lord Pablo Escobar in the hit Netflix series Narcos, secured the prestigious award for his role in the film The Secret Agent.
A Shock Win Against Hollywood Heavyweights
Moura's win was considered a major upset, as he beat a formidable field of established Hollywood names. The category included Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein), Dwayne Johnson (Smashing Machine), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere). This victory marks a significant milestone, as Moura became the first Brazilian actor ever to win the top drama acting honour at the Golden Globes. He was also the first Brazilian to be nominated in this category.
On the red carpet before the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Moura was accompanied by his wife, photographer Sandra Delgado, whom he married in 2001. The couple, who share three sons, are thought to maintain homes in Salvador, Los Angeles, and Rio de Janeiro.
The Role and a Powerful Message
In The Secret Agent, Moura plays a technology expert in 1977 Brazil who returns to his hometown of Recife seeking peace from a mysterious past, only to find the city under the shadow of the ongoing military dictatorship. In his acceptance speech, Moura framed the film's core themes, stating, "The Secret Agent is a film about memory - or the lack of memory - and generational trauma. I think that if trauma can be passed along generations, values can too." He dedicated the award "to the ones that are sticking with their values in difficult moments."
Backstage, the actor elaborated on the film's political resonance, connecting Brazil's past dictatorship (1964-1985) to its recent political climate. "The dictatorship is still an open scar in our Brazilian life," Moura said. "We recently had from 2018 to 2022 a far-right-wing president in Brazil. That was a physical manifestation of the echoes of the dictatorship... so we have to keep making films about it."
From Escobar to Award-Winning Actor
While Moura shot to international fame in 2015 for his immersive and critically acclaimed performance as Pablo Escobar in Narcos—a role for which he learned Spanish and gained 40 pounds—his career has been both varied and principled. Born in Salvador and raised in Rodelas, he worked as a journalist in his twenties while pursuing acting.
His breakthrough in Brazilian cinema came with the 2007 film Elite Squad, where he played police officer Captain Nascimento. His Hollywood debut followed in 2013's Elysium. Despite the global recognition from Narcos, Moura has consistently chosen projects based on artistic merit rather than commercial gain, a point he reiterated in a past interview: "I've never done anything for money or as a step to get to something else... I've never cared about that."
His filmography showcases this diversity, including voice work as Death in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (earning an Annie Award nomination), and roles in The Gray Man, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Shining Girls. He also directed the film Marighella. Prior to his Golden Globe win, Moura had already received the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for The Secret Agent and holds five Brazilian Academy Film Awards.
The 2026 Golden Globes ceremony saw other major winners, including Timothée Chalamet winning Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Marty Supreme, and Paul Thomas Anderson's film One Battle After Another leading the night with four awards, including Best Picture – Comedy or Musical. On the television side, Netflix's limited series Adolescence and HBO's The Pitt were among the big winners.
