'Ozark' Star Alfonso Herrera Dishes On His Career Goals & The 'Incredible' Experience Of Filming The Netflix Series

As a "huge fan" of Ozark, Alfonso Herrera jumped at the opportunity to audition for a role in the Netflix show's fourth and final season, and when he began filming, he became an even bigger supporter of his costars, such as Jason Bateman, Laura Linney and Julia Garner.

"They have such an amount of power in the industry, but they use their power in such a respectful and in a very caring way," the singer-actor shared with GRAZIA Gazette: F1 Miami. "Being part of that was incredible."

Though the 38-year-old plays a villain in the drama — his character, Javi, is the nephew of a drug cartel leader — he admitted he still has a soft spot for him.

"I have to defend this guy, and I tried to defend him when I am on set as he’s had a rough life. Why? Because he is not accepted in his family; he is not accepted with the Byrdes; he is not accepted in any single space," explained Herrera. "So, there is a lot of rejection towards him. He understands that and he likes to, in a certain way, acknowledge that, and he likes to have fun with it. He is very straightforward. He never lies."

And though the Emmy-winning show deals with some dark, gritty plot lines, the Mexico native has no problem leaving his work behind when he heads home to his two sons, Daniel and Nicholás.

"I think that is our job, and we need to understand that we need to put the mask on and then afterwards we have to take it off," he said. "That is how we need to do it, and I don’t struggle that much."

Now that Ozark has come to an end — the final batch of episodes dropped on Friday, April 29 — he's ready for whatever life throws his way.

"I will say that winning an Oscar would be a very interesting sign that things are going in the right way and obviously having the recognition of your colleagues is something important to me, and I treat with respect," shared Herrera. "One time I was asked about what the best gift or the best award is that an actor could have, and I always said, 'To keep on working and to keep on walking.'"

"In this profession, things can be a bit harsh. In Mexico, we say you go where the circus opens and you have to go from one circus to another," continued the Queen of the South actor. "I feel very lucky to have a job right now, to have projects that I can talk about. So, that is my main goal: to have a long-lasting career. Additionally, to grow old and still be doing what I love the most and telling stories — that is my dream."