Pedro Alonso returns with Berlin, the fascinating thief from La casa de papel, an unpresentable character without moral limits

Almost a decade after the phenomenon of The Money Heistthe universe created by Alex Pina is preparing to continue expanding. Next May 15, Netflix will premiere the second season of spin-off centered on one of its most magnetic characters: Berlin, played by Pedro Alonso. The new installment, titled Berlin and the Ermine Lady, promises to delve into the multiple layers of a thief as fascinating as he is unpredictable.

In his first appearances in The Money Heist, Berlin was not destined to become one of the public’s great favorites. His profile, initially closer to that of an unpredictable and provocative villain, positioned him as another piece in a gear. However, as the episodes went by, the character began to move away from that place and reveal nuances that made him increasingly magnetic.

That evolution, added to the strong bond he generated with the audience, ended up propelling him into his own territory. Thus was born the spin-off focused on his figure, which is now in its second season. In this new installment, The story delves into his past and his relationships, combining romance, humor and impossible blows, in a bet that expands the narrative universe without losing the essence of the character.

From Galicia, Spain, Alonso attends Clarín in the middle of a busy agenda. His image is surprising: far from the elegant and calculated style of his character, he appears with a cap and a long white beard that makes him almost unrecognizable. Before the talk begins, he himself anticipates any questions and explains the reason for his transformation.

“I have no secrets. I’m shooting a feature film, a strong thriller. I appear unrecognizable, with a beard and teeth. Right now I look in the mirror and I don’t even recognize myself,” he says between laughs. The relaxed tone marks the beginning of an unhurried conversation, even when in Spain the clock is about to strike ten at night.

Far from appearing exhausted by the weight of a character who has been with him for years, Alonso appears enthusiastic. Berlin, that sophisticated and provocative thief who conquered the global public, continues to be a fertile territory for him to explore. With renewed energy, The actor anticipates that the new episodes will bring unexpected nuances.

With the closeness of someone who recognizes the impact of the series on his life and that of millions of viewers, Alonso is preparing to review the journey of a phenomenon that transcended borders and to anticipate what can be expected from this new stage.

-At this point, the universe of The Money Heist It already has an established fandom around the world and thousands of people are waiting to see more. Does that create extra pressure compared to when the project just started?

–Nine years have passed since it all began.. And now I am in a moment of change of third and I feel that my life is entering a new cycle. It is inevitable to take a step back to see what has happened with all possible perspective. It is a phenomenon that changed my life. I have nothing but deep gratitude for everything that has brought me The Money Heist and Berlin. And the fandom is associated with this adventure. It’s immense. Sometimes it is impressive to see that it also has a global reach. When I travel to Latin America it is very shocking to see how many people still have such a strong connection with the cause.

What I try is for that to reinforce my commitment to the character. Sometimes I would have been more right, sometimes I would have been less right, but it is like fuel to put the best I have into the character of Berlin, who, on the other hand, is a creature full of possibilities.

-Do you continue to rediscover a character with whom you have already traveled so much?

-Well, this is given by the script. Alex Pina, the showrunner, is the captain of that entire journey. They have been inviting me to rediscover new aspects of the character in Money Heist. At the beginning, Berlin was a super dark, shady, dangerous character, who wreaked chaos every time he opened the door. Suddenly, the saga continues with Netflix and the character suddenly appears from the past and becomes progressively brighter and brighter. And when we suddenly open the spin-off it directly goes to the romantic comedy.

I have tried to ensure that the character does not lose his roots. I have had to adjust my course. So instead of taking for granted what my character was like, each time I have had to remove supports and support to walk towards the unknown. And that has invited me to renew nuances in the character, but always hand in hand with the script.

-How do you make a thief a charming character?

-At first I always said, jokingly, that people must have a serious problem, because The character is completely unpresentable. He is a specialist in breaking the boundaries of what should be. He is a man who is far beyond the canon of what would be correct in the more or less ordinary world. I think that in its lack of ordinary moral limits there is a very great principle of authenticity and a great sense of fun.

From the couch, many have liked to imagine shaking hands with a character so freed from restrictions to allow himself to play all or nothing. The character’s attitude is very sweet and tasty. I see, as my life experience progresses, that everyone, or a large part of the world, believes themselves to be good. But then reality contradicts the opinion that many have of themselves. Berlin has no problem claiming shade. That sense of humor and that machinery is perverse, but at the same time subtly sentimental and romantic. That is why this character who at some point has crossed all limits is endearing.

-Remembering your character of Diego Murquía in Gran Hotel and linking it a little with Berlin, it seems that there is something of the acid that feels very good. Are you seduced by looking for the light in the darkness of the characters?

-A character that had marked me long before Great Hotelwhich had a more local scope but was very important to me, was Father Casares -in a Spanish series of the same name-. It was twenty something years ago. He was a white comedy character, almost straight out of a story. Right after I got the character of Diego Murquía in Great Hotel. They saw something in me that not even I had anticipated: adult, shady, dangerous characters. I came from other colors and the character of Diego Murquía opened me to that type of dangerous role.

It is true that in my adult life I have had several shady, ambivalent, paradoxical, dangerous characters. And that’s something that interests me. Before the characters, the heroes were either good or bad. Now we live in a more multifaceted world. The bad seems to be starting to become clear again. What is true, what is false is not so clear. And I think that characters like this allow the viewer to hold up a mirror so that they can ask themselves questions instead of giving them answers. I like characters to open doors and suddenly everything is not clear and you don’t know exactly what you should think. Because life has a lot of that.

-On the street do they always call you Pedro or do they occasionally call you Berlin?

-What do you think? (laughs). They told me Berlin and it doesn’t bother me. On the one hand it is a confirmation of how strong what we have sent to the world has been. In the end I have had a return of that type in many countries around the world. That alone has impressed me as an individual. To have made a fiction and it had such a reach. They treated me with a lot of affection and a lot of respect. I clarify this because I know that there are colleagues who have played dark characters and suddenly people look at them badly. It is true that enduring an exhibition of this caliber for nine years is a job.

On a personal level, I believe that we live in a world in which success is often associated with a chain. And I continue to be very grateful to Berlin and the series of The Money Heistbut I also admit many times I disappear and go on long trips to renew my energy, because I know that when I work around Berlin life is very demanding.

I have more life than Berlin. And when people approach me I try to have a real relationship. You don’t always have the same charm and the same grace to sustain that. But it is true that Berlin is what I have been called to and it is something I wanted to be associated with. There are people here in Galicia who still call me Father Casares. But well, what am I going to tell you. It’s part of your sentimental memory, I imagine. And I try to look at it from the best possible place.

-In the middle of the boom The Money Heist You visited Argentina, what impacted you the most during your visit?

-It was the first place where I put my hands on my head and said “God, what is happening?” Where the madness for the series really scared me. But at a level that no longer entered my head. Then life confirmed it to me in more places, but in Argentina it was a brutal explosion.

-Any special place that you have visited or have you yet to visit?

-It was a short visit. During my time there I ran into family of mine in Argentina that I didn’t know. It was very nice. I also took a quick trip to Patagonia and it hit me hard. There I made some good friends that I still have today. But without a doubt I would like to know the country more deeply, face to face. Walk it, kick it more. I know that there is a great cultural life in Argentina. I hope it is not exterminated with the situation that is befalling the country. I feel very close to Argentine culture. And then there is Rodrigo de la Sernawhom I love deeply and whom I continue to miss. There are many good reasons to return to Argentina, so I hope that life allows me and that one day it will be working.

-And do you have a relationship with Chino Darín, Úrsula Corberó’s partner?

-Of course. I worked with Chino and Úrsula when they met. He is a great actor, also the son of a saga of extraordinary actors. It’s a wonder.