Arizona connected to season of ‘Narcos’
When the Netflix hit “Narcos” unveils its third season on Sept. 1, much of the attention will shift to a new character, DEA agent Chris Feistl. In keeping with the show’s ripped-from-the-headlines vibe, Feistl is based on a real person, one who lives in Arizona.
“I try to keep a low profile and not advertise what I do,” says Feistl, who retired from the DEA and moved to the Phoenix metropolitan area seven years ago. “I’m pretty innocuous.”
Of course, that could all change when a major character on a popular TV show bears your name. Then again, it’s not like Feistl is an unknown quantity. He’s been interviewed in books about the takedown of the Cali Cartel, which, at its height in the ’90s, was a multibillion-dollar enterprise. He also was featured on NPR’s “This American Life” in 2012, which captured the attention of the “Narcos” producers.
“I was very surprised at how knowledgeable everyone was,” says Feistl, who was flown to Los Angeles to meet with the “Narcos” staff for several days. “You could tell they had done a lot of research prior to speaking with me.”
Feistl was interviewed at length by the producers. Besides serving as the inspiration for a character, he also was hired as a consultant on the series. It’s a job with a lot of responsibilities: “To ensure the accuracy of the events that take place, to check the times, the dates, the locations, to say who was there, how did we dress, what kind of cellphone did we use. You’re kind of just there to ensure they get it right.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean that they’re going to listen, he acknowledges.
“I’m going to tell you how things happened,” he says with a chuckle. “Now, if you want to roll with that, that’s great. But it’s all up to them. If they want to take creative liberties, that’s their expertise. It’s important to get the timelines as right as possible, but you also have to remember that’s it’s a TV show.”
Meeting the star
That’s not saying that’s it’s not realistic. In reality, Feistl and his partner spent several years in Colombia and were instrumental in the cartel’s fall. But Feistl, who spent time on the set, hasn’t seen any completed episodes and wasn’t given access to final scripts.
“Ninety-five percent of it I have not seen, nor do I know how it plays out,” he confirms.
Does that worry him?
“I have every confidence that Michael will portray me in the best possible light,” talking about Michael Stahl-David, perhaps best known for his work on NBC’s “The Black Donnellys” and playing the main character in the horror film “Cloverfield.” StahlDavid did his research, spending a weekend in Arizona with Feistl.
“We went over a lot of different stuff, from things like ‘What would you do here’ to what words I used. He’s very professional.