Joaquín Cosío has shared some pretty intense stories about what it means to portray characters from organized crime. It turns out that when you play such roles, real people in that world recognize you, and that can be... uncomfortable.

The actor explained that his characters are not flat villains but humanized people with their own facets. This has earned him the sympathy of many people, including some who are allegedly involved in shady affairs. Once in Monterrey, while he was with director Luis Estrada, bottles of tequila arrived at their table. When they turned around, there were some guys who clearly weren’t regular customers.

Another time in Zacatecas, he went out to drink with a friend, and some young men approached him and said something that left him frozen: "We are the real deal." Cosío was polite but immediately decided to leave the place.

But the most intense story happened in a bar in Ciudad Juárez. A blond, elegant man approached him and shook his hand with a strength that unsettled him. Then he did it again. And once more. "By the third or fourth time, I was terrified," he recalled. The man finally said, "Be careful when you cross the door." Cosío admitted that was the only time he truly felt his knees shake. It was terrifying, although nothing ultimately happened.

Now, when we talk about his work in Narcos: Mexico, the character of Ernesto 'Don Neto' Fonseca Carrillo remains one of the most memorable. Cosío researched the real criminal extensively to build the role, emphasizing that duality between the villain with a heart. The 'Don Neto' he portrayed was funny, charismatic, very far from the torturous reality of the original character. That contrast is what brought the role to life. It is even said that the real Fonseca Carrillo was pleased with how he was portrayed, something that someone from the series team communicated to him. The legacy of 'Don Neto' continues to be one of the most iconic parts of Cosío’s career, demonstrating that his ability to humanize criminals is what sets him apart as an actor.