Whether you know him from his indie movie days, or his performances on Netflix series, Miguel Ángel Silvestre is a lovable guy with acting talents to boot. While the Castilian Spaniard is certainly famous in his homeland, he has almost made quite a name for himself abroad, known globally for his roles in Netflix series including Money Heist, Sense 8, and Sky Rojo.
While the actor is not signed to any projects as of late, there’s no doubt his name will likely join an upcoming series as the man is edging toward the prime of his career. Until then, here is a list of our favorite Miguel Ángel Silvestre performances.
6 Sense8
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His first role in an American series, Silvestre became an immediate fan favorite for his role as Lito Rodriguez in Sense8, one of the individuals connected by an ethereal force to seven other strangers. As a creative project, the series pushed all sorts of boundaries. From a larger-than-life plot, impossible human stunts, and breathtaking scenes in some of the most beautiful parts of the country, to breaking down ideas of sex and gender and addressing society's taboos, Sense8 pushes audiences to think outside the box. Miguel Ángel Silvestre’s character is a big part of that. A gay actor living with a long-term boyfriend, Silvestre’s character is a big part of how the show approaches social topics.
Of all his roles on this list, Silvestre shines brightest as Lito. This is because the character is incredibly multifaceted; in sexuality, work, and his role as part of the group of eight, Lito is constantly juggling many identities and realities. Silvestre perfectly captures all the nuances of Lito’s experiences, the highs as well as the lows. How Lito at once struggles to come out to the world as gay, and yet is flourishing in his home life. How he is outspoken and forward, and yet at times more hesitant and held back. Sense8 is forward-thinking, pushing any notions of shame and guilt to the wayside. Silvestre matches this tone perfectly, embodying a character — all high flaws and imperfections — with beautiful dignity.
5 Velvet
If you live in Spain, or perhaps are just an avid telenovela watcher, you are sure to have stumbled upon this title. A love story taking place in a clothing empire, Velvet is doing a lot, as you'd expect from a telenovela. From rags-to-riches narratives hot love affairs with multiple lovers, sticky family politics, and evil villains waiting around the corner, Velvet is incredibly dramatic and entertaining. With all four seasons streaming on Netflix, Silvestre plays our leading man, Alberto Marquez, the inheritor of the family fortune. We follow him, his companions, and his company as he vies to keep his company running smoothly.
Alberto is a gentle person (and a heartthrob). Highly educated, clean-cut, and always well-dressed, Alberto is quick to say just the right thing at the right time. His father and his family have high hopes for him, putting pressure on the young strapping lad that his entire life he’s always done exactly what was expected of him. However, he has one secret that could ruin everything he’s worked for; since he was a young boy, he’s been absolutely in love with Ana Ribera, the company’s seamstress. If you’re looking to be romantically swept off your feet, Velvet is for you. Silvestre will not let you down.
4 Money Heist (Casa De Papel)
A Spanish series that hit the American markets like a bomb, when it was released everybody was enjoying Money Heist (Casa de Papel). A thriller-drama, the series follows “The Professor” an evil genius who concocts long-con heists with the help of his team of recruits — a group of thieves and crooks, each with a unique specialty in the field. Season 1 follows the working of the biggest heist in recorded history: printing billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain. A cops-versus-criminals narrative, Money Heist transitions between the point of view of the "bad guys," who we can’t help but adore, and the police, who we sympathize with.
Playing the role of René, Silvestre shows up in the final season of Money Heist in the form of a flashback, a love interest of the fan-favorite character Tokyo. A total bad boy — muscled pecs, leather jacket, and motorcycle included — René is Tokyo's fellow criminal. Throughout the season, we watch as the two take part in several high-risk bank robberies. Silvestre and his co-star, Úrsula Corberó, play the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. Running off of adrenaline, sex, and drugs, the two paint a perfect picture of lovers constantly toeing the line between something wildly fun and incredibly dangerous. If you're looking for a heart-stopping series, this is the one to watch.
3 Life and Colour (Vida y Color)
An oldie but a goodie can certainly describe Life and Colour (Vida y Color) released in 2005 in Spain, the film is a meditative coming-of-age film. Following Fede, a fifteen-year-old, audiences move with the boy as he slowly loses his youthful innocence, going through important life experiences in his little nook of the world. After all, Fede has a lot in his environment to be thinking about: his older Sister, Begoña, and her trepidation about her upcoming wedding. His grandfather and his tales and frustrations with the Spanish Civil War. His friend Ramona, a girl with Down syndrome who struggles with her home life and learning how to navigate the world as someone unique.
The film is a bit of a hidden gem, with Silvestre’s performance a hidden gem within a hidden gem. His first gig as an actor in a major project, we see a much younger, more amateur version of the actor we’ve come to know and love. This does not mean that his performance is bad. Instead, his role as Javi successfully frustrates the audience. The leader of a local gang of hoodlums, Javi isn’t quite someone to look up to, even as thinks he's the cream of the crop in his small town in Spain.
As the film comes from the perspective of Fede, Silvestre does a stellar job of capturing what a young boy sees in this older man. Over eager, an adrenaline junkie, and generally neglect of the rules of society, he perfectly embodies how being relatively “bad” still makes a lasting impact on someone's worldview.
2 30 Coins
Following Father Vergara, an exorcist, boxer, and ex-convict that has been exiled to a small rural town in Spain, 30 Coins has an unusual main character and a plot to match it. The HBO series follows the story of this mysterious man and how his troubled past comes back to haunt him in the form of paranormal activity. Vergara must work with several of the townsmen and women to figure out the mystery that is somehow linked to a coin he owns — an heirloom that dates back to the biblical period when Judas betrayed Jesus.
In the single-season series, Silvestre plays Paco, the mayor of our small town that is marred by chaos and evil. His first time working in the horror genre, the role is relatively unique for him. Paco is a sort of bumbling fool, put into his position of power not by choice but by force. And yet, aspects of the project scream Silvestre. Created by Álex de la Iglesia, the series is particular and quirky in its perspectives and storytelling style. And if there’s anything that Silvestre likes, it's a story with an out-there style. His performance as Paco is totally refreshing. He takes the quirkiness in stride, capturing the strangeness that is associated with these smaller folkie towns in Spain.
1 Sky Rojo
Rounding off our list is Sky Rojo, a drama series on Netflix whose last season aired in 2021. An action-packed TV show, Sky Rojo follows a prostituted woman on the run from her pimp and his goonies, trying her best to survive while finding freedom from her sex slavery. The series is action-packed, with dialogue that is brutal and forceful and scenes that make you flinch. As the producers put it the show had "the impunity, ambiguity and brutal reality of prostitution and the psychological portraits of those on both sides of the scale."
One of Silvestre’s more diabolical characters, he plays Moises, one of the pimp’s henchmen. Moises is tasked with bringing in new women to the ring, tracking down these runaway women, and bringing them back to work under his watchful eye. A masterful manipulator, Moises can turn his personality on a dime — switching between seductive charm and violence with terrifying speed and accuracy. A complete 180 from some of his other roles — as lovers rather than fighters–– Silvestre truly comes into his own as a certified villain in Sky Rojo.