Darko Perić (Serbian Cyrillic: Дарко Перић; born 25 March 1977) is a Serbian-Spanish actor. He is best known for playing Helsinki in the Spanish crime thriller series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist). Early life Perić was born in Kladovo. He showed interest in the arts from a very young age; his first time onstage came at the age of six, when a Cuban singer invited him to sing "Guantanamera". That moment inspired him to perform in every school play. In 1991, at the start of the Yugoslav Wars, his dreams of going to animation school in Zagreb were halted. His parents decided that he should instead become a doctor. He was sent to veterinary school in Bucharest[1] in Romania, where he rediscovered his passion for the cinema and theatre thanks to his student friends at the Romanian Film Academy. During that time, he continued to study medicine while acting in short films. In 1994, Perić moved to the Romanian city of Timișoara, where he continued his studies of medicine[1] and performed in live theatre. After six years of living in Timișoara, he finished his studies and graduated with honours in veterinary medicine. While there, he had also gotten involved in the local hardcore and punk scenes, singing in bands and organizing events in the local cultural centre, where he met many international artists. This inspired him to move to Germany, where he settled in Berlin. He continued to act in short films there until 2004, when he moved to Spain and chose Barcelona as a place to live. Career Perić was cast in his first major Spanish job in the series Crematorio for Canal + in 2010. In 2015, he performed in A Perfect Day. In 2016, he was cast in the Atresmedia produced series Sea of Plastic / Mar de plástico, in which he played Oso, a Ukrainian gangster and the main villain in the series. His best known role is of Helsinki in the crime thriller series Money Heist (2017–2021).[1] The series was acquired by Netflix, which helped it become one of the most watched shows, winning the Best Drama at the Emmy Awards in 2018. Personal life Perić speaks six languages[1] and teaches Qigong[2] around the world in masterclasses titled "Qigong: Physical and Mental Preparation for Actors". He is an avid basketball fan. Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 2014 Kamikaze Jefe Protección Civil 2015 A Perfect Day Water Seller It's Now or Never Taxista Amsterdam 1 2016 Garantía personal Toro 2017 Patria Ioan Short film Homeland 2019 Bajo el mismo techo Chiquitin Luces de Gas Stan Short film El Cerro de los Dioses Goran 2023 Atatürk 1881-1919 Stiliyan Kovachev 2024 The Price of Nonna's Inheritance Bojan 2024 The Danube is my sea Himself Short film Television Year Title Role Notes 2008 13 anys i un dia 1 episode El cor de la ciutat Home Vicky 1 2011 Crematorio 3 episodes 2012 Kubala, Moreno i Manchón 1 episode 2014 Aída La que se avecina Vigilante de seguridad 2014–2015 B&b, de boca en boca Serbio 2 episodes 2015 Águila Roja 1 episode 2016 Buscando el norte Mar de plástico Oso 4 episodes 2017 El crac 1 episode Sé quién eres Preso Cantina 2017–2021 La casa de papel Mirko Dragić "Helsinki" 41 episodes 2018 La verdad Mijael Varanov 2 episodes 2020 Vallero! Sue Savage 1 episode