Wagner Moura Makes Oscars History as First Brazilian Nominated for Best Actor

After becoming the first Brazilian to win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, for his towering performance in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent”, Wagner Moura has made history as the first nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards.

The 49-year-old actor is nominated alongside Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle After Another”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”) and Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”).

“The Secret Agent” was also nominated for international feature and best picture.

In addition to his historical nomination for Brazil, Moura is also the sixth Latino to be nominated in the best actor category after José Ferrer, Anthony Quinn, Edward James Olmos, Demián Bichir, and Colman Domingo. Ferrer is the only winner in the lineup for his performance in “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1950).

In “The Secret Agent,” Moura plays Armando, a civil servant drawn into a web of conspiracy and state surveillance and delivers one of his most commanding performances of his career.

“The Secret Agent” premiered at Cannes in May 2025 and became the most decorated film of the lineup, winning jury prizes for director and actor.

Moura became the first South American actor to win the award. He becomes the first Cannes actor winner to translate to an Oscar nomination since Antonio Banderas for “Pain and Glory” (2019). Only six Cannes winners in the last 25 years have earned Oscar nominations, with two winners among them — Christoph Waltz for “Inglourious Basterds” (2009) and Jean Dujardin for “The Artist” (2011). The former won in supporting actor category.

Moura’s performance on the critics’ awards circuit has been strong this season, earning a historic win from the New York Film Critics Circle, the first Latino to land the prize from the group, and a Golden Globe for best actor (drama), the first Brazilian to be nominated and win that prize as well.

In addition to acting, the film also won the non-English language prize.

Only two other Brazilians have been nominated for acting over the Academy’s 98-year history — Fernanda Montenegro for “Central Station” (1992) and her daughter, Fernanda Torres, for “I’m Still Here” (2024), both in best actress.

Moura’s nod contributes to the growing embrace of international cinema and comes amid a banner year for Latin American filmmakers and performers.

Final Oscar voting will take place from February 26 to March 5. The 98th Oscars will be held on March 15 and will air on ABC, hosted by Conan O’Brien.