Honestly, it’s hard to explain the absolute chokehold Tres Metros Sobre el Cielo had on a generation unless you were there. It was 2010. Spain was producing some of the grittiest, most hormone-fueled cinema in Europe, and suddenly, Mario Casas was everywhere. Every teenage bedroom wall. Every Tumblr blog. It wasn't just a movie about a bad boy and a good girl; it was a cultural reset for Spanish romantic dramas. The three steps above heaven cast didn't just play characters; they became the faces of a specific type of Mediterranean longing that Hollywood usually sanitizes too much.
The chemistry wasn't fake. It felt dangerous.
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Most people don't realize that the film, based on Federico Moccia’s novel, wasn't even the first adaptation. There was an Italian version in 2004. But nobody talks about that one with the same breathy intensity. Why? Because of the actors. Casting Hache and Babi was a high-stakes gamble that paid off so well it actually changed the career trajectories of everyone involved.
Mario Casas and the Legend of Hache
Mario Casas was already a rising star, but Hache turned him into a titan. He was "H," the rebel on a motorbike, the guy with the leather jacket and the permanent scowl that hid a broken heart. It sounds like a cliché because it is. But Casas played it with a physical intensity that felt real. He did his own stunts. He looked like he actually knew how to ride that bike through the narrow, rain-slicked streets of Barcelona.
Before this, he was the goofy kid in Los Hombres de Paco. After this? He was a leading man. He won a Goya later in his career for Cross the Line (2020), proving he wasn't just a set of abs. But for a decade, he couldn't walk down a street in Madrid without someone shouting "Hache!" at him. It’s a heavy mantle to carry. He transitioned into darker, more cerebral roles in films like The Invisible Guest, yet the shadow of the three steps above heaven cast follows him. It’s the "Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic" effect. You spend the rest of your life trying to prove you’re more than the poster boy.
Maria Valverde was the Secret Sauce
If Casas was the fire, Maria Valverde was the oxygen. She played Babi. She was the "good girl" from the wealthy family, but she didn't play her as a victim. She played her as someone who was bored. Someone who was looking for a reason to break the rules.
Valverde already had prestige. She won the Goya for Best New Actress years earlier for The Weakness of the Bolshevik. She brought a level of "acting" to a teen romance that it probably didn't deserve on paper. That's why the movie works. When she looks at Hache, you don't just see a girl in love; you see a girl realizing her entire world is a lie.
Funny enough, the chemistry between Valverde and Casas wasn't just for the cameras. They actually started dating in real life during the production of the films. They were the "it" couple of Spain for about four years. When they broke up in 2014, it genuinely felt like the movie had died for the fans. It added this layer of tragedy to the sequel, I Want You (Tengo Ganas de Ti), because you knew the pain on screen was mirroring something happening behind the scenes.
The Supporting Players: More Than Just Background
The three steps above heaven cast would have been hollow without the tragic backbone provided by the supporting actors.
- Álvaro Cervantes (Pollo): He was the heart of the movie. Pollo was the best friend we all wanted. His chemistry with Hache was the "bromance" before that term was even overused. His fate in the film is what pivots the story from a romance to a tragedy. Cervantes has since become one of Spain's most reliable actors, starring in Criminal: Spain on Netflix.
- Marina Salas (Katina): Katina was Babi's best friend and Pollo's love interest. She brought a grounded, gritty energy to the film. While Babi and Hache were living in a fantasy, Katina and Pollo felt like real kids from the neighborhood.
- Luis Fernández (Chino): The rival. The guy you loved to hate. Fernandez brought a real sense of menace to the racing scenes.
The Barcelona Backdrop
You can't talk about the cast without talking about Barcelona. The city is a character. The bridges, the docks, the industrial parties—it all felt like a world that existed just out of reach of the adults. The cinematography by Daniel Aranyó used the cast's faces against the blue-tinted night sky to create something that looked expensive. It didn't look like a cheap teen flick. It looked like a noir.
Why the Sequel Changed Everything
When I Want You came out in 2012, the dynamic shifted. Enter Clara Lago as Gin.
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This was a bold move. Usually, in these franchises, you stick with the original couple. But the story moved on. Clara Lago brought a completely different energy—short hair, tough attitude, a girl who could actually keep up with Hache's chaos. It split the fandom. Are you Team Babi or Team Gin? It’s the Spanish version of the Twilight debates, but with more cigarettes and better acting.
Lago was already a veteran by then. She’d been acting since she was a child. Her inclusion in the three steps above heaven cast added a layer of maturity. It wasn't about "first love" anymore; it was about "moving on." That’s a much harder story to sell to teenagers, yet they nailed it.
The Legacy of the 3MSC Universe
A lot of people think the story ended there. It didn't.
Netflix eventually tried to reboot the whole thing with a series called Summertime, set in Italy. It was fine. It was pretty. But it lacked the raw, sweaty, desperate energy of the 2010 Spanish cast. You can't just manufacture the way Mario Casas looked at Maria Valverde. It was lightning in a bottle.
The original cast has moved on to massive things. You see them in high-brow thrillers, international Netflix hits, and prestige theater. But they are forever linked.
What Actually Happened to the Stars?
If you're looking for where they are now, it's a bit of a mixed bag of success.
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- Mario Casas: Basically the king of Spanish cinema. He's been working non-stop, often playing rugged, troubled men. He even directed his first film recently, Mi Soledad Tiene Alas (2023), starring his own brother.
- Maria Valverde: She went international. You might have seen her in Exodus: Gods and Kings or the indie hit Fever Dream. She’s married to the famous conductor Gustavo Dudamel and lives a much more private, global life.
- Clara Lago: She starred in Spanish Affair (Ocho Apellidos Vascos), which became the highest-grossing Spanish film of all time. She's a massive star in her own right and a major advocate for environmental causes.
Addressing the Misconceptions
People often think this movie was just for "kids." That's a mistake. If you watch it now, as an adult, it's actually quite dark. It deals with toxic masculinity, the crushing weight of class expectations, and the literal death of youth. The three steps above heaven cast had to navigate these themes without making it look like a PSA.
The most frequent question is: "Will there ever be a third movie?"
Federico Moccia wrote a third book called Tres Veces Tú (Three Times You). It jumps forward in time. The fans have been begging for a movie version for years. The cast has teased it. Mario Casas has said he’d love to return to Hache. But as time passes, it becomes more of a "Logan" style reunion than a teen romance. Honestly? That might be better. Seeing these characters in their 30s, dealing with the wreckage of their choices, would be fascinating.
Getting Your Fix Today
If you want to revisit the magic, the films are usually floating around on various streaming platforms like Netflix or HBO Max, depending on your region. But don't just watch for the plot. Watch for the way the actors use their eyes. Watch the way the lighting hits the leather jackets.
There's a reason why, even in 2026, people are still searching for the three steps above heaven cast. It’s not just nostalgia. It’s because the film captured a specific, fleeting moment of being young and feeling like you could fly—literally three steps above the sky.
Moving Forward: How to Experience the Story Now
- Watch the Spanish films first. Skip the Italian originals and the Netflix series until you've seen the Casas/Valverde duo. The chemistry is the foundation of the entire phenomenon.
- Read the third book, "Three Times You." If you're desperate for closure on the Hache/Babi/Gin love triangle, the book provides it in a way a movie likely never will. It’s much longer and more detailed about their adult lives.
- Follow the actors' current work. To see how much they've grown, check out The Innocent (Netflix) for Mario Casas or The Limehouse Golem for Maria Valverde. It puts their early "teen" performances into a much more impressive perspective.
- Check out the soundtrack. The music was a huge part of the vibe. Tracks like "Amanecer" are basically the sonic DNA of 2010s Spanish youth culture.