Mario Alberto Casas Sierra born 12 June 1986 is a Spanish actor.
Early life
Casas has four siblings. Born in A Coruña, at age four, he left with his family to Barcelona. He moved to the Spanish capital of Madrid, on an adventure, which implied his whole family making the move with him, when he was 18 years old.
His parents were very young when they had him. His mother, Heidi, was only 17 and his father, Ramon, 19. A year and a half later, they had his sister, Sheila. For Mario, his father is his role model, while his mother and the rest of his siblings are his confidants.
His mother raised them, and his father worked as a carpenter. Because of his work, his father had no problem moving to another city, so they decided to accompany Mario when he left for Madrid and settled with him in the city.
Mario has four siblings, forming what he defines a “Sicilian family”, a family with many children established around a “matriarch”. Mario is the eldest. He is followed by his sister Sheila, and two other brothers, Christian and Oscar. Finally, the youngest member of the family, Daniel, was born in 2014, who he almost considers as his “nephew” because of the enormous age difference.
He gets along well with all of them, although he shares a special bond with his sister Sheila, as they grew up together. Mario, a loyal tattoo lover, has one dedicated to each of his parents and siblings, with the initials of each one.
He remembers his childhood as wonderful, although he had a bit of a hard time because he was given a lot of stick for being short. He developed very late. At age 15, he still had the body of the child. Even so, he has always been a flirt, and had his first “girlfriend” at age four.
As a child he liked everything: singing, dancing, ping-pong, football…. He says he liked trying things out, although he admits that he would get bored easily. His professional career began advertising. He appeared in commercials for Cola Cao, Telepizza, Scalextric… He eventually decided to become an actor after he enrolled at the Cristina Rota School of Dramatic Arts
He also keeps in touch with lifelong friends from school. Those who have been by his side since he moved to Barcelona. In his own words, they are the ones who keep you on track if you derail, true friends which are hard to find.
Acting career
2005–2010
Casas began appearing in soap operas from 2005 at age 19, before earning minor roles in several Spanish films. Mario Casas began his acting career with episode appearances in television series Obsesión (English: Obsession), Motivos personales (Personal Motives) and Mujeres (Women). He came to domestic media attention with his film debut in the 2006 film El camino de los ingleses (Summer Rain), directed by Antonio Banderas.
That same year he joined the cast of LaSexta series SMS. Casas then reached international audience as Aitor Carrasco in the Antena 3 series Los hombres de Paco (Paco’s Men), which he starred from 2007 to 2010.
In 2009, Casas appeared in two hit films, Fuga de cerebros (Brain Drain) opposite Amaia Salamanca, and Mentiras y Gordas (Sex, Party and Lies) with his bestfriend Yon González, Ana Maria Polvorosa, Ana de Armas and Hugo Silva. Both managed to lead the box office over the weekend of its release. In 2010, Casas starred in Carne de neón (Neon Meat) directed by Paco Cabezas. Later that year in December 2010, he starred in Tres metros sobre el cielo (Three Steps Above Heaven) opposite María Valverde. It was eventually the highest-grossing Spanish film of the year. A sequel Tengo ganas de ti (I Want You), which stars Casas, Valverde and Clara Lago, premiered in 2012. He also appeared in Miedo (2010), directed by Jaume Balagueró.
2011–present
Casas in January 2011, during the presentation of Carne de neón
Since 2011, Casas has starred the Antena 3 series El barco (The Boat), he also starred in Tengo ganas de ti (I Want You), premiered in 2012.
During the late 2013 and early 2014, he went to Colombia and Chile for his second film project in English called Los 33 (The 33) with Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche, a story based on the Chilean mining accident that occurred in 2010. In 2015, Mario also starred in two other films: the new Álex de la Iglesia comedy film My Great Night, and also in the romantic drama film Palmeras en la Nieve (Palm Trees in the Snow), where he reunited with the director of the films Tres metros sobre el cielo (Three Steps Above Heaven) and Tengo ganas de ti (I Want You), Fernando Gonzalez Molina. In 2016, he performed in a thriller movie called “The Invisible Guest” which was a commercial success, although the film had opened to mixed critical responses. The film grossed US$3.9 million in Spain and CN¥172.4 million in China. On Rotten Tomatoes the film had an approval rating of 67% based on reviews from 8 critics.
Casas latest role is El fotógrafo de Mauthausen (2018), which tells the story of Francisco Boix, a Spanish Republican photographer who was sent to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex during World War II. Casas lost around 12 kilograms (26 pounds) to play Boix during his imprisonment.
Filmography
Film
Casas in 2017
| Year | Title | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | No matarás (Cross the Line) | Dani | David Victori |
| 2020 | El practicante (The Paramedic) | Ángel | Carles Torras |
| 2020 | Hogar (The Occupant) | Tomás | David Pastor, Àlex Pastor |
| 2019 | Adiós (Bye) | Juan | |
| 2018 | El fotógrafo de Mauthausen (The Photographer of Mauthausen) | Francisco Boix | Mar Targarona |
| 2018 | Bajo la piel de lobo (The Skin of the Wolf) | Martinón | Samu Fuentes |
| 2017 | El bar (The Bar) | Nacho | Álex de la Iglesia |
| 2016 | Contratiempo (The Invisible Guest) | Adrián Doria | Oriol Paulo |
| 2016 | Toro | Toro | Kike Maíllo |
| 2015 | Palmeras en la nieve (Palm Trees in the Snow) | Killian | Fernando González Molina |
| 2015 | Mi gran noche (My Great Night) | Adanne | Álex de la Iglesia |
| 2015 | Los 33 (The 33) | Alex Vega | Patricia Riggen |
| 2015 | Eden | Felix | Shyam Madiraju |
| 2013 | La mula (Mule) | Castro | Michael Radford |
| 2013 | Ismael (Ismael) | Félix | Marcelo Piñeyro |
| 2013 | Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (The Witches of Zugarramurdi) | Antonio “Tony” | Álex de la Iglesia |
| 2012 | Tengo ganas de ti (I Want You) | Hugo (H) | Fernando González Molina |
| 2012 | Grupo 7 (Unit 7) | Ángel Lares Pacheco | Alberto Rodríguez |
| 2010 | Carne de neón (Neon Meat) | Ricky | Paco Cabezas |
| 2010 | Tres metros sobre el cielo (Three Steps Above Heaven) | Hugo (H) Olivera Castro | Fernando González Molina |
| 2009 | Mentiras y Gordas (Sex, Party and Lies) | Toni | Alfonso Albacete and David Menkes |
| 2009 | Fuga de cerebros (Brain Drain) | Emilio Carbajosa Benito | Fernando González Molina |
| 2006 | El camino de los ingleses (Summer Rain) | Moratalla | Antonio Banderas |
Short film
| Year | Title | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dinero fácil (Easy Money) | Jaime | Carlos Montero |
| 2010 | La wikipeli 2: Miedo (Fear) | Sergio | Jaume Balagueró |
| 2009 | Paco (Paco) | Paco 4 | Jorge Roelas |
| 2007 | Sintonia diario Pop (Sintonia Diario Pop) | Iván | Guillermo Mieza |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | El inocente (The Innocent) | Mateo Vidal | Netflix |
| 2020 | The Paramedic | Ángel Hernández | Netflix |
| 2019- | Instinto | Marco Mur Seco | Movistar+ |
| 2018 | Paquita Salas | Himself (“Cameo”) | Netflix |
| 2011–13 | El barco (The Boat) | Ulises Garmendia | Antena 3 |
| 2007–10; 2021 | Los hombres de Paco (Paco’s Men) | Aitor Carrasco | Antena 3 |
| 2006–07 | SMS: Sin Miedo a Soñar | Javier “Javi” Llorens | laSexta |
| 2006 | Mujeres (Women) | “Cameo” | La 2 |
| 2005–06 | Obsesión | Nico | TVE |
| 2005 | Motivos personales | “Cameo” | Telecinco |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35th Goya Awards | Best Actor | Cross the Line | Won |
| 2016 | 3rd Feroz Awards | Best Supporting Actor | My Great Night | Won |
| 2012 | Alicante Film Festival | Alicante Film Award | N/A | Nominated |
| 2011 | Association of Latin Entertainment Critics Awards | Best New Actor | Three Steps Above Heaven | Won |
| 2009 | EñE Film Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Sex, Lies and Parties | Won |
| 2009 | EP3 Awards | Best New Actor | Sex, Lies and Parties | Won |
| 2010 | Fotogramas de Plata Awards | Best Film Actor | Three Steps Above Heaven | Nominated |
| 2011 | Best Television Actor | The Boat | Nominated | |
| 2009 | LesGaiCineMad Festival Awards | LesGaiCineMad Award for Acting | Sex, Lies and Parties | Won |
| 2011 | Micrófono de Oro Awards | Best Television Actor | Paco’s Men The Boat |
Won |
| 2011 | Móstoles International Short Film Festival Awards | Best Actor | Easy Money | Nominated |
| 2010 | Must! Awards | Best Male Performer | Paco’s Men Sex, Lies and Parties |
Nominated |
| 2012 | Neox Fan Awards | Best Film Actor | I Want You | Won |
| 2009 | New Talent of Spanish Cinema Awards | Best New Talent | Brain Drain Sex, Lies and Parties |
Nominated |
| 2009 | Shanghai Awards | Best Film Actors | Sex, Lies and Parties | Nominated |
| 2011 | Villarreal International Short Film Festival | Best Actor | Easy Money | Won |
| 2009 | Zaragoza Film Festival | Best Young Talent | Brain Drain Sex, Lies and Parties |
Won |
| 2010 | Three Steps Above Heaven | Won |