Photo: Pontus Landfors
The Dance Club
- 2025
- Comedy
- Romance
Details
Birth: 1980
Language: Spanish, Swedish, English, Portuguese (conversational)
Height: 177
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark Brown
PRINT CV
Matias Varela
Matias Varela has become a defining force in film and TV, with work spanning Sweden, Europe, and Hollywood. He moves effortlessly between character-driven projects and global blockbusters, bringing grounded intensity and emotional depth to every role he portrays.
Varela first gained widespread attention for his role as Jorge in the Easy Money films (2010–2013), a breakthrough that earned him two Guldbagge nominations and established him as a major talent, leaving a lasting mark on Swedish cinema.
From there, Varela carved an international path, leading to a main role in season three of the Netflix mega-hit Narcos (2017), where he portrayed Jorge Salcedo, a complex insider within the Cali Cartel. His performance was hailed by critics as “outstanding,” “excellent,” and “the show’s stealth star.”
Other notable credits include the HBO series Raised by Wolves (2020–2022), produced by Ridley Scott, the international historical drama The Borgias (2013), the acclaimed Swedish financial thriller series Fartblinda (2019–2022), and the praised feature film 438 Days (2019), which earned him another Guldbagge nomination. He also stars in the lauded Spanish series Hierro (2021), further showcasing his range across languages and cultures.
At the 2026 Guldbagge Awards, Varela received his fourth nomination, for his role in The Dance Club (2025), reaffirming his status as one of Sweden’s most renowned actors.
Awards
| Guldbagge Award Nominee (Best Supporting Actor) Sweden – The Dance Club | 2026 |
| Kristallen Award Nominee (Best Actor) Sweden – Fartblinda Blinded | 2020 |
| Guldbagge Award Nominee (Best Actor) Sweden – 438 dagar 438 Days | 2020 |
| Guldbagge Award Nominee (Best Actor) Sweden – Snabba cash - Livet deluxe Easy Money III: Life Deluxe | 2014 |
| Guldbagge Award Nominee (Best Actor) Sweden – Snabba cash II Easy Money II: Hard to Kill | 2013 |
Details
Birth: 1980
Language: Spanish, Swedish, English, Portuguese (conversational)
Height: 177
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark Brown
PRINT CV
Known for
Stockholm Bloodbath
- 2023
- Action
- Comedy
- History
- War
Raised by Wolves
- 2020 - 2022
- Drama
- Fantasy
- Sci-Fi
- Thriller
Fartblinda
Blinded
- 2019 - 2022
- Drama
- Thriller
Hierro
- 2019 - 2022
- Crime
- Mystery
- Thriller
Narcos: Mexico
- 2020
- Biography
- Crime
- Drama
- Thriller
438 dagar
438 Days
- 2019
- Drama
- Thriller
Narcos
- 2017
- Biography
- Crime
- Drama
- Thriller
Assassin's Creed
- 2016
- Action
- Adventure
- Sci-Fi
Point Break
- 2015
- Action
- Adventure
- Crime
- Sport
- Thriller
Snabba cash - Livet deluxe
Easy Money III: Life Deluxe
- 2013
- Crime
- Drama
- Thriller
The Borgias
- 2013
- Crime
- Drama
- History
- Romance
Snabba cash II
Easy Money II: Hard to Kill
- 2012
- Action
- Crime
- Drama
- Thriller
Snabba Cash
Easy Money
- 2010
- Action
- Crime
- Drama
- Thriller
Filmography
Related news
Photo: Pontus Landfors
Matias Varela joins Salomonsson Agency
Matias Varela has become a defining force in film and TV, with work spanning Sweden, Europe, and Hollywood. He moves effortlessly between character-driven projects and global blockbusters, bringing grounded intensity and emotional depth to every role he portrays.
Varela first gained widespread attention for his role as Jorge in the Easy Money films (2010–2013), a breakthrough that earned him two Guldbagge nominations and established him as a major talent, leaving a lasting mark on Swedish cinema.
From there, Varela carved an international path, leading to a main role in season three of the Netflix mega-hit Narcos (2017), where he portrayed Jorge Salcedo, a complex insider within the Cali Cartel. His performance was hailed by critics as “outstanding,” “excellent,” and “the show’s stealth star.”
Other notable credits include the HBO series Raised by Wolves (2020–2022), produced by Ridley Scott, the international historical drama The Borgias (2013), the acclaimed Swedish financial thriller series Fartblinda (2019–2022), and the praised feature film 438 Days (2019), which earned him another Guldbagge nomination. He also stars in the lauded Spanish series Hierro (2021), further showcasing his range across languages and cultures.
At the 2026 Guldbagge Awards, Varela received his fourth nomination, for his role in The Dance Club (2025), reaffirming his status as one of Sweden’s most renowned actors.