Luka Peros returns to screen in dystopian series Asylum on Tabii
Luka Peros, the actor who gained international fame with his role as “Marsilya” in La Casa de Papel, appears in Asylum as a mysterious force operating behind the scenes.
Set on a crime-ridden island and centered around a network of dark relationships, Peros’ character joins the story at a critical juncture, revealing the hidden face of the organization and altering the course of events, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.
Peros, who also portrayed the influential Byzantine commander Giovanni Giustiniani in TRT 1’s Mehmed: Fetihler Sultanı, has a career spanning international projects and historical dramas.
“I didn’t have to hide anything”
Speaking to Anadolu Agency about Asylum, Peros noted that the global refugee crisis is an extremely difficult issue for many countries.
He said he wanted to act through institutions responsible for ensuring safe and healthy passage for refugees, but the process often causes great pain and sorrow.
Highlighting the story’s human and fictional dimensions, Peros added: “What attracted me was actually the fictional part—the idea of an island like a mental hospital. It was very interesting, dystopian, and terrifying. Many characters like the one I play exist in Western civilization all over the world. They don’t hide it. That’s the problem. I didn’t have to hide anything. They openly show disgust and revulsion at the situation, but they don’t cope with it. So shame on them.”
Peros emphasized that participating in the project was a new step in his acting career: “You learn something new in every role, explore new worlds, and work with different professionals. That was the case for me as well. I also think my profession is a great school. You grow as an artist this way. That’s why this project was a next step toward something different. I met amazing colleagues. I believe they delivered incredible work. They were in much more difficult situations than I was. I didn’t have many shooting days. They worked long hours in tough conditions. I tip my hat to them.”
“They are seeking a better life for their families and children”
Peros stressed the importance of respecting people’s journeys and their efforts to improve their lives: “The lives they escape from are deeply flawed and difficult. I hope this inspires compassion, empathy, love, and acceptance. Instead of turning away or rejecting them, it encourages understanding. They are not coming to take your land or your job. They are seeking a better life for their families and children. What would you do in their situation? One of the clearest examples is the United States, founded by people fleeing oppression. Today, the US rejecting others seems somewhat paradoxical, doesn’t it?”
He noted the story’s fictional elements are both exciting and frightening: “I think this adds a fictional touch to the story. It makes television compelling and exciting. But there is also a scary aspect. The idea of someone organizing an island to indirectly torture people trying to improve their lives is frightening, dangerous, and disturbing. Because in real life, there really are people who think like this. That’s why I don’t like it. I’m sorry, I don’t want to be negative, but this is a very difficult problem. On the other hand, the series aims to entertain while sending a message, and that must always be kept in mind.”
Asylum is now streaming in full on Tabii
The series, which explores war, migration, and colonialism through a dystopian lens and delivers a sharp critique of the modern world, is fully available on Tabii.
Written by Ümit Cihan Canpolat and directed by Ozan Uzunoğlu, the story follows a family fleeing the devastation of war, whose journey toward a new future turns into a dark dystopian trap.
The Barad family, hoping to survive post-war life and reach Europe, finds themselves imprisoned on a mysterious, isolated island called Asylum. Cut off from the outside world, the family is forced to play deadly games alongside other refugees in order to survive.
