In 1958, 34-year-old Marlon Brando got great notices for his complex and layered performance as Nazi officer Lt. Christian Diestl in Edward Dymtryk’s Oscar-nominated World War II drama, “The Young Lions.” Like Brando in “Lions,” 36-year-old Mexican actor Harold Torres’ turn as dirty soldier Sgt. Manuel Contreras in Amazon’s limited narcoworld series “ZeroZeroZero” has sent writers and critics scrambling to describe his impact. The dynamic actor has been racking up honors and significant credits in the world of Mexican film and television. In the past 10 years, Torres has been nominated for the lead actor Ariel award (the Mexican Film Academy’s Oscar equivalent) three times and won the actor prize at the Morelia Film Festival in 2013.
Variety recently caught up with Torres via Skype in coronavirus days self-isolation at his home in Mexico. In Torres’ own words, here are some of the pivotal moments in his career and the key performances that he has brought to the big and small screens in the 13 years since he graduated with a BFA in acting from Mexico City’s prestigious UNAM.