 The role of Inquisitor Emilio Bocanegra is played by a woman,  veteran actress Blanca Portillo (qv). This caused controversy, not  so much because it might look disrespectful towards the Church, but  because many fans could not see the point in doing something like  this. Díaz Yanes said that he had had the idea of using a female  actress from the beginning, because he saw that Great Inquisitor  role as something too cartoonish and black