'Money Heist' Professor, actor Alvaro Morte, opens up on his cancer battle: Thought I'd die

'Money Heist' fame Alvaro Morte, who plays Sergio Marquina aka The Profesor in the crime drama, is not just a fighter in the show but also in real life.

In 2011, the actor was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left leg and he also went through treatment for it. As per an interview in The Observer he said, “I remember the doctor with a white coat and the stethoscope to come to tell me without anesthesia. (He said) Look, this is happening to you and you have plenty of time to live.”

Morte shares that he took the tumor as something temporary. “For example, a flu, you feel bad, you have fever, shaking, but you know it will happen to you. You do not talk about it. Instead of accepting that I have a slim chance of survival, I tried to turn it on, which, in principle, the logic told me not to,” he said.

In yet another interaction with the Cocktail magazine, Alvaro shared, “At first I thought I was going to die, that my leg was cut but nothing happened. Then I thought, if I die within three months, can I do it calmly? Have I respected the people around me who love me? Have I been faithful to my principles?”

“That made me enjoy the moment, since there is nothing that will remove the good humor,” he added.

An engineer-turned-actor, Alvaro made his acting debut in 2002. He received worldwide acclaim after essaying the titular role of The Professor in ‘Money Heist’.

Morte will be seen reprising his role as the Professor in the upcoming Money Heist season 5. The trailer was recently released and fans and followers are eagerly waiting for the final season of the epic series. The volume one of the final season will be premiering on Netflix on September 3.