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entity talks francisco denisPhoto by @ObservatorioDOT via Twitter

Watch Miguel Orejuela, played by Francisco Denis, force his enemies to bend one knee and kiss the lord’s ring in season three of “Narcos.”

In July, news hit the internet that season three of the Netflix series would focus on the Cali cartel – the same cartel that was hailed by TIME Magazine as the “best and brightest of the modern underworld: professional, intelligent, efficient, imaginative and nearly impenetrable.”

When Francisco Denis first entered the “Narcos” season two cast, many people didn’t know his name. However, after his season two performance, everybody began asking about the man who killed the role of pretty boy Miguel Orejuela (pun unintended). And although Denis seems to be interview shy, here’s what ENTITY found about the Venezuelan actor and his groundbreaking role as Miguel Rodriguez.

Who is Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela?

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The Cali cartel separated themselves from the Medellin cartel through their structure. They run their cartel more like a company and less like a monarchy. This means there were multiple people who acted as CEOs, such as the Orejuela brothers, Lodoño and Pacho Herrera. Out of all the CEOs, the Orejuela brothers and Lodoño held the most power as they were the men who initially founded the cartel.

The Orejuela brothers were almost polar opposites when you take their personalities into consideration. TIME describes Gilberto, the oldest of the Orejuela brothers, as the responsible one. Miguel, on the other hand, was the playboy brother that became “a fixture on the local social scene.” He was impulsive and extreme, while his brother was more calm and calculating. This did not mean, however, that he was any less lethal than his brother.

In the book, “Historia de Cartel de Cali” written by Camilo Chaparro, Chaparro explained that Miguel’s passions led him to get married without his brother’s permission. Since this went against tradition, it acted as a form of disrespect to Gilberto. Because of this, the two had a falling out.

However, they reconciled a couple of years later, after Miguel’s current wife gave birth to his first child. After he saw the child, Gilberto immediately named himself the godfather. And Miguel was happier for it. After his brother stopped hating him, Miguel worked hard to get back into his brother’s good graces. He even worked for his brother at his Monserrate pharmacy.

Although the brothers loved to call themselves “The Gentlemen,” they were just as brutal as the Medellin cartel, especially Miguel.

How Did Francisco Denis Prep for this Role?

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According to El País, when Denis found out he would be playing Miguel Orejuela, he binged the first season of “Narcos,” non-stop. Every time the credits rolled at the end of an episode, he immediately hit play, completing a 12-hour binge session. “I started at two in the afternoon and ended about two o’clock in the morning,” Denis said.

Then after he binged “Narcos,” he searched high and low for all things Miguel Orejuela. He explained to El País that he “read everything he could find on the internet, [including] personal statements and interviews with ex-wives.” He said that most of the information was less about the unbiased facts and more about how people perceived his personality and relationships. This information helped him the most with his character.

He noticed that there was an interesting divide in “Narcos” personalities. They were steeped in the “ethical and moral aspects of cultural traditions,” but the characters had no problem breaking established laws. Francisco Denis then expressed his interest in developing this “contradiction between tradition and law” in “Narcos.”

He also made sure his Colombian accent sounded authentic. However, he noticed that in “Narcos” it’s less about the accent, and more about convincing the viewer you know how to get into character. He cited that the accent would help him put on the mask necessary to play his role. However, he’ll mostly focus on portraying the character’s personality and dynamics of his relationships.

What Are Some Other Projects Francisco Dennis is working on?

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In his interview with El País, we found out Denis has an extensive theater career. Although he didn’t detail the names of the Venezuelan plays, he explained the differences between acting in front of a curtain and acting in front of a camera. He talked about how it’s the same profession, but they have nothing to do with each other. “They go by different codes,” he said.

He further explained this by outlining the artifice that goes into acting in front of a camera. He validly points out that in film, the camera does a lot of the work. While in plays, the actor does most of the work; they must focus on the things like looks, movements and timing. They also must maintain the same “explosion of energy” they had at the beginning, throughout the play. In this way, the theater is more cruel to actors.

In addition to his theater life, he has also acted in countless movies, such as “Bolivar, Man of Difficulties,” where he played Montilla and “The Liberator,” in which he played Simón Rodriguez. On the small screen, he has acted in “Historias del Mas Acá” and “Narcos.”

He also recently joined the “El Comandante” cast as Brizuela. Furthermore, he has directed, written and edited his own short movie, “Blodimery,” which released in 2016.

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We’re so excited to see Francisco Denis in “Narcos” season 3 as they begin to explore the brutal Miguel Orejuela in more depth. What do you think will happen in the upcoming season? Share your thoughts in the comment section below or tweet us at @entity_mag.

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