Wagner Moura put in a consistent effort to bring Pablo Escobar to life, going so far as to gain a hefty amount of weight to give a realistic and accurate performance. But now that he's done with Escobar, Moura looks unrecognizable. The actor's appearance in "Narcos" afforded him several opportunities once the show wrapped up, leading to roles in Netflix's "The Gray War" and the series "Shining Girls." In February 2024, Moura popped up in Donald Glover and Amazon Prime's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" series as John (not to be confused with Glover's John, or Alexander Skarsgård's "other" John).
Moura's appearance, alongside his "other, other" Jane (Parker Posey), is brief in the series, but his character has major ramifications for the titular Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In the series, the "Narcos" actor is unrecognizable, looking radically different than the role that made him a sensation. In the show, Moura is slim and relaxed, a far cry from the chaotic presence he boasted in "Narcos."
The biggest difference between "Narcos" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is how Wagner slimmed down, shedding the weight he gained for the Netflix series. While speaking with NPR, Moura revealed that he lost weight thanks to a vegan diet. In a chat with The New York Times, Wagner opened up about how losing the weight was symbolic, as it allowed him to fully step away from the role of Escobar. "That wasn't my body. I was living in his body for two years, and I'm not only talking about the physical body, but also the energy I was dealing with. It wasn't nice at all," he said.
