Itziar Ituño Aka Lisbon Is the Highest Paid Per Episode of Money Heist
Ask any fan who charges the most on Money Heist, and they‘ll likely guess it‘s Álvaro Morte, the mastermind known as The Professor. But per episode, it‘s Lisbon who brings home the biggest paycheck.
Reports indicate actress Itziar Ituño earns approximately €65,000 ($71,500) per episode playing the lead inspector chasing the robbery crew. That shakes out to around 5.5 million rupees per episode, making her the highest paid on a per episode basis.
Álvaro Morte as The Professor Earns Big Overall
Now Álvaro Morte does make bank in his role as The Professor, said to pull in $150,000 (Rs. 1.1 crores) per episode. But here‘s the thing – Morte as The Professor appears in practically every episode of Money Heist as the ringleader.
So while his per episode fee is lower than Itziar Ituño‘s, he ends up banking more overall across all the episodes he‘s in. He‘s the critical centerpiece character, even if Ituño/Lisbon makes more for individual episodes.
Each Robber Scored About €164 Million in the Royal Mint Heist
Given there were €984 million total stolen from the Royal Mint and 6 robbers left to split it, each remaining member likely pocketed around €164 million, or $184 million. That‘s a whole lotta money!
Of course, many didn‘t actually get to keep their share. Berlin died mid-heist. Moscow was killed. Oslo never made it out alive. Nairobi was gunned down too. Their shares either got redistributed or left unclaimed.
Even Tokyo and Rio spent half their time captured by the cops, making it hard to actually access their mountain of cash. But hey, a girl can dream right? €164 million would set me up real nice!
Total Stolen From the Royal Mint: €984 Million
The show tells us exactly how much our criminal crew was able to grab from the Royal Mint of Spain over the course of their epic heist: €984 million.
That‘s just shy of a billion euros lifted in a little over 5 days that the Mint was held hostage. Talk about a major score!
Though as we saw, the payout came at a grave cost. Oslo, Moscow, Berlin – all dead. Nairobi soon followed. Only 6 managed to get away to enjoy their riches. But oh what riches they were!
Netflix Snagged the Rights for €2 Million
Here‘s a crazy statistic – Netflix purchased the global rights to Money Heist for just €2 million after it had essentially flopped on Spanish television.
With some re-editing magic and targeted international marketing, Netflix managed to turn that tiny €2 million investment into their #1 non-English show, which has streamed to hundreds of millions of viewers.
Sometimes taking a risk on something overlooked pays off big time. Netflix hit the jackpot with La Casa de Papel when they saw hidden potential. Sometimes chances reap the biggest rewards!
Estimated Net Worth of the Cast
- Álvaro Morte as The Professor – $2 million
- Úrsula Corberó as Tokyo – $1.5 million
- Itziar Ituño as Lisbon – $1.2 million
- Miguel Herrán as Rio – $800,000
- Pedro Alonso as Berlin – $700,000
- Alba Flores as Nairobi – $500,000
- Darko Peric as Helsinki – $400,000
- Esther Acebo as Monica – $300,000
- Enrique Arce as Arturo – $200,000
- Rodrigo de la Serna as Palermo – $100,000
It‘s fun to see the stars‘ estimated net worths. While fictional, their salaries on the show seem pretty in line with the vitalness of their characters. Lisbon and Professor on top, as expected!
The British Bank of the Middle East Heist Is the Biggest Ever
When it comes to the world‘s largest heist, fiction has nothing on real life. The title goes to the British Bank of the Middle East robbery in Beirut in 1976.
A team of thieves managed to bypass insane security and nabbed between $20 to $50 million in valuables from safe deposit boxes tucked underground – much more than the fictional hauls!
The complex robbery required getting past machine gun wielding guards, traversing a tear gas filled passage, and expertly opened safe deposit boxes. It inspired the heists depicted in Money Heist!
Thieves Thought They‘d Scored £13,000 initially
Here‘s a crazy story. When thieves broke into the Bank of Spain‘s gold reserves in 1983, they assumed they were only grabbing about £13,000 in cash.
But instead of bundles of cash, they stumbled upon 3 tons of pure gold bullion in 76 boxes outside the main vault! Talk about lucking out – the take suddenly shot up to over $20 million in gold bars.
Moral is, sometimes you set out for one thing and life surprises you with something even sweeter!
The Exterior is Really Spain‘s Ministry of Public Works
If you‘re thinking the National Bank of Spain looks epic in Money Heist, that‘s because it‘s actually the Ministry of Public Works building!
For security reasons, they use this imposing building as a stand-in for the Bank‘s exterior. The inside shots are filmed at a Madrid studio.
Having a "stage double" lets them mimic the Bank without actually shooting there. The Ministry captures that grand, official vibe they wanted for the fictional bank. Such a clever cinematic trick!
Inspired by History and Culture Despite Fictional Stories
Money Heist crafts fictional tales of heists and hostage situations. But the show taps into Spanish history, art, and philosophy to build relatable themes.
The Salvador Dalí masks link to the Spanish artist‘s surrealist movement. The anthems of anti-corruption and anti-fascism draw from decades of Spanish resistance.
While the plots are fantasy, they‘re grounded in connections to real culture. This helps make the show resonate across borders despite its specific setting. We all crave stories of fighting oppression!
The Professor Is Considered the Smartest
Ask fans who they think the smartest Money Heist character is, and almost everyone will say The Professor. As the mastermind, he demonstrates genius level strategic thinking skills.
He concocts elaborate plans, managing every contingency. He outsmarts and outmaneuvers the police at every turn. While others like Lisbon show smarts, Professor is on a whole other level intellectually.
His intricate schemes and ability to improvise make him seem almost superhuman in intellect. The writers definitely maxed out the intelligence stats with Professor‘s character!
Alison Parker Played by María Pedraza
María Pedraza portrayed the role of Alison Parker, the 17-year-old daughter of the British ambassador taken hostage during the Mint heist.
Though Pedraza was 21 during filming, she convincingly played a distressed teenager in the face of unimaginable horror. Her performance humanized the hostages and helped drive home the emotional stakes.
Some of the most impactful, heart wrenching scenes involved Pedraza‘s character Alison. She helped shine a light on how terrifying the fictional ordeal would feel to average citizens.
Tokyo and Professor Don‘t Date in Real Life
On screen, you can feel the heat between Tokyo and Professor. But off screen, actors Úrsula Corberó and Álvaro Morte are just close friends, without any real life romance or relationship.
Their incredible chemistry translates into an amazing friendship rather than real world dating. They constantly praise each other in interviews and social media, showing off their tight platonic bond.
So while fans may ship them as a couple, their connection shines through in their adorable real-world friendship instead! Aww, friendship goals!
Season 5 Will Be the Final Season
I come bearing sad news fellow heist lovers. Netflix has confirmed Money Heist Season 5 will be the final season wrapping up the series.
So unfortunately, after the upcoming Season 5, Money Heist will reach its planned conclusion. I know, I‘m disappointed too! I always want just one more heist with the gang. But alas, all things must come to an end.
We‘ll just have to enjoy our last ride with the Professor and crew and hope it‘s a satisfying grand finale!
Originally a Spanish Show Called La Casa de Papel
Money Heist wasn‘t actually a Netflix original. It started as a Spanish TV show called La Casa de Papel that ran for two seasons starting in 2017.
The show just didn‘t gain much viewership on networks in Spain. But once Netflix bought the international rights, re-cut it, and re-branded it as Money Heist, it became a worldwide phenomenon as one of Netflix‘s top shows!
Proof that sometimes a show simply needs the right platform and audience to become a breakout sensation!
Poor Scheduling Doomed the Spanish Release
So why did Money Heist struggle to find an audience originally in Spain? It seems to partially come down to messy scheduling that made it hard to follow.
Episodes aired out of order, the premiere date jumped around, and the timeslot kept changing. Spanish viewers found it too difficult to keep up.
Netflix wisely re-edited it into chronological seasons and promoted it heavily to hook in global fans. Turns out organization and marketing matters!
Gold Reserves Valued at €3.9 Billion
The amount of gold housed under the Bank of Spain seems absurd…until you crunch the numbers. Based on the stated quantity of 90 tons, with current prices, that gold would be valued at around €3.9 billion!
Nearly 4 billion euros is definitely an unrealistic amount for a national reserve. But the writers picked a sufficiently huge number to justify the massive fictional heist.
Hey, we can‘t rob a measly few hundred grand! Dream big! The Professor would expect nothing less.
No Evidence of a Real Gold Heist That Big
While Money Heist used the Bank of Spain‘s foundations, there are no reports of such a large gold theft actually occurring in real life. The gold reserve heist makes for an exciting storyline, but it‘s fictional.
The largest real gold heist took place in 1983 at the Bank of Spain, when thieves made off with about 3 tons. Even that pales in comparison to the 90 fictional tons!
The writers smartly scaled up the loot to raise the stakes. But sadly, no real band of thieves scored €3.9 billion…that we know of!
Dunbar Armored $18.9 Million Robbery Is Largest Cash Heist
In real life, the largest cash robbery occurred in 1997 at the Dunbar Armored warehouse in LA. The thieves stole $18.9 million in untraceable bills.
While Money Heist portrays even bigger heists, this real job reveals with enough planning and nerve, robbers can still score big in real life.
The Dunbar gang infiltrated security staff, copied keys, and circumvented cameras and alarms to pull off the massive cash grab. Professor would surely approve!
India Is the Top Viewer Market
While you may think Money Heist comes out on top in its home country of Spain, that honor actually goes to India!
Data shows India is the #1 market watching Money Heist, even above Spanish viewership. The characters and themes of fighting oppression clearly resonate strongly with Indian audiences.
Netflix has capitalized on this by investing in India-targeted marketing campaigns. Smart move Netflix! Gotta play to your biggest fans.
Filmed Primarily in Madrid, Spain
The exterior shots of the Royal Mint and Bank of Spain were filmed at landmarks in Madrid:
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Royal Mint – Spanish National Research Council
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Bank of Spain – Ministry of Public Works Building
Interior scenes were shot at studios in Madrid. Keeping filming based in Madrid lent authenticity and allowed the real monuments to shine on camera.
Madrid provides the perfect backdrop for the sweeping vistas and grand architecture depicted on the show. Spain is as much a star of the show as the actors!
Diamond District Heist Took Years of Planning
If you want to talk about the most impressive real world heist, look no further than the 2003 Antwerp Diamond Centre job masterminded by Leonardo Notarbartolo.
It required 5 years of deep cover work posing as a diamond merchant plus gaining intel on how to bypass security measures.
On the weekend of the robbery, Notarbartolo‘s team stole $100 million in diamonds while avoiding motion sensors, magnetic locks, and secret trap doors. This complex looting is inspiration for the fictional Money Heist heists!
Rio and Tokyo‘s Relationship Faces Highs and Lows
As two impulsive young members of the gang, Rio and Tokyo‘s romantic relationship proves bumpy and troubled. During high stress parts of the Mint heist, they make rash choices driven by their feelings, putting the entire operation at risk.
After the heist, they do manage to reconnect and spend peaceful time together in Panama. But old habits die hard, and their issues flare up again in the second heist.
Like ocean tides, they cycle between passionate highs and turbulent lows. Professor surely regrets this workplace romance causing complications!
So there you have it my friend – an in-depth look at who makes bank on Money Heist and the fascinating stories behind those epic fictional heists! Let me know if you have any other questions! I could talk La Casa de Papel all day.