Wagner Moura: First Brazilian Best Actor Oscar Nominee

At the upcoming Academy Awards, Wagner Moura will represent Brazil in a historic first. For his performance in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, the 49-year-old actor has become the first Brazilian ever to receive a Best Actor nomination. Moura delivers a career-defining portrayal of Armando, a professor forced into hiding amidst the political turmoil of the Brazilian military dictatorship.

Moura is nominated alongside Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another). In addition to Moura’s nod, The Secret Agent secured nominations for Best Picture and Best International Feature.

This nomination marks Wagner Moura as the sixth Latino to be recognized in the Best Actor category, following José Ferrer, Anthony Quinn, Edward James Olmos, Demián Bichir, and Colman Domingo. Within the film, Wagner Moura portrays Armando as a public servant entangled in a labyrinth of state surveillance and intrigue.

The Secret Agent debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, where it became the most decorated film in the lineup, earning jury awards for both Best Director and Best Actor. Moura’s win made him the first South American actor to take home that prestigious prize. He is also the first Cannes Best Actor winner to receive an Oscar nomination since Antonio Banderas for Pain and Glory (2019). Over the last 25 years, only six Cannes winners have transitioned to an Oscar nod, with only two winning: Jean Dujardin (The Artist) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds).

Moura’s trajectory this awards season has been remarkable; he was the first Latino to win the Best Actor prize from the New York Film Critics Circle and the first Brazilian to win a Golden Globe for Best Actor (Drama).

In the 98-year history of the Academy, only two other Brazilians have received acting nominations: Fernanda Montenegro for Central Station (1999) and her daughter Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here (2024)—both in the Best Actress category. Moura’s presence at the ceremony adds to a historic year for Latin American cinema and reflects the Academy’s expanding recognition of international talent.

The final Oscar voting period runs from February 26 to March 5. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026, and will be broadcast live on ABC.