Money Heist Cast (2017–2021)
Antena 3 / Netflix | Crime Drama, Heist Thriller | 5 Parts | Created by Álex Pina
Money Heist, known in its original Spanish as La Casa de Papel ("The House of Paper"), is a Spanish heist crime drama created by Álex Pina. The series follows a criminal mastermind known only as The Professor, who recruits a team of specialist robbers — each named after a city — to carry out two intricately planned heists: first on the Royal Mint of Spain, and later on the Bank of Spain. The series premiered on Antena 3 in May 2017, and after Netflix acquired global distribution rights and re-edited the episodes, it became a worldwide phenomenon, eventually becoming one of the most-watched non-English language series in Netflix history. The show ran for five parts, concluding in December 2021.
The Money Heist cast — known in Spanish as the elenco de La Casa de Papel — is a large and carefully constructed ensemble in which every member portrays a robber identified by a city name, contrasted by the police and negotiation team they face across both heists. Úrsula Corberó's Tokyo serves as the series' narrator and emotional anchor, while Álvaro Morte's The Professor operates as the intellectual centre of the story, masterminding events from outside the targeted buildings. The Money Heist cast achieved genuine international stardom through the Netflix release, with actors such as Alba Flores, Miguel Herrán, and Jaime Lorente becoming recognisable to audiences across dozens of countries who had never previously watched Spanish-language television.
Main Cast
Úrsula Corberó
Tokyo
The narrator and co-lead of the series; Tokyo is an impulsive and passionate robber whose narration frames both heists, and whose relationship with Rio is one of the show's central emotional threads.
Álvaro Morte
The Professor
The cerebral mastermind behind both heists; a meticulous planner who orchestrates every detail from outside and whose evolving relationship with police negotiator Raquel Murillo drives much of the plot.
Itziar Ituño
Lisbon / Raquel Murillo
A top police negotiator assigned to the Mint heist who is romantically manipulated by The Professor; she later joins the gang as Lisbon and becomes a key member of the Bank of Spain operation.
Pedro Alonso
Berlin
The Professor's cool-headed, ruthless, and philosophically inclined older brother who commands the team inside the Mint; a main character in Parts 1–2 and the subject of a prequel spin-off.
Miguel Herrán
Rio
The youngest member of the heist team and Tokyo's boyfriend; his capture between the two heists triggers the events of Parts 3–5.
Jaime Lorente
Denver
Moscow's son, a rough-edged robber who develops an unexpected bond with a hostage named Mónica during the Mint heist and becomes one of the series' most comedic and sympathetic figures.
Esther Acebo
Stockholm / Mónica
A Mint employee who becomes Denver's hostage and love interest; she eventually joins the gang under the name Stockholm and participates in the second heist.
Alba Flores
Nairobi
The team's expert forger and an emotionally forceful member of the crew; Nairobi's storyline involving her son and her eventual fate in Part 4 is one of the most emotionally impactful arcs in the series.
Darko Perić
Helsinki
A Serbian member of the crew known for his physical size and loyalty; a steady presence throughout both heists who forms a close bond with Oslo in the early seasons.
Najwa Nimri
Alicia Sierra
An aggressive and morally complex police inspector introduced in Part 3 who becomes the gang's most tenacious pursuer; her character's arc takes a surprising turn in the final parts.
Rodrigo de la Serna
Palermo
Berlin's former partner and an architect of the Bank of Spain plan who joins the crew in Part 3 and initially commands the team inside the bank.
Enrique Arce
Arturo Román
The Mint's director of security who is taken hostage in Part 1 and becomes a recurring antagonistic presence and comic foil across subsequent parts.
Supporting & Recurring Cast
| Actor | Character | Role | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paco Tous | Moscow | Denver's father and a veteran tunnel digger; a warm and morally grounded member of the original heist team | 1–2 |
| Alba Sainz Gómez | Oslo | Helsinki's cousin and fellow Serbian crew member, present during the Mint heist | 1–2 |
| Fernando Soto | Inspector Prieto | The police commander overseeing negotiations during the Mint heist | 1–2 |
| María Pedraza | Alison Parker | A key hostage during the Mint heist, the daughter of the British ambassador to Spain | 1–2 |
| Kiti Mánver | Mariví Fuentes | Raquel Murillo's mother, whose dementia becomes a subplot that affects Raquel's decisions | 1–2 |
| Hovik Keuchkerian | Bogotá | A new crew member introduced in Part 3 who develops a storyline with Nairobi | 3–5 |
| José Manuel Poga | Gandía | Head of security at the Bank of Spain, an exceptionally dangerous and methodical antagonist within the bank | 4–5 |
| Patrick Criado | Rafael | Berlin's son, introduced in Part 5 through flashback sequences that illuminate Berlin's personal life | 5 |
| Luka Peroš | Marseille | A loyal operative of The Professor who assists operations from outside during both heists | 3–5 |
| Belén Cuesta | Manila | A new recruit for the Bank of Spain heist with personal ties to Denver and Stockholm | 3–5 |
Creators & Production
Álex Pina
Creator and lead writer; Pina developed the show's original two-part concept for Antena 3 and then continued as showrunner when Netflix commissioned the series' expansion into Parts 3, 4, and 5.
Esther Martínez Lobato
Co-creator and writer who worked closely with Álex Pina to develop the show's complex plotting and character backstories, particularly for the second heist.
Álex Rodrigo
A lead director for multiple episodes, responsible for establishing the show's kinetic visual language and its mix of tense heist sequences with character flashbacks.
Vancouver Media
The Spanish production company behind the series; they produced the show in partnership with Netflix from Part 3 onward after Netflix acquired global rights in 2017.
Netflix
Acquired international streaming rights after the show's Spanish run and re-released the series globally, leading directly to its international breakthrough. Netflix also commissioned and funded Parts 3 through 5.
About the Money Heist Cast
The Money Heist cast is notable for how it transformed a group of largely Spanish-speaking actors into global stars almost overnight. Before Netflix's international rollout of the series in late 2017, most of the cast were well-regarded within Spanish television and film but were virtually unknown outside the country. Úrsula Corberó, for instance, had built a profile through Spanish soap operas and series, but Tokyo's narration role in Money Heist introduced her to audiences in over 190 countries. Similarly, Álvaro Morte had worked primarily in Spanish theatre and television before The Professor became one of Netflix's most recognisable characters. The show's success directly influenced a wave of non-English language content acquisitions by streaming platforms, and several cast members have gone on to major international projects following the series' conclusion.
The ensemble structure of the Money Heist cast — with each robber named after a city, a convention that strips the characters of conventional social identity — encouraged viewers to form attachments to the group as a collective, which made character deaths and departures hit with unusual emotional force. The death of Nairobi, played by Alba Flores in Part 4, generated substantial fan reaction internationally. Pedro Alonso's Berlin was so popular as an antagonistic protagonist in Parts 1–2 that the character was brought back through extensive flashback sequences throughout Parts 3–5, and he was ultimately given his own spin-off series, Berlin, which premiered on Netflix in 2023. The show's final part — released in two volumes in September and December 2021 — brought to a close the stories of characters audiences had followed for more than four years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Money Heist?
Money Heist stars Úrsula Corberó as the narrator Tokyo and Álvaro Morte as the mastermind known as The Professor. The ensemble includes Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Alba Flores, Darko Perić, Esther Acebo, Najwa Nimri, and Rodrigo de la Serna, among others.
Who plays The Professor in Money Heist?
Álvaro Morte plays The Professor (real name Sergio Marquina) across all five parts of Money Heist. The Professor is the genius architect of both heists, coordinating events from outside the targeted buildings while managing the negotiations and police.
How many seasons or parts does Money Heist have?
Money Heist originally aired on Antena 3 in Spain in two parts in 2017, then was picked up by Netflix and continued for three additional parts (Parts 3, 4, and 5), concluding in December 2021. Netflix released Part 5 in two volumes, for a total of five parts.
Who created Money Heist?
Money Heist was created by Álex Pina, a Spanish screenwriter and producer. It originally aired on the Spanish network Antena 3, before Netflix acquired global rights and commissioned additional seasons.
What language is Money Heist filmed in?
Money Heist is filmed entirely in Spanish. It became one of the most-watched non-English language series in Netflix history, sparking a broader global appetite for foreign-language content on the platform.
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