Actor Selton Mello had a typical reaction from the connected world, but with a delay worthy of international travel, upon discovering Brazil’s big win at the Golden Globes. While he spent over half a day inside an airplane, his friend and colleague Wagner Moura made history by winning the award last Sunday, January 11, 2026. Selton, who is 53, only found out about the achievement on Monday, January 12, and used Threads to send a humorous and pride-filled outburst. This is the second consecutive year that a Brazilian production has been awarded at the event, consolidating a phase of strong international recognition for our cinema.
The discovery, therefore, happened in a comical way, as he himself reported on the social network. “I spent 12 hours inside a plane, I arrive now & see this beauty,” wrote Selton, who immediately afterwards praised those responsible for the feat. The award was for the film “The Secret Agent”, a political thriller directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and starring Wagner Moura. The film, set in Recife in 1977, had already earned Fernanda Torres the Best Actress award at last year’s Golden Globe, showing how the production maintains its prestige. In this way, Selton’s celebration goes beyond friendship, celebrating a historic moment for national culture on the global stage.
The film behind the celebration
More than just an isolated award, the success of “The Secret Agent” represents the continuity of acclaimed work. Set in Recife in the 1970s, the film follows the story of Marcelo, a teacher played by Wagner Moura who returns to the city seeking peace, but finds an environment far from peaceful. In addition to Moura, the cast brings together big names like Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone, Isabél Zuaa, and Alice Carvalho, forming a heavyweight team that certainly contributed to the recognition. The production, thus, mixes a Brazilian political context with a suspense narrative, captivating both international critics and the public.
The path to this victory, however, had already been paved. At the 2025 Golden Globes, the film was nominated in the Best Non-English Language Film category, and Fernanda Torres’s win had already warmed the hearts of national cinema fans. Selton Mello, who is the protagonist of “I Am Still Here,” even attended that edition to honor the film. Therefore, his celebration in 2026 also carries the weight of witnessing the consolidation of this project. With this result, the question that remains is: what will be the next step for Brazilian cinema to shine even more abroad?
