Nominated for an Oscar for ‘The Secret Agent’, the actor had his political engagement and defense of art against totalitarianism extolled by the publication
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for The Secret Agent, Wagner Moura was one of those chosen by Time magazine to join the list of 100 most influential personalities today. Signed by journalist and film critic Stephanie Zacharek, the publication’s text highlights the actor’s political engagement and your ability to give nuances to his characters in the various genres in which he has worked.
“Everything I do is true. Art is true”, Moura declared to the journalist. “What scares me is that the truth as we know it is over. Facts no longer matter. When we talk about polarization, we talk about the creation of parallel universes and narratives. We no longer live in the same mental space as others”, he said, saying that current political discussions are no longer based on ideologies, but on “versions of the truth”.
In addition to the Brazilian, Time chose other great stars who have stood out in recent years for the list. Moura’s name appears next to the Oscar winner’s Zoe Saldanaby the comedian Nikki Glazeractresses Keke Palmer, Dakota Johnson e Claire Danesby the writer Freida McFadden and Olympic medalists Alyssa Liu e Hilary Knight.
In the interview, Moura reinforces his vision of art as weapon against totalitarianismremembering that artists, journalists and academics are usually the first targets of these regimes. “When totalitarian governments attack academics, artists and journalists – that’s no coincidence, right?”
A North American citizen since 2023, the actor also reflected on the current United States administration, whose internal and external actions have caused protests across the country. “Governments come and go, but for me, [os EUA] It is a country that welcomes people from all over the world, which was built on immigration.”
“Of course the country is polarized”, continued Moura. “But there is a difference between the government in charge right now and the soul of the nation. Donald Trump represents much of what the USA is. But the USA is not just that, not by a long shot. This is the country of Martin Luther King, of Rosa Parks, of so many freedom fighters who exported their ideas to the rest of the world.”
In the interview, the star highlighted how his training as a journalist – a profession that he admits he does not have the necessary objectivity to exercise – influenced his career as an actor. “[O jornalismo] It shaped me a lot as an artist, as a person, as a citizen. And there is a notion of creating empathy: the more you know about things, the more empathy you have. That’s all. And that’s what acting should be.”
Moura’s connection with his Brazilian roots, whether maintaining his accent or demanding that his characters in Hollywood be written as born in Brazil, was also highlighted by Zacharek’s text, which highlighted his recent role in Star Wars: Maul – Lord of Shadows, a new animation in the franchise created by George Lucas.
“It’s undeniably interesting and crazy to have a Brazilian as part of the Star Wars universe, because, for me, this is a galaxy far, far away,” said the actor, before commenting on the happiness he felt upon seeing Diego Luna join the franchise in Star Wars: Rogue One and Andor without changing his accent. “I think it meant a lot to Latinos around the world [poder dizer] ‘Oh my God, we can be part of this too!’”
Tributo de Jeremy Strong
In addition to Zacharek’s text, Moura also won a short tribute written by Jeremy StrongEmmy-winning actor for Succession and member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival that awarded the Brazilian for his work in The Secret Agent.
“A long-time legend in Brazil, he has occupied the global stage for a while now. But in the last year, Moura has opened a hole in the roof of the world,” writes Strong, saying he watched Kléber Mendonça Filho’s film with “admiration and reverence.”
Strong also recalled that, in the same edition of Cannes, Robert De Niro gave a speech in which he stated that “fascists must fear art”. “[De Niro] I was talking about artists like Moura, the kind of artists we need now more than ever.”
“[Moura] understands that democracy and freedom are things you need to fight for every day (an idea our often sleepy country is quickly catching on to). Moura is not afraid to use the power of humanization and mobilization of art as a weapon”, praised Strong. “From The Secret Agent to his directorial debut in Marighella (an indictment against the Brazilian military dictatorship) to his work on stage last year in Um Judgment: After the Enemy of the People, by [Henrik Ibsen] (how much you are willing to fight for the truth) – he is a political and human force, a combination we desperately need to see more of.”
Upcoming projects
After the season full of awards for The Secret Agent, Moura has several other works lined up for 2026. In theaters, he is working on Last Night at the Lobster, his next film as director and which he describes as “a political Christmas film”.
In front of the camera, he will star in the sci-fi horror 11817, which will be released on Netflix.
Finally, Moura is preparing to take a new production of Um Judgment: After the Enemy of the People to Europe.
The Secret Agent is available for streaming on Netflix.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
