Pablo Escobar Had Wagner Moura Written On It Even Before Its Inception

Brazilian actor Wagner Moura mesmerized everyone with his performance as Pablo Escobar on Netflix’s ‘Narcos’. But do you know that Wagner found out many similarities between him and Pablo that helped him play the role with perfection?

‘Narcos‘ was a hugely popular crime drama television series that refreshed the memories of the biggest drug kingpin the world has ever seen â€" Pablo Escobar. Set in Latin America, the series was known for its tight screenplay, some gorgeous cinematography and performances. And the man of the hour was Wagner Moura, the Brazilian actor who lived the life of Pablo on-screen for a couple of years until the first two seasons wrapped with the death of Pablo.

While Wagner is a great actor, was it really easy for him to get into the skin of the character to play the most famous Colombian the world has ever seen? Of course not! To play a complex character such as Pablo, you need something more than a skill-set as an actor. And what happened to Wagner was more than that, the similarities he found between Pablo and himself.

Highlights â€"

Wagner Moura and Pablo Escobar similarities

Wagner Moura and Pablo Escobar soulmates

When Wagner was approached for the role, he did not know the language and he did not understand the nuances of the Colombian culture to which Pablo belonged. So, he began taking classes in accents and the Spanish language and began gouging on the reading material about Pablo. He knew that he would have to gain a lot of weight to get into the skin of the character. So he gained 40 pounds. Once he began looking like Pablo, then came the real task. To try and understand his psyche in order to play the role on-screen in the best way possible, Wagner had to sink his teeth into the personality that Pablo was. And he did find a few things about Pablo that he related with.

Why Wagner Moura and Pablo Escobar were akin to soulmates? WAGNER MOURA AND PABLO ESCOBAR HAD MANY SIMILARITIES

For one, Pablo was in the drug trade and was known as the cocaine king. Wagner also grew up in Brazil hearing stories about drug-related crimes in Colombia. Brazil has faced a drug problem for the longest time.

Related: Narcos Mexico Season 2: A New Drug Lord On The Map

Hence, it was easy for Wagner to get into the zone of understanding why Pablo was being worshipped by many. And also, Wagner said in an interview that he believes that drugs should be made legal. He had his reasons for believing that. He stated that the war against drugs was futile as it resulted in governments spending a lot of their time, money, and resources trying to curb it. They have been successful to some extent, but the drug trade is still flourishing. Well, that’s something we can imagine Pablo would have believed in.

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Video Credits: Los Angeles Times WAGNER MOURA AND PABLO ESCOBAR SHARED MANY BELIEFS

Wagner grew up in Brazil, in an area named Salvador, located in the city of Bahia, where poverty is rampant. He grew up witnessing the extremes of poverty. Pablo Escobar’s biggest motivation to become a rich man was because he wanted to break the shackles of poverty that he was bound to since his early years. This common link between Wagner and Pablo further helped Wagner sink his teeth into Pablo’s early life. And this translated beautifully on the big screen.

Related: Narcos Mexico S 2: El Chapo Jr. starts a full-fledged war in Febrero

One other aspect of their lives between the two personalities was their love for their families. Wagner stated that he was away from his family for the most part due to his work. Pablo spent 10 years away from his family when he was in hiding and he was even killed while talking to his son. This led Wagner to understand the vulnerability of Pablo Escobar’s character in its most raw form. Other than that, we all know how much he loved his family.

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Video Credits: The Hollywood Reporter

As Wagner began playing Pablo, he saw more similarities between the two. Wagner, while portraying Pablo on-screen, immersed himself completely into the role and that’s when the cinematic magic happened. Wagner carried the entire series on his shoulders and was rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination.

While we hear stories of actors doing all kinds of things to get into their characters, it’s rare when actors find a soul-mate connection with the character they play. And, for Wagner, this blessing turned into worldwide acclaim.

Tell us in the comments what was your favourite Pablo Escobar moment from ‘Narcos’. Also, tell us your take on Wagner Moura’s performance as the drug lord.

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