You know that feeling when you're watching a gritty crime drama and a guy walks on screen, and you immediately think, "Wait, I know him from somewhere"? That’s the Felix Solis effect.
Honestly, the guy is a chameleon. One minute he’s a terrifying cartel boss in Ozark and the next he’s a straight-shooting FBI supervisor in The Rookie. He has this specific gravity that makes you believe he’s actually lived the life of whatever character he’s playing. He doesn’t just "act" like a detective or a criminal; he basically becomes the personification of the role.
The Cartel Kingpin: Why Omar Navarro Changed Everything
For a lot of people, Felix Solis movies and TV shows became a major obsession during the pandemic because of one specific character: Omar Navarro.
Before Ozark, Solis was a "that guy" actor—the kind of dependable performer who appeared in every Law & Order spinoff known to man (seriously, check his IMDb, it's impressive). But as Navarro, he was chilling. He didn't have to scream or wave a gun around to be scary. He just sat at a table, ate fruit, and made you feel like Jason Bateman’s life was hanging by a thread.
What’s wild is that Solis almost didn’t take the role. He’s mentioned in interviews that he was a bit hesitant about the audition. Thankfully, he leaned in. He brought a weirdly human vulnerability to a man who ordered hits like most people order pizza. It was that nuance—the love for his kids mixed with cold-blooded ruthlessness—that made him the ultimate foil for Marty and Wendy Byrde.
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Beyond the Ozarks: A Career Built on the Streets of New York
If you look at his early work, you'll see a guy who cut his teeth in the New York theater scene. He’s a Nuyorican through and through, born on the Upper West Side and raised in Chelsea. That grit is real.
- Empire (2002): A classic crime flick with John Leguizamo.
- The International (2009): He played Detective Iggy Ornelas alongside Clive Owen.
- NYC 22 (2012): A short-lived but underrated cop drama where he was a series regular.
He’s a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company and The Actor’s Studio. You can see that stage training in the way he handles dialogue. He doesn't rush. He lets the silence do the work. It’s why he’s so frequently cast as high-ranking officials or people in positions of power; he has a natural authority that can’t be faked.
The Pendulum Swing to The Rookie: Feds
After playing one of the most hated (and feared) villains on television, Solis did something smart. He flipped the script.
He jumped into the Rookie universe as Matthew "Matt" Garza. If Omar Navarro was the darkness, Garza is the light—or at least the law. As the leader of the FBI's Special Investigative Unit, he’s the guy trying to keep Niecy Nash-Betts' character, Simone Clark, on the straight and narrow.
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It was a total 180. Solis has talked about how intentional this was. He wanted to get as far away from the cartel world as possible. It worked. Fans of The Rookie: Feds often don't even realize they're watching the same guy who was rotting in a Mexican prison in Ozark just a season prior.
Recent Hits and What's Coming in 2026
The momentum hasn't stopped. In the last year or so, Solis has popped up in some surprisingly varied projects.
Recently, he was in the Netflix series Sirens, playing a character named Jose. It’s a different vibe from his procedural work. He also had a role in the indie film The Friend (2024), which premiered at the New York Film Festival. Seeing him transition from big-budget network TV to intimate film festival darlings shows he’s not just chasing a paycheck; he’s looking for stories.
As of early 2026, he’s still a recurring force in The Rookie Season 8. There’s even been talk of him expanding his work behind the camera. He’s already directed several projects and co-created a production company called Subway Token Films. It’s pretty clear he wants to be the one calling the shots, not just the one taking them on screen.
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Common Misconceptions About His Roles
People often pigeonhole him into "tough guy" roles. While he's great at them, check out Allswell in New York (2022). He plays Desmond, and it’s a much more grounded, soulful performance than his usual law enforcement or criminal roles.
Another thing? His accent. There was actually some debate on Reddit and among fans about his Spanish accent in Ozark. Since he’s Nuyorican, some viewers felt his "Mexican" cartel accent wasn't 100% authentic to the region. But honestly, his performance was so commanding that most people didn't care. He sold the character through his eyes and his presence, not just his phonetics.
How to Watch the Best of Felix Solis
If you want to catch up on why this guy is a staple of modern television, here is the roadmap:
- Ozark (Netflix): Start with Season 3. This is where he truly becomes a legend.
- The Rookie: Feds (ABC/Hulu): To see his range as a hero.
- The Recruit (Netflix): He joined for Season 2, playing Tom Wallace.
- Made in Jersey: A deeper cut if you can find it, showcasing his early "main cast" potential.
His career is a masterclass in longevity. He didn't become a "star" overnight. He worked for thirty years, building a resume that basically functions as a history of modern TV drama.
To really appreciate his work, pay attention to the scenes where he isn't speaking. Look at how he reacts to other actors. Whether he's playing a nurse in I Know This Much Is True or a detective in Mindhunter, he always feels like a real person who just happened to walk into the frame.
To see his latest work, keep an eye on the mid-season premieres for The Rookie on ABC. You should also look for his name in the credits of upcoming indie features, as he has been increasingly active in the New York independent film circuit throughout late 2025 and early 2026.