Netflix’s Gangs Of Galicia Cast And Characters Guide

Given how many regional crime sagas Netflix churns out almost every week, it takes something special for one to stand out in that crowd. Set in Madrid and Cambados, the Spanish thriller series, “Gangs of Galicia,” has a taut, tense story which highlights the treacherous criminal empire that has taken over the picturesque coastal Spanish province of Galicia. Inspired by real-life events of Operation Necora, which saw the Spanish authorities going after Galician drug kingpins, “Gangs of Galicia” shows ingenuity by navigating the intricacies of the underworld through the romance between the series leads. While the series’ focus remains mainly on them, the ensemble of talented Spanish actors in supporting roles did a good enough job to strengthen the narrative.

Ana Soriano, Played By Clara Lago

In her two-and-a-half-decade-long acting career, Spanish actor Clara Lago has gained acclaim with her silver screen appearances in “Carol’s Journey,” “The Hidden Face,” “Fin,” “Spanish Affair,” and “Extinction,” to name a few. On the small screen, some of Clara’s notable works include “Hospital Central,” “Lex,” “The Neighbor,” etc. In “Gangs of Galicia,” she plays Ana Soriano, a Madrid-based, highly skilled lawyer whose life overturns after her father, Jorge’s, death. As Ana learns the truth about the secret hidden life of her father as a member of the Padin family drug empire, a mixed feeling of betrayal and curiosity to learn the truth about her old man prompts her to investigate his past connections. It feels odd to see a sharp, observant, and calculative individual like Ana sacrifice the prospect of a promising future and family in a single-minded pursuit to learn about her father’s past. But given how strong the filial bond was between her and Jorge, Ana’s decisions being driven by emotions makes complete sense. In terms of her career, Ana’s track record as an obsessive, persistent lawyer is also reflected in how she tries to infiltrate Jose Padin’s crime family by risking her life time and again. While Ana’s resolve to bring down the ones responsible for her father’s demise remains unshaken, things change when she falls for Daniel and gets to learn about Jorge’s first family up close. It can be assumed that the feeling of betrayal left an impact on Ana’s psyche, which prompted her to desperately find emotional connection in a place where she was all alone. This prompted Ana to act impulsively and turn a blind eye to the obvious fact that despite not being responsible for her father’s death, Daniel is as much of a criminal as his own father, Jose. By the end of the first season, Ana ends up paying for her mistakes, as Daniel ends up getting incarcerated, leaving her as a fugitive who has to raise her and Daniel’s child on her own. 

Daniel Padin Played By Tomar Novas

Galicia-born Spanish actor Tomar Novas has previously acted in movies like “Mar Adentro,” “1000 Miles for Christmas,” “Nowhere,” and in small screen ventures such as “La Zona,” “Farina,” “The Mess You Leave Behind,” etc. In “Gangs of Galicia,” he plays the role of Daniel Padin, son of Jose Padin, who is handling the operations of his criminal empire in his absence. A charismatic, cunning, and fearless Daniel has what it takes to handle the violence associated with his father’s trade and run operations covertly by evading the authorities time and again. Unlike Jose, who believes in theold-school ways of maintaining fear through violence, Daniel has faith in his wit to get things done. However, an otherwise devious leader of the crime family is an emotional fool to some extent, as he remains unaware of Ana’s true initial motive behind getting involved with his family. Even though Daniel contemplated going after Jorge after learning about his betrayal, he used to share an amicable relationship with him and looked up to him as a father figure in Jose’s absence. It would have been interesting to see this aspect influence Daniel and Ana’s relationship a bit more. 

Jose Padin, Played By Miguel De Lira

Veteran Spanish actor/writer Miguel De Lira gained major acclaim in his four-decade-long showbiz career for his silver screen roles in “Eroski Paraiso,” “The Dead Go Fast,” “Pepe O Ingles,” etc. In the series, he plays the role of Jose Padin, the ruthless leader of the Padin crime family who is responsible for his former comrade, Jorge Silva’s, demise. The vengeful, violent kingpin is inspired by the real-life cartel leader Manuel Charlin Gama, chief of Clan de los Charlines, the most notorious crime gang of Galicia. Despite believing in the so-called traditional ways of the underworld, Jose couldn’t bring himself to pretend the false sense of honor the mafia often swears by and cheated on his friend, Jorge, by having an affair with his wife. 

Miscellaneous Characters 

Apart from the main characters, the supporting cast of “Gangs of Galicia” delivered decent performances with the roles they were given. Xose Antonio Tourinan played the role of Nilo, Daniel’s close friend and enforcer in his drug empire. Melania Cruz played the role of Laura, Jorge’s daughter with his first wife, Berta, whose character was played by Maria Pujalte. Francesc Garrido plays Naranjo, the Spanish police chief whose obsession with pinning down the Padin crime family left an adverse effect on his family life. Nuno Gallego plays the role of Marco, an impressionable teenage cousin of Nilo who ends up betraying Daniel in the end after losing the love of his life in a crime family feud. 

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