Matias Varela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matias Varela
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Varela on 21 January 2013
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Louis Matias Karl Padin Varela
23 June 1980 Stockholm, Sweden
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| Other names | Louis Matias Padin Varela |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) |
Louis Matias Karl Padin Varela (born on June 23, 1980) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his roles in movies like Easy Money and the TV series Narcos.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Matias Varela grew up in Södermalm, a part of Stockholm, Sweden. His parents are from Galicia, Spain. Because of this, he did not learn Swedish until he started school.
During his middle school years, he became good friends with Gustaf Skarsgård. Gustaf is the son of famous actor Stellan Skarsgård. Matias did not know about the Skarsgård family at the time. He mostly watched Spanish TV channels.
When Gustaf applied to a special drama program at Södra Latin high school, Matias wanted to try too. Stellan Skarsgård helped Matias by giving him a few hours of acting lessons. Matias was surprised when he got accepted into the school. He felt he looked more like someone who wasn't an actor than a future star.
Acting Career
Matias Varela started his acting journey with a small part in the TV show Nya tider. After this, he left Sweden for a while. When he came back, he worked in construction. He also took on small acting jobs when he could.
Breaking Through with Easy Money
Matias met director Daniel Espinosa. Daniel wanted an actor with roots in Chile. Matias convinced Daniel to let him try out for a role. He eventually got the part.
The movie Easy Money was very successful. Matias then starred in its two follow-up movies: Easy Money II: Hard to Kill (2012) and Easy Money III: Life Deluxe (2013). He also played Police Detective Jorge Chavez in the TV series Arne Dahl. Later, another actor, Alexander Salzberger, took over his role in the second series.
International Roles
Matias Varela got his first international role in an episode of Covert Affairs. He played a member of a Basque group. In 2013, he appeared in several episodes of Showtime's The Borgias. He played an important character, Ferdinand II of Naples.
In 2015 and 2016, Matias worked on several projects. These included Ettor och nollor, a crime drama with his friend Gustaf Skarsgård. He also appeared in the 2015 movie Point Break. Another big role was in the video game movie Assassin's Creed, alongside Michael Fassbender.
Recent Projects
In 2017, Matias starred in the Netflix series Narcos. He played Jorge Salcedo Cabrera, who was in charge of security for a powerful organization called the Cali Cartel. He played this role again in 2020 in the second season of Narcos: Mexico.
In 2019, he worked with Gustaf Skarsgård again in 478 dagar (478 Days). This movie tells the true story of two Swedish journalists. They spent over a year in an Ethiopian prison. Matias also appeared in Fartblinda (2019, 2022). This is a Swedish TV series about the world of finance. He also acted in the American independent film Heavy.
In 2020, Matias Varela starred in HBO Max's Raised by Wolves. This show was directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Scott Free Productions.
Personal Life
Matias Varela can speak several languages very well. He is fluent in Swedish, Spanish, Galician, and English.
See also
In Spanish: Matias Varela para niños
