Brazilian Human Rights Advocate Plays the Lead Role in ‘Sergio’
Reuters

Wagner Moura, a Brazilian actor, played the role of two well-known Latino men in the world. One of the famous roles he played was as Pablo Escobar in the legendary Netflix series 'Narcos.'

Sergio: The Film

In a film called 'Sergio,' Moura played the role of a United Nations ambassador based in Iraq. In the film, Sergio Vieira de Mello died in the August 2003 huge terrorist bombing. This event caused the destruction of the headquarters of the United Nations where 22 people lost their lives. Sergio Vieira de Mello was also of Brazilian descent like Moura.

The film showed how Sergio encountered a vast amount of challenges in his more than thirty years of career. Greg Barker was the director of the documentary made about Sergio's life. It premiered more or less 10 years ago.

After hearing the story of Vieira de Mello, Moura immediately signed up as the film's producer.

Moura shared how eager he was to let the public know the story of Sergio. Also, it will be an opportunity for the Latino community to be part of the big screen.

Sergio: Moura's Hero

Sergio is a well-known figure in Brazil. However, Moura believes that there is still more to his story that people need to know.

His experience working in the United Nations and his experience being a goodwill ambassador for the International Labor Organization (ILO) had led him to see Sergio as a hero.

He had served as ILO's goodwill ambassador in combatting slave labor.

Sergio: Moura's Role Model

An article in NBC News revealed that Moura's career centers as an actor and as a human rights advocate.

Sergio was one of his significant role models. He dedicated his career to being an advocate for human rights.

Sergio held the position as a high commissioner for human rights when he died. He started his career in the United Nations as the high commissioner for refugees. He developed strong bonds between people who were under unimaginable conditions.

Relating his life to Sergio's, Wagner Moura shared his background. He grew in a poor city. As he was growing up, he witnessed many instances where human rights were violated. Back then, he did not know anything about human rights. As a kid living in extreme poverty, he believed that what he was witnessing was normal.

Producing Sergio: Moura's Inspiration

After playing Pablo Escobar, Moura got the ambitious goal to produce films that do not categorize Latinos as a stereotype. However, he is proud of the outcome of the series 'Narcos,' In fact, he will be the director of its upcoming season in Mexico.

He shared that he was included in a panel involving representation. He was tasked to learn how Latinos were represented in Hollywood films.

Wagner Moura observed that Latinos only make up 5% of the total characters in multiple films. He also witnessed how Latinos were portrayed insufficiently in many films. He has a goal to change how people viewed the Latino community in real life and on the big screen.