Wagner Moura received a phone call from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulating him on his Golden Globes win — a complete 180 from former President Jair Bolsonaro, who attempted to bury Moura’s directorial debut.
Moura stars in “The Secret Agent,” a new film from Kleber Mendonça Filho that will represent Brazil at this year’s Academy Awards. After winning Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, Moura took home the Best Actor (Drama) award at Sunday’s Golden Globes.
“Wagner, my dear, look you can be sure that you are a source of pride for this country, man,” Brazil’s president (often simply called “Lula”) told Moura over the phone, translated to English from Portuguese.
“Since your first government, cinema has had a space,” Moura responded to the two-time president. “I remember that you used to hold movie sessions, seeing that you like culture, president. That makes a huge difference for any country that wants to develop.” You can watch the whole conversation below.
The exchange starkly contrasts with Moura’s relationship with Brazil’s former far-right president Bolsonaro. Moura, a vocal critic of Bolsonaro and his support for Brazil’s military dictatorship, attempted to release his directorial debut, “Marighella,” in 2019. Bolsonaro publicly condemned the film — which tells the story of revolutionary and anti-dictatorship writer Carlos Marighella — effectively blocking its release in the country until 2021.
Speaking with TheWrap in December, Moura called the Bolsonaro regime a “hardcore/proto-fascist government,” one that was “hard for press, for university, for artists,” adding, “Whoever was vocal against the government suffered lots of consequences.”
“‘The Secret Agent’ was born from both of us talking as friends and going, ‘How the f–k can we react to this?’” he said. “It’s a film about a guy who sticks with the values that he has, even when everything around him was saying the opposite of what he believed.”
The changing politics of Brazil were at the top of Moura’s mind following his Golden Globes win. On Sunday, Moura spoke about the difference between Brazil’s current democratic government and the years under Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for crimes related to a planned coup.
“In Brazil we finally have a government that understands that culture is important for the country’s development,” Moura said following his win on Sunday.
Best Actor
-
Wagner Moura
The Secret Agent
Probability: 100% Up: 62.5%Nominations: GG, Critics Choice
Wins: GG
Wagner Moura already picked up the Best Actor prize at Cannes Film Festival. Now, he could become first Brazillian actor nominated in this category — and the third nominated for acting overall.
-
Timothée Chalamet
Marty Supreme
Probability: 100% No change: 0%Nominations: SAG, GG, Critics Choice
Wins: GG, Critics Choice
Following Colman Domingo, Timothée Chalamet could become the second person this decade nominated for Best Actor two years in a row.
-
Michael B. Jordan
Sinners
Probability: 86.96% Down: -1.5%Nominations: SAG, GG, Critics Choice
While “Sinners” could bring Ryan Coogler his first nominations for directing and screenwriting, it could give Michael B. Jordan his first Oscar nomination overall.
-
Leonardo DiCaprio
One Battle After Another
Probability: 77.78% Down: -4.57%Nominations: SAG, GG, Critics Choice
Leonardo DiCaprio could surpass Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper as the most-nominated male actor this century, with 6 nods since 2000.
-
Ethan Hawke
Blue Moon
Probability: 77.78% Down: -4.57%Nominations: SAG, GG, Critics Choice
Ethan Hawke could join the five-timers club of Oscar nominees. Two of his prior nominations were for acting, while two were for screenwriting. Three of these four nominations were for Richard Linklater collaborations.
-
Joel Edgerton
Train Dreams
Probability: 37.5% No change: 0%Nominations: GG, Critics Choice
Joel Edgerton has never gotten a Best Actor nomination.
-
Jeremy Allen White
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
Probability: 20.69% No change: 0%Nominations: GG
The past four Academy Awards ceremonies have featured Best Actor nominees who portrayed real musicians.
-
Dwayne Johnson
The Smashing Machine
Probability: 20.69% No change: 0%Nominations: GG
The last year the Best Actor race didn’t involve an actor portraying a real person was 2007.
-
Oscar Isaac
Frankenstein
Probability: 20.69% No change: 0%Nominations: GG
“Frankenstein” would mark Oscar Isaac’s first Academy Awards nomination.
-
George Clooney
Jay Kelly
Probability: 10.1% Down: -9.9%Nominations: GG
After George Clooney got four acting nominations (one win) across seven seasons, “Jay Kelly” would mark his first acting nod since 2012.
-
Daniel Craig
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Probability: 4.62% No change: 0%Daniel Craig has been nominated for playing Benoit Blanc twice at the Golden Globes.
-
Hugh Jackman
Song Sung Blue
Probability: 4.62% No change: 0%This would mark Hugh Jackman’s second Best Actor nomination — both for musical performances.
-
Rami Malek
Nuremberg
Probability: 4.62% No change: 0%To date, Rami Malek’s only nomination is for his Oscar-winning role in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
-
Daniel Day-Lewis
Anemone
Probability: 4.62% No change: 0%Daniel Day-Lewis got his last Best Actor nod for his “retirement film,” “Phantom Thread.”
-
Lee Byung-hun
No Other Choice
Probability: 1.1% Down: -0.9%Nominations: GG
Lee Byung-hun would be the second South Korean actor nominated in this category — and the third South Korean performer nominated for acting overall.
-
Jesse Plemons
Bugonia
Probability: 1% No change: 0%Nominations: SAG, GG
Only three lead actors have gotten SAG and Golden Globes (Musical/Comedy) nominations without Critics Choice nods to match: Jim Carrey (“Man on the Moon”), Richard Gere (“Chicago”) and Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”). Though all three won the Golden Globe, none of them got an Oscar nomination.
For more Oscar-season stats, check out TheWrap’s Awards Tracker.
