Breathless season 2 cast: New and returning stars in Netflix drama
The Spanish medical drama is back for an emotional second chapter.
Hospitals might be a place that many of us would rather avoid in real life, but they sure are popular settings for television dramas all over the world.
The UK has long-enjoyed Holby City and (until recently) Casualty, while the US has seen staggering success with its decidedly more glamorous medical soap Grey's Anatomy, which is clearly an influence on Netflix's Breathless.
At times, this latest entry into the genre is arguably even more heightened than Grey's, which is no small feat, but the high drama and larger-than-life characters certainly make for engaging viewing.
If you're looking to dive back into Breathless as season 2 drops on Netflix, here's a reintroduction to the key players (but beware, spoilers follow for season 1).
Breathless cast: Full list of actors and characters
Here's a quick overview of the main Breathless cast – read on for more details on each character and the actor playing them, including where you might have seen them before.
- Manu Ríos plays Biel de Felipe
- Najwa Nimri plays Patricia Segura
- Aitana Sánchez-Gijón plays Pilar Amaro
- Blanca Suárez plays Jésica Donoso
- Borja Luna plays Néstor Moa
- Rachel Lascar plays Sophie
- Alfonso Bassave plays Lluís Bonet
- Xoán Fórneas plays Quique
- Pablo Alborán plays Jon
- Ana Rayo plays Leo
- Macarena de Rueda plays Rocío
- Blanca Martínez plays Blanca
- Abril Zamora plays Neus
Manu Ríos plays Biel de Felipe
Who is Biel? Biel is a young doctor who has recently qualified and devoted hundreds of hours to a public hospital. In season 1, he is thrown into a moral conundrum when deciding whether to join a strike, which is fighting for better conditions for doctors, but also risks affecting the health of their patients.
In season 2, things get even more personal for him, as a fellow doctor he has feelings for becomes an imperilled patient herself.
What else has Manu Ríos been in? Ríos is best known for playing the role of Patrick Blanco Commerford on Spanish teen drama Elite. He also had a small role in Pedro Almodóvar's Strange Way of Life, co-starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke.
Najwa Nimri plays Patricia Segura
Who is Patricia? Patricia is the president of the Valencian government, who unexpectedly becomes a patient at the Joaquín Sorolla hospital in season 1. She receives a cancer diagnosis and, in season 2, is considering a risky experimental treatment to fight back against the illness.
What else has Najwa Nimri been in? Nimri will be best known to UK viewers for playing tough detective Alicia Sierra in Money Heist and its recent prequel series Berlin.
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón plays Pilar Amaro
Who is Pilar? Pilar is an experienced surgeon working for the Joaquín Sorolla.
What else has Aitana Sánchez-Gijón been in? She recently had a recurring role across three seasons of Spanish comedy-drama Velvet Colección.
Blanca Suárez plays Jésica Donoso
Who is Jésica? Another doctor at the Joaquín Sorolla, who struck up a secret romance with Biel in season 1. Any future for them is thrown into uncertainty in the second season as Jésica recovers from a serious assault, which almost killed her and leaves her requiring a liver transplant.
What else has Blanca Suárez been in? Another cast member to have collaborated with filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, she appeared in his acclaimed 2011 film The Skin I Live In, co-starring Antonio Banderas.
More recently, she has appeared in films Me he hecho viral and Disco, Ibiza, Locomía, the latter of which featured Money Heist alum Jaime Lorente.
Borja Luna plays Néstor Moa
Who is Néstor Moa? Another key player at the hospital, Néstor is an oncologist and one of the strongest advocates for a strike. In season 1, he felt a romantic connection with Patricia, which complicated her medical treatment. Nevertheless, with Pilar's help, he was able to perform a dangerous surgery on her – in the midst of a power outage, no less.
What else has Borja Luna been in? Luna previously starred opposite Blanca Suárez in Cable Girls, which was one of the first major Netflix shows to be produced in Spain.
Rachel Lascar plays Sophie
Who is Sophie? Sophie is a highly respected oncologist proposing an experimental new cancer treatment, which could help Patricia – but Dr Moa is sceptical of her methods.
What else has Rachel Lascar been in? Lascar has previously appeared in two of Netflix's other Spanish-language hits, playing Estefania in young adult drama Élite and Commissaire Marie Lavelle in Money Heist spin-off Berlin.
Alfonso Bassave plays Lluís Bonet
Who is Lluís Bonet? Lluís is the administrator at the hospital, meaning there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders to get the most out of their insufficient funding. He had previously been in a relationship with Jésica, but has since become aware of her reciprocated feelings for Biel, causing understandable tension between the two men.
What else has Alfonso Bassave been in? Bassave recently starred in dark fantasy series Estoy vivo, following a policeman's hunt for a serial killer across multiple lives.
Xoán Fórneas plays Quique
Who is Quique? You guessed it: another doctor! Quique got in trouble in season 1 as stress caused him to act out, and his relationship with Oscar almost ended on a dark note due to the latter taking a near-fatal drug overdose. Fortunately, he pulled through, but it was a wake-up call for the young medic.
What else has Xoán Fórneas been in? Fórneas previously worked with Breathless star Ríos and creator Montero on their previous serious Elite; appearing in the Patrick-centric mini episodes as Manu. More recently, he has had a key role in Spanish teen drama Red Flags.
Pablo Alborán plays Jon
Who is Jon? Jon is a new love interest for Quique in season 2 – but will their romance prove as dangerous as his last?
What else has Pablo Alborán been in? Alborán is best known for his music career, having released six number one albums (in Spain), which have earned him a total of four Grammy nominations.
Ana Rayo plays Leo
Who is Leo? Another doctor at the hospital, who is deeply compassionate for her patients.
What else has Ana Rayo been in? Rayo has previously appeared in Spanish soap opera Mercado Central and psychological thriller Past Lies, which is streaming on Disney Plus.
Blanca Martínez plays Blanca
Who is Blanca? Blanca is a hard-working nurse at the hospital.
What else has Blanca Martínez been in? She is known for Spanish comedy-dramas Merlí: Sapere Aude and Las invisibles.
Abril Zamora plays Neus
Who is Neus? Another high-ranking member of the hospital staff.
What else has Abril Zamora been in? Zamora is known for creating and starring in Spanish-language television shows Dangerous Moms and Todo lo otro, while she has also appeared in Netflix's The Mess You Leave Behind (created by Breathless writer Montero) and Holy Family.
Breathless is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
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