MANILA, Philippines — Carlo Aquino plays a “has-been” actor in the Filipino-Japanese co-production “Crosspoint,” which opens in cinemas today. Directed by Donie Ordiales, the story is something that the former child star could very much relate to because at one point in his own career, he faced a similar situation that almost made him quit acting completely.
In an exclusive chat with The STAR, Carlo shared why he easily connected with his role as Manuel Hidalgo: “From being very popular, he became a washed-up actor, and then he was looking for work… It also happened to me, from my teenage years, tapos biglang nawala (projects suddenly disappeared). Although with Manuel, he’s older, it happened to me through the years. So, kumbaga parang pasok pa rin (it still felt fitting). Parang ako pa rin naman talaga si Manuel Hidalgo,” he said.
“Manuel flew to Japan to work for his family, to provide for them. And that’s also what I’m doing for my family. So, an actor na hindi na sikat (who’s no longer famous), I’ve gone through all of that, so it’s not that hard for me (to portray).”
Carlo recalled that there was a time in his life when he felt desperate enough to pack up and prepare to leave for the US to pursue other work opportunities.
“I left ABS-CBN in ‘07, then I transferred. After a few years, medyo nawala ‘yung mga projects ko. Puro indie, ‘yung barely making it. I said, I would go to America and ask my uncle, who has been living there for a long time, to adopt me. But good thing I didn’t push through with it because I was still doing another indie film at that time. After that, I came back here to (ABS-CBN) Star Magic, around 2012. Then from there, everything moved forward, nag-dire-diretso na,” he said.
“‘Yun ‘yung sinasabi ko na kahit feeling mo minsan lugmok na lugmok ka na, iikot eh (That’s what I always say that sometimes, even when you feel like you’re at your lowest, things will still turn around).
“Yun talaga rin ‘yung pinagpapasalamat ko nung time na ‘yun. Buti nagbigay pa ako ng kaunting oras and binigyan ko pa, naging patient pa ko (That’s really what I’m grateful for during that time. I’m glad I gave it a little more time and stayed patient).”
Right now, for Carlo, he’s all in for the long haul.
“Yes. Because I love it. I really love acting. And in a way, it’s inspiring for people going through tough times to see the characters that we play. Nagbibigay ng hope, ‘di ba? ‘Yun lang naman ‘yung gusto mo — to bring something positive to the world.”
What Carlo took away from that chapter in his life somehow mirrored what he learned from his character in “Crosspoint.” And that is, to keep moving forward. Even when you face challenges and hardships, you still have to live, and keep on grinding and hustling — not just for yourself, but for the people you love.
“For me, ang buhay, patuloy ‘yan rorolyo. Kahit na maraming dagok, ilalagay sa hapag-kainan mo, kailangan mo pa ring mabuhay, kailangan mong mag-grind, kailangan mong mag-hustle. Not only for yourself pero para din sa mga taong mahal mo. Hindi pwedeng tumigil ka kasi pagod ka na. Pwede kang mapagod pero hindi ka pwedeng tumigil,” he said.
In the Filipino-Japanese action-thriller ‘Crosspoint,’ Carlo Aquino stars as Manuel, a down-and-out actor who moves to Japan to find work. He meets a broke businessman, Shigeru, played by Japanese actor Takehiro Hira (‘Shogun,’ ‘Captain America: Brave New World’). Together, they track down a serial killer in hopes of claiming the cash reward and saving themselves from financial ruin.
Meanwhile in the film, Carlo stars opposite “Shogun” actor Takehiro Hira, who plays a bankrupt businessman. They become unlikely partners in tracking down a serial killer in hopes of solving their respective financial woes with the reward money.
“Working with Takehiro Hira was so easy and smooth. You can really tell he’s prepared. He’s ready for his character, for his role, and very professional,” he described his Emmy-winning Japanese co-star.
“Then I just asked him why he moved to America. He shared that he also struggled as an actor in Japan. Then I thought, I’ve gone through that also. It’s not always at the top, so we kind of went through the same experiences.”
According to the Star Magic artist, one of his favorite scenes from the film is the drunken episode where their characters meet for the first time.
Carlo’s other unforgettable scenes involved the fight sequences, one of which led to him sustaining a minor injury on set. What happened was his left thumb got dislocated after landing on the antagonist’s jacket pocket. “Ibinalik ko, pero namaga, so they brought me to the hospital,” he said.
“Direk Lauren (Dyogi, Star Magic boss) came and asked, what happened to you? I just said, nobody wanted this to happen. I also wasn’t admitted to the hospital. Pinalabas din ako, they gave me medicine and some ointment. Tapos tuloy ‘yung shooting. I initially didn’t want to be brought to the hospital because I felt OK and I put it back in place. But the production insisted on it for my safety.”
Another unforgettable scene is a chase scene in Akihabara because during its filming, a mobile police car arrived to check if they had legal documents to shoot there. “So yung adrenaline ko, talagang sabi ko sobrang exciting nito, sh*t, makukulong ako sa ibang bansa, oh my God!” he recalled.
Of course, Carlo didn’t land in jail because he and the production had complete work permits and visas.
What else did he like about doing “Crosspoint”?
Aside from the Japan shoot, he said it’s the fact that it is a Philippine-Japanese co-production. “And the Philippine production, they’re relatively new when it comes to producing. And then Donie (the director), it’s his first full-length feature film. I want to get inspiration from new filmmakers; that’s where you can find new fuel, new fire.
“As for my character Manuel, since I haven’t done much action before, I thought, I’ll do this. So, it’s set in Japan and I have a fresh set of co-workers, who are newcomers to the industry. Then, with Manuel Hidalgo, I also went through his journey. There were a lot of checks that made me want to do this.”
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