Wagner Moura has opened up about having to learn how to speak Spanish in order to properly play notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in Narcos.

“It’s probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done as an actor because I had to learn an entire language in order to play a character that is already really really hard to play,” the 40-year-old actor recently told the LATimes. “We speak Portuguese in Brazil, and I could understand Spanish a little bit, but it’s very different.”

“At the same time, it was something that brought me in a very strong way into the character,” Wagner added. “I’m learning your language in order to play you so I started from the very basics. I dedicated a lot to it.”

Pictured: Wagner hitting the red carpet with director Andres Baiz and executive producer Eric Newman at their For Your Consideration event for Narcos held at the Netflix FYSee Space on Wednesday (June 7) in Beverly Hills, Calif.