HT City Exclusive: Álvaro Morte aka Professor from Money Heist: I wish to come to India

In an exclusive interview, Álvaro Morte, best known for his onscreen persona of the Professor in Money Heist, feels it is an apt time to wrap up the Spanish crime series, instead of stretching it till the time it loses its charm

He is a professor, but not the kind we meet in colleges. He has a classroom, but for robbers. And he has many shades, but not even one that can be disliked. Spanish actor Álvaro Morte has found global fame, thanks to his on-screen act in the Spanish drama, Money Heist. But, he is not jittery about leaving the character behind to explore something new.

Alvaro Morte feels it is the right time to wrap up Money Heist

Just a few years ago, Morte was a complete stranger for many. But, Money Heist, also known as La Casa De Papel in Spanish, changed things around for him. And he is humbled to get all the love from India as well. “I have been wishing to go to India (for a long time). Everyone that I know has been there, and comes absolutely shocked by the country, its culture, people and food,” Morte tells us in an exclusive interview.

“I also appreciate all the demonstrations of the fans in India through social media. The response that the show got from India is absolutely unbelievable. I thank everyone for that,” he adds.

Morte has been living with his character, The Professor, since 2017. And now, as the Netflix series nears its end with the fifth season, the 46-year-old feels it’s a good time to bid adieu to his alter ego.

“Well, I am an actor. And luckily, nowadays, I can see that the audience all around the world is used to watching fiction. The audience is so intelligent that I consider, and hope and assume, that they will be able to see me doing all the (other) works, and separate the image of The Professor,” Morte shares with us when asked if it will be a tough task to get out of the shadow of his Money Heist character. He adds, “I understand the success of the character because of the series. It has been huge. But I wouldn’t like to think that the audience is going to stay with just that image.”

For Morte, the joy of being an actor is the ability to take on other characters. “When you make a long story, you have that risk of doing it badly or getting tired of it. I think it was a good moment to stop Money Heist, give fans a good product and just let it rest,” he says.

Morte doesn’t know what the future holds, but he is excited. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I think it’s time to finish this and get into other projects. It would be unfair for any actor to get really tied to a character,” says the actor.

Interact with the author on Twitter/ @Sugandharawal