Sergio Marquina
Sergio Marquina ("Professor") ![]() | ||||||||
Character information
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Sergio Marquina, better known as the Professor, is the brains behind the heist on the Royal Mint in the Spanish television series La Casa de Papel.
Skills
- Heist planning: A skill that he started developing as a child, in bedtime conversations with his father, who was a bank robber. A very meticulous planner, the Professor carefully considers what must happen before, during and after each heist to ensure its success, and tries to cover all possible angles. At the same time, he is also good at improvising and adjusting his plans on the fly when something goes wrong.
- Oratory: Much like an actual college professor, despite coming across as shy and socially awkward, the Professor's skill with words comes out when he is discoursing about his field of expertise - in this case, robbery. He is able to explain his plans in a way that engages and instills confidence on his accomplices, and his passionate speeches not only inspire loyalty and respect from his crew but also helps to get the general public on their side.
- Hostage negotiation: The Professor's main role during the robbery is to communicate with the police in order to buy the robbers time to complete their plan. During these negotiations, he also sheds his shy and polite demeanor, becoming confident and assertive.
Modus operandi
In the months leading up to the heist, the Professor sequesters the robbers to a remote location to go over the details of the plan and train them in the skills they need to correctly execute it. During this time, he asks them to follow three rules:
- No real names.
- No personal information.
- No personal relationships.
These rules are meant to prevent the robbers from forming emotional attachments that might compromise the job (but of course, in practice this doesn't go as planned).
Another important consideration for the Professor is how the group is perceived by the public. He considers it very important to the plan that they kill no one, not only for ethical reasons but also to help build their public image as a gang of noble thieves fighting against corrupt and unjust authority. He also doesn't hesitate to expose the unethical actions of the police in order to further get the public on their side.