Marco de la O, the 38-year-old Mexican stage actor who plays Guzman, bears an extraordinary resemblance to the drug lord after coming out of a makeup session.
The effect will be completed in post-production by adjusting the intensity of the light to match Mexican skies.
At the time filming started, Guzman was still in Mexico and the series’ location was shifted for security reasons, said producer Daniel Posada.
Guzman earlier gave rights to his life story to Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, who arranged a secret 2015 meeting with the then-fugitive drug boss and actor Sean Penn.