Tamal Kundu
‘The Longest Night’ (also known as ‘La Noche Más Larga’) is a Spanish crime action thriller series. The first season is set during Christmas Eve. Serial Killer Simón Lago (Luis Callejo), known by the pseudonym The Alligator, is arrested by the authorities. But instead of a maximum-security prison, he is taken to Baruca Hill Psychiatric Correctional Facility, an institution that serves both as a prison and psychiatric hospital, much to the surprise of many, including Baruca’s prison director Hugo Roca. Soon, a group of armed individuals arrives outside the facility, jams mobile signals, cuts off power lines, and tells Hugo to hand over Simón. What they don’t know is that Hugo’s daughter, Laura, has been kidnapped by people who want Hugo to do the complete opposite and keep Simón inside. As the night progresses, Hugo repeatedly makes choices between the safety of his daughter and those under his command and in his care.
Hugo is one of the main characters in the series. If he seems familiar, making you wonder where you have previously seen the actor behind the character, we got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who Is Hugo Roca?
As mentioned above, Hugo is the prison director or warden of Baruca. When the series opens, he is preparing to have dinner with his three children — Laura, Guille, and Alicia. When he receives the phone call about Simón’s impending arrival, he takes the children to Baruca so they can still have dinner together. However, Laura, the eldest, becomes angry because their father’s work has once more intruded into their private lives and decides to go to her mother, who, from what we understand, is either divorced or separated from Hugo.
Hugo is in a secret relationship with a colleague of his, Dr. Elisa Montero (Bárbara Goenaga), though it doesn’t remain so secret by the end of the season. Shortly after securing Simón, Hugo receives a video message from Laura’s phone. In it, Laura holds up a paper that reads, “If you hand Simón over, I die.” As Hugo frantically questions The Alligator, the armed group arrives and isolates Baruca from the rest of the world. Hugo faces an ethical and moral dilemma as he is confronted by a choice between Laura and the people at Baruca. However, just as Simón and whoever is helping him have deduced, Hugo constantly chooses Laura. And because of these choices, people die in the inevitable violence.
Who Plays Hugo Roca? Is He Also in Narcos?
Argentine actor Alberto Ammann portrays Hugo Roca in ‘The Longest Night.’ Originally from Córdoba, Argentina, Ammann relocated to Spain when he was one month old along with his parents in 1978, when their home country was under the control of the última dictadura militar or last military dictatorship. His father was Luis Alberto Ammann, a well-known politician, journalist, and author. The family went back to Argentina in 1982. Ammann was a student at the school of Juan Carlos Corazza and the Theater Seminary Jolie Libois. He made his Tv debut in an episode of a show called Plan América in 2008. The following year, he debuted on the big screen with the Spanish film ‘Cell 211’.
Yes, Ammann is in both ‘Narcos‘ and its spin-off series, ‘Narcos: Mexico.’ He plays Pacho Herrera, the co-head of the Cali Cartel. The character is based on the real-life drug lord Hélmer Herrera, also known as “Pacho” and “H7”. Ammann appears in 20 episodes of the original series and nine of the spin-off, spread across every season of both shows.
Read More: Is Netflix’s The Longest Night Based on a True Story?
