It’s always a pleasure to see Piolo Pascual — not just because of his striking good looks, but because of the immense creative passion and dedication he brings to his craft. Especially over the last couple of decades — where his evolution from an uncertain teen idol to a seasoned, versatile actor has been profound — meeting television’s long-reigning Ultimate Heartthrob and the formidable leading man of the big screen is essentially coming face to face with pure artistic commitment.
Nevertheless, The T-Zone has to confess that while Piolo thoroughly inspires, seeing him as of late has stirred up a hint of exasperation, if I’m honest. You see, with just nine months between our dates of birth (Google his if you must!), I’ve been compelled to question the universe, why, oh why, is this man unfairly aging in reverse when it takes me a full pep talk and a tons of resolve nowadays to get back on my feet from crouching down a bit longer than planned? (Proper ladies need to keep that bottom drawer tidy as the rest, but of course).
Aging is real. It has unceremoniously crept into my knees, skin and most rudely of all, my precious metabolism. But for Papa P (who so deserves the “papa” reverence), growing old seems to be a myth as he continues to conquer triathlons, keeps his jawline ever defined and just effortlessly looks better and better over time.
I mean, really, universe! I would’ve unleashed all-out rage on you already had Piolo’s winning teleserye comeback this year, “Pamilya Sagrado,” not featured him with a head of greying hair for once.
My bitterness (yes, I admit it) has been simmering down lately — inversely from excitement over the show, that is — thanks to this compelling ABS-CBN socio-political action-drama, which is closing in on its edge-of-your-seat finale on November 15. The gripping story aside, Piolo — cast in the pivotal role of Rafael Sagrado, the power-hungry scion of a corrupt political dynasty who ruthlessly ascends to the presidency, albeit sacrificing his family along the way — vividly reflects the weight of his character’s actions over the passing of time, not only in his portrayal, but also in physicality.
So while I really should have zoomed in to talk about the highly anticipated climax of “Sagrado” when I saw Piolo this week — how Rafael finds himself desperately trying to mend the fractured relationship of his bitterly warring sons, possibly at the cost of his life — I heard myself blurting out, “You know, I felt a little better seeing you with puting buhok (white hair)!”
Eep!
But rather than being taken aback, Piolo was actually eager to talk about his older look in the show. (Unless he was just being nice as always.)
“Yeah, I was all naked there,” he enthused, pointing to the standee that bore his picture in character. “I wouldn’t wear any makeup, I didn’t dye my hair, and I just let [the grey] grow out.”
Admitting it was liberating for a time off-camera, he shared that he wholeheartedly embraced aging in the series out of his duty and desire to deliver the most honest and worthy portrayal of his role.
“We’re paid to do our jobs as actors so we shouldn’t do it any other way, right?” Piolo said, returning to his core as always.
He also reflected on having essayed two back-to-back bad guy roles for a change at the more professional prodding of The T-Zone — 1) as the first documented serial killer of the Philippines in his Eddys award-winning portrayal of “Mallari” and 2) as former President Sagrado at this point in the series — and appreciated how these new challenges contributed to his already experienced acting skills.
“Playing a villain has definitely given me a different perspective on how to portray a character. It’s like… you get to visit a dark side of you that you never actually do in real life when you’re generally a happy person and don’t do bad things,” he chuckled. “It really becomes an interesting process and I enjoy it a lot, because the more you take risks, the better actor you become.”
Piolo, however, in taking on another unsparing persona like Rafael imposes another layer of responsibility on himself.
“In as much as it’s my duty as an actor to take on characters that I haven’t done before — in order to grow and continue entertaining my audience — there is also the hope of sending out a [positive] message to people.”
In the case of “Sagrado’s” overarching storyline and Rafael in particular, Piolo expressed, “We hope that our show wakes up those in power [and remind them] that they were chosen to lead the country to make it better. That it’s not about power or image, but that at the end of the day, it’s love that still matters; it’s family that matters, and that ultimately, having a strong family unit will always make that difference in society.”
Agreeing with the actor at that point, I fervently wished Piolo had forgotten about how we started the conversation, i.e., my litany on aging.
But then again, Piolo being Piolo, he thoughtfully reverted to the issue I initially put forth and generously shifted to his advice on how to stay young.
“Aging is just a state of mind! Wala yan [that’s nothing!],” he kindly reassured The (sheepish) T-Zone.
He even took the extra mile to make anyone else questioning the universe feel better and point out that he has no choice but to be at his best all the time simply because it’s a prerequisite to his profession.
“You don’t know when the next job will come your way so you can’t let go and have that downtime,” he added.
But just as I was starting to imbibe his “state-of-mind” tip, Papa P advised again, “If you want to stay young, go and do the things that will make you feel young. I’m not Superman, but I try my best to do the right things. I sleep well, never stopped working out and I also eat right,” he beamed.
“Oh — wonderful!” I politely acknowledged, my fingers crossed behind me. Because as I thanked Papa P for his insightful tips, I was also promising to make genuine peace with the universe, keep my mouth shut about staying young and just embrace the years that are a’coming, crackling knees and all.
Eep, again.
***
The last few episodes of “Pamilya Sagrado” air weeknights, 9:30 p.m., on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, Kapamilya Online Live, and TFC.
ageless wisdom
Be the first to comment