00:00Of course, I thought, this is just a bonus.
00:02They saw how hard you worked.
00:10So I started when I was 14.
00:13I joined a reality show called Brote J.
00:16And in that show, my mentor was Mr. Philip Salvador.
00:20He was also an action star that I looked up to.
00:23But prior to that moment, I have a core memory
00:26that when I was a kid, my father had an owner.
00:30And in that owner, I would ride.
00:33For example, I would play with guns.
00:35I would play with my two sisters, Rara and Rere.
00:40They would be the ones I would save.
00:42For example, I would play with guns.
00:44I would do fight scenes.
00:46So, since then, since I was a kid,
00:50it was clear to me that I wanted to become an action star.
00:56When I was a kid, I really loved watching action films.
01:00I was a big fan of Mr. Robin Padilla.
01:03He would watch all of his movies.
01:08Of course, FPJ, Cesar Montano.
01:12It was all about action.
01:18In my 13 years, of course, it was like a rollercoaster ride.
01:22At first, when I was 14 years old,
01:24it was like I was just playing.
01:26I couldn't see what an actor really meant.
01:30For me, at that time,
01:32I was just doing this to help my family
01:35so that we could get by in poverty.
01:37But that's when I realized
01:39that it's not all about the money or the fame.
01:42You have to love the craft
01:44to last in this kind of industry.
01:46Because in this industry,
01:48it's not easy to always fight for yourself
01:52because there are a lot of people
01:54who want to enter this industry.
01:56So we always need to show something new.
02:00I guess that's my mantra in life.
02:04I always want to push myself to my limits
02:07and to be the best version of myself.
02:09That's what's always on my mind.
02:12But we're not always happy, right?
02:16We're not always happy.
02:18Of course, there came a point in my life
02:21I guess that was my 10th year in the industry.
02:25I didn't have a project for two years.
02:27Then I reached a point
02:29where I was thinking,
02:31what's happening?
02:33I'm the breadwinner of my family.
02:35Of course, I was afraid
02:37not only for myself,
02:39but also for the people I love.
02:41I started to doubt
02:43why I wasn't doing anything
02:45because I'm not worthy
02:47because I'm not talented enough.
02:49That was the lowest point of my life
02:51where I thought I had a lot of friends
02:53but when I needed them,
02:55I didn't have any.
02:57I always compared myself
02:59to other artists,
03:01but I lost my drive and passion.
03:03After that,
03:05Lolong came in.
03:07I guess Lolong was the turning point
03:09in my career.
03:13The first Lolong in 2022.
03:15So when the day came
03:17that Lolong was released,
03:19I didn't expect
03:21that it would be that successful.
03:23That's when I realized
03:25that sometimes that's why
03:27we go through such trials
03:29to the point where we question
03:31our own abilities
03:33so that you don't take for granted
03:35the things that will come to you.
03:37Your head won't grow.
03:39You won't be able to camp.
03:41You won't be able to say,
03:43I did it.
03:45Sometimes we have something
03:47that we really want
03:49but we won't give it
03:51because there's more
03:53than we expect.
03:55After that,
03:57I said, whatever trial
03:59I go through,
04:01I know I can do it
04:03because that's it.
04:05Sometimes you have to go through
04:07that kind of hardship
04:09for success to be better.
04:11Well, to be honest,
04:13I wasn't the first choice
04:15for Green Bones.
04:17I went through a lot
04:19before I got Green Bones.
04:21I guess,
04:23two artists
04:25went through the same thing
04:27for my character.
04:29At that time,
04:31I was doing Black Rider
04:33and when I finished it,
04:35I was waiting for Lolong.
04:37Ms. Nessa,
04:40we thought of
04:42a role for you
04:44and we'll fight for MMFF.
04:46When I heard that,
04:48I said, wow, that's my dream.
04:50In my 12 years in the industry,
04:5213 years in the industry,
04:54it's actually the first time
04:56that I'm doing
04:58a Metro Manila Film Fest project.
05:00I said, I hope
05:02I can get it.
05:04I've been through a lot,
05:06I've talked to a lot of people.
05:08As soon as they sent me the script,
05:10I read it right away.
05:12I finished it
05:14in almost 2 hours.
05:16When I saw the last part,
05:18I said,
05:20this is for me.
05:22It's meant to be for me
05:24because it was very challenging for me
05:26because I was doing
05:28other projects
05:30but I had to prepare.
05:32But it was fun.
05:34I enjoyed every single moment
05:36of the whole journey
05:38or the whole process
05:40of making this film.
05:42From the preparation,
05:44characterization,
05:46to the actual shooting,
05:48to the voice-overs,
05:50I really enjoyed
05:52making this film.
05:58It's very challenging
06:00because most of the time,
06:02I don't have a dialogue.
06:04I don't talk.
06:06Most of the time,
06:08through my eyes,
06:10I have to show
06:12or make people understand
06:14what I want to say.
06:16My biggest winner here is
06:18my attention-focusing skill.
06:20You have to be very present
06:22in every moment.
06:24You have to be present
06:26in every scene
06:28so that people can feel you.
06:30If you don't feel it
06:32in your head,
06:34it's not going to work.
06:36I guess for me,
06:38that's the only thing
06:40I removed from myself.
06:42I don't have a bias.
06:44Whatever my character says,
06:46whatever my understanding
06:48of my character's reading,
06:50that's what I give up
06:52and how I relate to myself.
06:56When they offered me
06:58this project,
07:00what can I give
07:02to my character
07:04or what can I contribute to the film?
07:06More than the accolades
07:08or more than the awards
07:10that you think
07:12you should receive,
07:14I need to feel it more.
07:16I don't think
07:18I should win this
07:20because it's my first MMFF.
07:22It's not like that.
07:24When I was there
07:26and they announced
07:28that I was nominated
07:30for Best Supporting Actor,
07:32I was so surprised.
07:34Of course, I'm very grateful.
07:36I didn't expect that to happen.
07:38As in,
07:40I didn't expect anything.
07:44For me, to be a part
07:46of this kind of film
07:48like Green Bones,
07:50it's a huge honor for me.
07:52I'm so happy
07:54to be a part of this
07:56because I was just manifesting it.
07:58And then,
08:00I was with Kuya Dennis,
08:02who is also one of the
08:04most respected actors.
08:06That's when I was so relieved.
08:08It's like a bonus if I win an award.
08:10But,
08:12when I received the award
08:14and announced my name,
08:16I didn't have anything else.
08:18Thank you, Lord.
08:20I just closed my eyes and looked up.
08:22Thank you, Lord.
08:24When I got on the stage,
08:26there were a lot of big stars
08:28that I used to watch.
08:30But now, they're looking at me
08:32and they're patting me.
08:34I felt like I'm an artist.
08:36But, it feels so good in my heart.
08:38It feels like
08:40there's no equivalent to
08:42what I felt that night.
08:44To be honest,
08:46every time I look back,
08:48I can't stop being emotional
08:50just because
08:52it never occurred to me
08:54that it would happen.
08:56But, it did.
08:58I'm very grateful.
09:02This year,
09:04I want to
09:06focus all my
09:08energy here in Lolong.
09:10Because,
09:12as I said,
09:14Lolong is what changed my life.
09:16I want to pour everything
09:18that I can pour
09:20into this project.
09:22But, at the same time,
09:24after Green Bones,
09:26I want to make another movie
09:28that I know will challenge me
09:30as an actor.
09:32A story that will
09:34reflect the lives of Filipinos
09:36and the lives of people.
09:38It will give them
09:40a lesson
09:42and leave a mark on their hearts
09:44just like Green Bones.
09:46For me, it's challenging right now
09:48because it's hard for Green Bones
09:50to choose the right project.
09:52As I said,
09:54what's right for us will come.
09:56So, I'm just waiting.
09:58I don't want to look for it.
10:00I'm just letting
10:02what will happen to me in the future.
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