Ozark actor reveals his thoughts on his character's death

Ozark season 4 part 2
(Image credit: Netflix)

A key Ozark actor has reacted to his character's death. Major spoilers ahead for Ozark season 4 part 2!

Nelson Bonilla, who played the cartel hitman Nelson in the show, has spoken out on his shocking death in the final season. He was ultimately killed by Rachel Garrison (Jordana Spiro) and buried underneath the concrete of Ruth Langmore's (Julia Garner) swimming pool.

"Scheduling worked it out so my death scene was on my last day of work, which isn't always the case," Bonilla told Express.co.uk. "So once we were all done and the scene was shot, there was a lot of screaming, clapping and hugs for the show wrapping of Ozark's favourite assassin."

As for how it felt to finish his time on the show, Bonilla said: "It was a lot. I wasn't prepared for the emotions that came along with that show wrap. I'll never forget it."

He also wasn't surprised to find out Nelson wasn't making it out alive. "On a show like Ozark, I think everyone is always on the lookout for their death scene. That's what makes the show so engaging. If they only killed off the boring or irrelevant characters, who would care?"

The actor also revealed what Jason Bateman told him of the death: "Don't worry, we all die. You'll just be going out in a blaze of bullets." This apparently piqued Bonilla's curiosity, as the actor explained that "at that point it became a game. Trying to guess who, when and how."

Another major death in the final episodes of the series was Ruth's, and showrunner Chris Mundy has explained why it had to happen. "It started to feel like the writers were just imposing a happy ending on things because we're kind of like surrogate parents of the characters. Are we telling a true story if something [tragic] doesn't happen?" Mundy said.

Ozark is streaming on Netflix now. If you're all caught up, check out our roundup of the best Netflix shows to fill out your watchlist, and see our guide to the Ozark season 4 part 2 ending explained and who dies in Ozark season 4 part 2.

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.