Álvaro Morte
The actor behind the meticulous criminal mastermind of Money Heist.
Álvaro Morte is the Spanish actor who gained worldwide recognition for playing the role of 'The Professor' in the television series Money Heist. Born Álvaro Antonio García Pérez on 23 February 1975 in Algeciras, province of Cádiz, he originally enrolled in communications engineering before switching to dramatic art and graduating from the Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático de Córdoba in 1999. He also took post-graduate studies for two months at the University of Tampere. After settling in Madrid, he overcame a cancerous tumour in his left thigh diagnosed at age 33.
- Character Portrayed
- Sergio Marquina (The Professor)
- Nationality
- Spanish
- Series Origin
- La Casa de Papel
- Global Release Platform
- Netflix
- Role Type
- Lead Strategist
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
In Money Heist, Morte played Sergio 'el Profesor' Marquina, the meticulous criminal mastermind behind the heist plot central to the series. The first season aired on Antena 3 in 2017, and he was heavily praised for his portrayal. In late 2017, Netflix acquired the series and distributed it worldwide on its platform. Part two of the final season was released in December 2021. Morte's performance as the Professor brought him worldwide fame alongside the series.
In Their Own Story
Morte joined the cast of the long-running telenovela El secreto de Puente Viejo in 2014, portraying Lucas Moliner—a small-town physician—until 2017. Following his exit from Puente Viejo, he played the role of Sergio 'el Profesor' Marquina in La Casa de Papel. The first season aired on Antena 3 in 2017. He was heavily praised for his portrayal of the character—the meticulous criminal mastermind behind the heist plot central to the series—and has gained, along with the television series, worldwide fame.
Reader's Guide
Morte began his acting career with a minor role in the Spanish television series Hospital Central. He landed his first main role in a TV series in Planta 25, aired on a number of Spanish regional TV broadcasters, playing Ray—a driver—from 2007 to 2008. He then played Adolfo Castillo in Bandolera and Gabriel Areta in the soap opera Amar en tiempos revueltos. He performed a minor role in Lola, la película (2007), a biopic about folkloric singer Lola Flores, briefly portraying a bullfighter. In addition to acting, Morte owns a theatre company called 300 pistolas, founded in 2012. He landed his first main role in a feature film in the Netflix film Mirage (2018). He starred in the 2019 Movistar+ series El embarcadero, playing Óscar, a man who has led a double life with two different women separately. In December 2019, Morte was announced to have joined the cast of Amazon's The Wheel of Time, portraying Logain Ablar; he appeared in nine episodes from 2021 to 2023 before the show was cancelled in early 2025. In April 2021, he was cast as Juan Sebastián Elcano in the miniseries Boundless. In 2024, he made his West End debut as Manuel in Bess Wohl's play Barcelona, opposite Lily Collins at the Duke of York's Theatre, running through January 2025. Morte then performed a major role in the 2024 film Immaculate alongside Sydney Sweeney.
Did You Know?
- Álvaro Morte was born Álvaro Antonio García Pérez on 23 February 1975 in Algeciras, province of Cádiz.
- He originally enrolled in a degree of communications engineering before switching to dramatic art.
- At age 33, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his left thigh, which he ultimately overcame.
- He owns a theatre company called 300 pistolas, founded in 2012.
- He made his West End debut in 2024 as Manuel in Bess Wohl's play Barcelona, opposite Lily Collins.
More in Production & Legacy
Elsewhere in the Money Heist universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record
