Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico” Season 2 comes back to continue the story of enigmatic drug lord Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and the subsequent rise and fall of the Guadalajara cartel he founded in the 1970s, with Diego Luna reprising his role as the mysterious Félix Gallardo.

The show depicts how Félix Gallardo’s eloquence and strategic thinking helped him attain a swift rise to the apex of the Mexican drug cartels. 

For a man of which not much is widely known about, Luna reveals in this exclusive interview with mitú how he was able to dive into his character.

When preparing for this role, Luna said there wasn’t as much research material about El Padrino (Félix Gallardo’s alias) compared to the personal stories of other real-life personalities, such as El Chapo. 

“The good thing for me in playing this role is this man was a very discreet person, he understood the power of discretion,” Luna says.

It was important to see what people said about him—what people say or feel when they were around this character, this perception of him helps a lot. I had to do research and see what was a common answer—people talk about how intelligent and precise and strategic he was, and that’s how I wanted to portray and build this character,” Luna told mitú over the phone. 

Season 2 picks up after the murder of DEA agent Kiki Camarena, with Félix Gallardo enjoying political protection at his palatial home in Mexico.

It’s evident in the beginning scenes of this second season that his rags-to-riches story is starting to unravel and a bit of paranoia is starting to set in that he may have a knife (or gun) at his back at any moment. 

A running allegory used by the characters’ dialogues of the Roman Empire’s eventual collapse and Julius Caesar’s ultimate end foreshadows what we all know will happen to Félix Gallardo—his drug empire will eventually collapse in a smoke of cocaine dust. 

From crooked Mexican politicians and cops to ranch hands trying to make extra money delivering cocaine across the border, the show demonstrates the complicity among the cartels and how far the cartels’ reach.

“Narcos: Mexico” attempts to show that good and evil isn’t always black and white. The story highlights the gray area where even those committing corrupt acts are victims, Luna explained. 

“Some of the characters that take action are victims of the whole system,” Luna said in Spanish. 

The side of Mexico shown in “Narcos: Mexico” has been criticized by some as a side of Mexico stereotypically seen in the media.

However, Luna sees it as a side of the country that is real and must be discussed in order to move forward.

“When this season ends, I was 10 to 11 years old [at the time.] That decade was actually ending. It’s interesting to revisit that decade as an adult and research that Mexico my father was trying to hide from me [as a child],” Luna explained.

Luna says that this type of storytelling is important to understanding the fuller picture of Mexico.

The need for this type of storytelling—the stories that put a mirror up to a country to see the darkest side of itself—is vital, regardless of how complex it is to write scripts about all the facets of a country marred by political and judicial corruption. 

“In this case the story is very complex, it’s talking about a corrupt system that allows these stories to happen. We don’t tell stories like that—we simply everything. With this, I had a chance to understand that complexity. The journey of this character is a presentable journey. Power has a downside, and he gets there and he thinks he’s indispensable and clearly he is not,” Luna said. 

Outside of his role on “Narcos,” Luna is a vocal activist and is constantly working to put Mexico’s art and talent on an international stage through his work, vigilantly reminding his audience that Mexico has culture waiting to be explored past the resort walls of Cancún and Cabo. 

“The beauty of Mexico is that there are many Mexicos—it’s a very diverse country. You have the Pacific Coast that is beautiful and vibrant and really cool. By far my favorite beach spots in Mexico are in Oaxaca, and all the region of Baja California. You also have the desert and jungle and Veracruz and you have all the Caribbean coast and the city is to me a place I can’t really escape. Home is Mexico City, and it will always be where most of my love stories are and where I belong,” Luna said in a sort of love note aside to his home country. 

As much as Luna can talk endlessly about his favorite tacos in Mexico City (Tacos El Güero for any inquiring minds) and the gastronomic wonders of its pocket neighborhoods such as la Condesa, he also wants the dialogue around Mexico’s violence to be shown under a spotlight, as searing as it may be. 

“We can’t avoid talking about violence because if we stop, we normalize something that has to change,” Luna said. 

Perhaps “Narcos: Mexico” can bring some introspection and change after all. Let’s hope the politicians are watching.

READ: ‘Narcos: Mexico’ Season 2 Picks Up Where We Left Off With Félix Gallardo And The Guadalajara Cartel

Celebrity BFFs share a special place in the collective consciousness of fans and admirers alike. Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal are no exception. While the pair once shared the “child actor” title, the two broke free of that category in their breakthrough roles in “Y Tu Mamá También.” Ever since then, the Diego Luna-and-Gael Garcia Bernal radar has remained on alert. We are happy to alert that this cute duo is working together once again.

Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal signed a deal Amazon Studios to create and produce content that will premiere on Amazon Prime Video.

The incredible deal means their Mexico-based production company La Corriente del Golfo, will initiate projects in Latin America. 

“We are incredibly excited to expand Amazon Studios’ relationship with the multitalented team of Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna,” said Vernon Sanders, Co-Head of Television, Amazon Studios, according to Deadline. “Their talent, creativity, and global perspective will undoubtedly result in even more compelling content for our Amazon Prime Video customers.”

The guys are equally excited about their new venture with the high-profile company.

“We are delighted and grateful at La Corriente del Golfo for our first-look deal with Amazon Studios,” Garcia Bernal said, according to Deadline. “This provides an opportunity for us and for talent in Latin America to create ambitious and interesting projects.”

Luna added: “This is an important moment for everyone at La Corriente del Golfo. We are very excited to work hand in hand with Amazon, as this will allow us to reach new audiences and to tell stories that represent us and reflect our realities.”

This is not the first time Garcia Bernal and Luna have worked together producing projects. In 2005, they launched Canana Films but left it in 2018. 

The Mexican production company produced at least 20 projects both for film and TV, including their 2008 film “Rudo y Cursi” and “César Chávez” starring Michael Peña in 2014. In 2019, they released Netlfix’s “Luis Miguel La Serie” and their last film “Miss Bala” starring Gina Rodriguez. 

In 2018, Luna and Garcia Bernal said they would stop producing under Canana Films to work on other projects. At the time of the announcement, we could not help but wonder if there was a rift between the two. Why would they stop working together? Did they break up! Now we know it was to start a new venture — together!

“Canana arose out of the strength that fraternity gives us when we express ourselves freely,” Garcia Bernal said in 2018, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “That will continue to be the slogan for every project we embark on. As in every cycle that ends, now another begins.”

Soon after they split with Canana Films, the guys announced they would launch their own production company called La Corriente del Golfo, which translates to Gulfstream in English. Here’s how Garcia Bernal explained the name of his new company, “La Corriente del Golfo is an ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and travels all the way to the North Atlantic, allowing for a temperate climate – and, without which, there’d be Arctic tundra,” Garcia Bernal said according to Variety, adding: “We take up the symbol of this global current to emphasize that liberty – in all its meanings –should flow as freely as an ocean current.” He is so poetic!

We love seeing working together in this kind of capacity, which will undoubtedly give more opportunity to Latinx actors. But these two have garnered success separately in their right. 

Ever since their critical acclaim in 2001 with “Y Tu Mamá También,” these talented actors have been working nonstop in both film and TV. Most recently, Garcia Bernal was nominated for Best Actor Golden Globe in 2017 for his role in Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle,” and in 2016, he won.

Luna has also had a lot of success with roles in the 2016 film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico.” The new second season of “Narcos: Mexico” will soon be on Netflix, and we cannot wait. 

With so much growth between these two (sorry, pun intended), we cannot help but look back at how far these two have come. Let’s take a look.

Cheers to these Mexican cuties, and congrats on the new deal! We’re excited to see their latest projects. 

READ: Everyone On The Internet Is Going Crazy About Diego Luna And Gael García Bernal