Héctor Kotsifakis revela el terror de meterse en la piel de “El Chapo”
How an Actor Played El Chapo Without Making Him a Hero or a Cartoon Villain
The Big Idea: A Movie That Says "No" to Glorifying Crime
For years, movies and TV shows about drug cartels in Mexico have often made the bad guys look cool, powerful, or like heroes. Think of shows where the drug lord lives in a mansion, wears fancy clothes, and outsmarts everyone.
The new movie La Captura (The Capture) wants to change that. Director Chava Cartas made this film specifically to stop the glorification of crime. Instead of focusing on the drug lord, the story is told through the eyes of the police officers who unexpectedly crossed paths with him.
Important Point: This isn’t a "narco-series" that makes crime look exciting. It’s a deliberate attempt to show the reality without the glamour.
Meet the Actor: Héctor Kotsifakis
Who Is He?
- Born in: Torreón, Mexico
- Experience: Over 20 years acting in theater, movies, and TV
- Known for: Being one of Mexico’s most versatile actors
- Previous work: Malverde: el santo patrón, Los Gringo Hunters, Pedro Páramo, Santita
The Role of a Lifetime
In La Captura, Héctor plays Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán — one of the most famous and controversial drug lords in modern history.
The Acting Challenge: Walking a Tightrope
Imagine being asked to play one of the world’s most infamous criminals. How do you do it without:
- Making him look like a cool hero (glorifying him)
- Making him look like a cartoon monster (a silly, one-dimensional villain)
That was Héctor’s exact challenge. He calls it an "immense acting challenge" but also a "great social and artistic responsibility."
How He Prepared: 4 Steps to Finding the Real Person
Héctor didn’t just guess. He did deep research to find the human being behind the media icon.
1. Understanding the Director’s Vision
Chava Cartas (the director) and Francisco González Compeán (the producer) wanted to tell the story from the police officers’ perspective — the ones who unexpectedly encountered El Chapo. This framing helped Héctor stay grounded in reality.
2. Listening to Real Phone Calls
This was a game-changer. Héctor listened to actual recorded phone conversations where El Chapo:
- Talked to his right-hand man, "El Cholo Iván"
- Negotiated drug shipments
- Handled daily "business"
3. The Shocking Discovery: He Didn’t Think He Was Bad
Here’s what blew Héctor’s mind: In those recordings, El Chapo genuinely didn’t see himself as a bad person.
Key Insight: El Chapo viewed himself as just a "worker doing his job correctly" — from his own twisted perspective. He had a "moral compass" that justified everything he did.
This became the core of Héctor’s performance: a man who commits horrific violence but sincerely believes he’s just doing his job.
4. Talking to People Who Knew Him in Prison
Héctor interviewed two people who spent real time with El Chapo behind bars:
- His prison psychologist
- His prison theater teacher
Héctor says: "They clarified his character for me too much. So we stayed on that line — not falling into clichés, but not missing the mark either."
Why This Performance Matters
| Most drug lord portrayals fall into two traps: | Trap 1: The Cool Anti-Hero | Trap 2: The Cartoon Villain |
|---|---|---|
| Fancy lifestyle, smart, "wins" | Pure evil, no reasons, silly | |
| Makes audience root for him | Easy to dismiss as "not real" |
Héctor found a third path: A cold, realistic human with a twisted internal logic. He shows a man whose "moral compass" is completely broken — but who believes it’s working perfectly. That’s far more disturbing and real than either extreme.
Summary
- Movie: La Captura — directed by Chava Cartas
- Goal: Stop glorifying drug cartels; show the story through police eyes
- Actor: Héctor Kotsifakis (20+ year veteran)
- Role: Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán
- Challenge: Play him without hero-worship OR cartoon villainy
- Secret weapon: Real phone recordings + interviews with his prison psychologist & theater teacher
- Breakthrough realization: El Chapo didn’t think he was bad — he thought he was a good worker
- Result: A chillingly realistic portrayal of a man with a broken moral compass who thinks it’s fine
FAQ
Is La Captura a series or a movie?
It’s a movie (película), not a series.
Does the movie make El Chapo look cool?
No. That’s the whole point. The director and actor worked hard to avoid making him aspirational or glamorous. The story focuses on the police officers.
How did the actor prepare without meeting El Chapo?
He used real evidence: actual phone recordings, plus interviews with the psychologist and theater teacher who worked with El Chapo in prison. This gave him authentic insights into how El Chapo thought and spoke.
Why is it important that El Chapo "didn’t think he was bad"?
It shows how dangerous twisted thinking can be. A person can do terrible things while genuinely believing they’re just "doing their job." That’s more realistic — and more frightening — than a villain who cackles evilly.
Where can I watch La Captura?
Check Netflix or major streaming platforms in Mexico for availability. The article mentions it’s a Netflix film.
Final Thought: Great acting isn’t about imitation — it’s about understanding why a person does what they do. Héctor Kotsifakis didn’t just copy El Chapo’s mustache or voice. He found the broken logic inside the man — and that’s what makes the performance unforgettable.