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Wagner Moura’s Historic Oscar Nomination Just Put His 87% RT Apple TV Crime Thriller Back on the Map

January 22, 2026

On the morning of January 22, 2026, Wagner Moura made history. By securing his Best Actor nomination for The Secret Agentfor the 2026 Oscars, the actor, known for his iconic role as Pablo Escobar in Narcos, has become the first-ever Brazilian to be nominated in the Best Actor category. The accomplishment is quite a feat, but, of course, not exactly surprising to viewers who have been following his career for years.

After all, not only has Moura starred in critically acclaimed projects in Brazil, but he’s also shown his acting chops in American projects like 2024’s Civil War and Apple TV’s Dope Thief. The series, created by Peter Craig and co-directed by Ridley Scott, premiered on March 14, 2025, and received an impressive 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. With non-stop action, dark humor and a friendship at its heart, Dope Thief is certainly one of Moura’s most bingeable shows to date.

What Is ‘Dope Thief’ About?

Dope Thief follows two lifelong friends from Philadelphia who pose as DEA agentsto steal money from low-level drug dealers in their neighborhood. Things go south for best friends Manny (Moura) and Ray (Brian Tyree Henry), however, when they take on a meth lab outside the city that already has an undercover DEA agent investigating it and is the drop spot for a massive cartel. Loaded with stolen cash, they must figure out who set them up and who is after them before warring drug cartels kill them and everyone they care about.

The stakes escalate as different parties start to get involved and their families refuse to cooperate, pushing Ray and Manny’s bond to its breaking point. With the walls closing in on them and everyone they care about, they have to decide if their friendship is worth saving, or if they should save themselves and their loved ones instead. The series also stars Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew, Ving Rhames, Liz Carribel Sierra, and Nesta Cooper.

‘The Secret Agent’ Wins Best Non-English Language Motion Picture at the Golden Globes

Wagner Moura leads the acclaimed historical political thriller.

Wagner Moura Shines in ‘Dope Thief’

Throughout the raving reviews of Dope Thief, the performances are mentioned time and time again. After all, not only do Henry and Moura command the screen individually, but their chemistry is what makes the series so compelling. Without the long-wavering friendship between their characters, the show would lose its charm, let alone its impossibly high stakes. “The desire to save each other not only gives these duo an emotional drive through the plot but also provides the series with its best comedic moments,” wrote Collider’s very own Megan Vick in her review.

In The Secret Agent, which earned Moura his first Golden Globe Award earlier this month, his character Marcelo isn’t entirely dissimilar. Playing a professor who’s on the run after ticking off the wrong people during the Brazilian dictatorship in 1977, Moura once again embodies a character who’s on edge, always looking over his shoulder and feeling like the walls are closing in on him. And, much like in Dope Thief, becoming the target has some major consequences in his life, including leaving his son behind and starting his life over again in Recife. In both roles, Moura is a scene-stealer, making viewers see his heart and vulnerability despite the action and bloodshed that’s constantly chasing him.

With that said, while Moura’s role in The Secret Agent is generating all the buzz right now with his first-ever Oscar nomination, his compelling performance in Dope Thief is surely also worth a watch. Plus, with Season 2 of Dope Thief yet to be confirmed, the potential of another action-packed sophomore season, this time with two Oscar nominees leading the cast, is as real as ever.