IN CONVERSATION WITH ÁLVARO MORTE

interview by JANA LETONJA

Álvaro Morte’s international success has come with playing the character of "El profesor" in the immensively successful series ‘La casa de papel’. In 2024, he starred in  ‘Immaculate’ with Sydney Sweeney, an international success that earned him numerous awards for a very complex role. He also starred in the play ‘Barcelona’ at London’s West End, opposite Lily Collins. He currently stars in ‘The Wheel of Time’, which premiered its third season on 13th March.

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You originally studied Telecommunications Engineering before switching to Dramatic Arts. What was the defining moment that made you realize acting was your true calling?

I was studying telecommunications and I was chosen to work on a short film. While shooting this short, I began interacting with the other actors, who were part of a professional theater company. They were organizing a new production and needed musicians to perform live, and since I played the guitar, I became part of that small group. This contact with rehearsals started to hook me into the world of theater, so I decided to study Dramatic Arts at the school in Córdoba. I remember my first performance, when I finished and walked off the stage, that mix of emotions made me cry like a child and it was the moment when I confirmed that this was indeed what I wanted to do in life.

Your experience in theater is extensive, having worked with greats like Concha Velasco and José Tamayo. How has your theater background influenced your approach to film and television?

For me, theater is the foundation. It's where I was trained and it's how I know how to do things. All the study of the text, the construction of the character, I always carry it with me from my background of having studied dramatic arts. I think there's a part that helps me a lot, and that is that in the dramatic arts school, they instilled a lot of discipline in me, teaching me to work on something so that it can yield results. I believe that is the most important thing I take from my theatrical training to working in front of a camera.

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Your international breakthrough came with ‘La casa de papel’ as “El Profesor.” How did that role change your life and career?

Indeed, since I played the character of El Profesor, many things have changed. My work is seen in many places, which increases the opportunities available to me. Today, thanks to that role, I’ve been able to work with people I dreamed of working with many years ago, and it has been thanks to El Profesor. It has given me the opportunity to have a national and international career because ‘Money Heist’ went global. 

On a personal level, it also changes you because suddenly you stop being anonymous and become someone known not only in your country, but in many parts of the world. This indeed changes many things in your habits and things you can no longer do, but I must say that I receive a lot of love from everyone, a lot of affection, and I think it has been worth it.

You recently starred in ‘Immaculate’ alongside Sydney Sweeney, a film that has earned you multiple awards. What was it like working on this project, and how did you approach such a complex role?

Sydney and I met at a dinner during a gala where she was receiving an award. We shared a table with 10 or 12 other people and had the chance to chat a bit. A few days later, my agent called to tell me they were doing ‘Immaculate’, produced by Sydney Sweeney, and she wanted me to play this role. We filmed it in Italy and it was a wonderful experience working with her, who is an excellent actress, as well as with the entire crew, an Italian team where I felt completely at home. I found the character very interesting because he starts his life or career in the sciences and then transitions to the world of faith. These two poles seem to be opposites, but I thought it was a challenge to find the balance point where it would be believable that this character, Father Tedeschi, could find himself in the middle. Also, the arc you can create with the character, starting as a charming character who welcomes Sydney's character, and ending up transforming into what he becomes, seemed like a fun roller coaster to execute.

Your West End debut in ‘Barcelona’ with Lily Collins has been a major success. How does performing live in London compare to your past theater experiences in Spain?

Theater in London is a worldwide reference. People come from all over the world to see theater in the West End, and I think perhaps the great difference is the type of audience you face in London, which is very eclectic and interesting. When the show ends, we’d leave the theater and talk to the audience, and when they told us where they were from, we were amazed. In the UK, they respect culture a lot and highly value theater for society and for the growth of the human being. It has been a pleasure to work in London doing theater.

Streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime have made Spanish content global. How do you see the future of Spanish cinema and TV evolving in the global market?

When I work on an international production and meet people from the cast or the crew I'm working with, they usually tell me "Wow, what you’re doing in Spain," and I think we’ve been able to show that what we do in this country can have a lot of quality. We have incredible professionals with amazing talent, and I think we need to put our complexes aside and believe in ourselves a little because we’re making high-quality products, and the more risky they are, the better they work. I think we have a great future as a television and film industry.

As an actor who has played such iconic roles, do you feel a certain responsibility in choosing projects that align with your artistic vision?

Every time I choose a new project, the factors I consider when deciding whether to do it or not are not about feeling responsible from an artistic perspective. It's mainly about not repeating something I’ve already done, seeing how interesting the story is, who the director is, and what vision they’ll bring to the project, being aware of what I can contribute to the project and whether I will bring any value or not. I tend to be guided more by these factors, rather than just a feeling of responsibility. Honestly, I think you should do what you feel like, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s an international or national project. For me, for example, it’s not important whether it comes from one place or another. What matters more is what the story is and how it’s going to be told.

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You founded 300 Pistolas, your own theater company. What inspired you to start this venture, and how does it allow you to express your creativity differently than film and TV?

300 Pistolas came about at a time when, years ago, I didn’t have work, didn’t have money, and didn’t know how to make ends meet. I started working at a theater company as a lighting and sound technician. They did theater for school campaigns and the play they were performing seemed absolutely terrible to me. As an adult, I was extremely bored and you could see the kids in the audience suffering through the performance. Then I thought, why couldn’t we try doing something that would appeal to children and teenagers in a more engaging way. That’s how the first production of 300 Pistolas came about. We started doing theater from there, and it eventually transformed into a company not just for students but for all types of audiences. It’s an environment where I can experiment as a director, actor, and producer without having to be accountable to anyone, without having to justify any subsidies since we have no public funding, without being restricted by what people might think if I do this or that. It’s our private laboratory for creative exploration.

We can currently watch you in the third season of ‘The Wheel of Time’. What can the viewers expect from the remaining episodes?

‘The Wheel of Time’ is a series that I believe has improved with each season. For me, the second season was better than the first, and I think people will be very surprised by the third. I think the production level has gone up a lot, and Rafe Judkins, the showrunner, is writing better scripts with each season. Honestly, I think it’s going to be a wonderful season, and the fans, in general, have something amazing to look forward to.

What can you share with us about your upcoming projects?

I can’t talk about upcoming projects in the short term, but I can tell you about what I’m working on right now, which is a production called ‘Anatomía de un Instante’, directed by Alberto Rodríguez and Paco Baños, produced for Movistar Plus+, based on the book by Javier Cercas. I’m playing Adolfo Suárez, a former president we had in Spain during a very complicated period, the transition from Franco’s dictatorship to democracy. He was a crucial figure in Spain’s history, and that’s what I’m working on right now.

TEAM CREDITS:

talent ÁLVARO MORTE
photography MANU JAIME
styling JESUS LAFUENTE
production JUAN MARTÍ
hair and makeup SERGIO ÁLVAREZ GONZÁLEZ
set design DAGMAR JIMÉNEZ
photography assistant ISMAEL NASROLLAH
styling assistant AMAYA BODAS & MANUEL BREÑA
production assistants NENA PETKOVSKA and AVGUSTINA AGRONINA
set design assistant AINHOA AGUERA
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial and interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
special thanks to THOMPSON MADRID HOTEL