Coco Martin recalls his early days as an actor: 'Mababa ang tingin sa akin sa TV'

In an in-depth interview with

StarStudio Magazine

, Coco Martin revealed not only his early years in show business but also the impact of his parents’ separation during his teenage years. He said he would never forget the time when he was reprimanded by his teacher during class hours for being noisy, wherein he unexpectedly poured out his family problems right in front of his classmates. “

Nainis sa akin yung

teacher

ko. Nung tinanong ako, hala, nagkabulol-bulol na ako. Pinapunta ako sa harap, kinausap ako. Bakit ka ganyan? Bakit ka ganyan magsalita. Eh di yun kinuwento ko...iyak ako ng iyak sa kwarto. Hiyang hiya ako kasi nakikita ako ng kaklase ko.

”

Coco shared that his first foray in show business was when he became part of Star Circle Batch 9 which also launched Heart Evangelista, Rafael Rosell, and Janus del Prado among others. He was ordinary-looking and in his own words “dugyutin” but Star Magic head Johnny Manahan certainly noticed his potential. “

Ang masasabi ko lang, si

Mr. M,

may mata siya. Kasi

that time,

ang kausuhan nun mga tisoy, bakit niya ako napili? Kung baga, nakikita niya, ‘Uy, may

potential

‘tong batang ‘to.’

”

In spite of his interest in entering show business, Coco’s grandmother urged him to finish his studies first. Coco actually graduated. Unbeknownst to a lot of people, he earned a college degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Amidst his colorful love life, financial difficulties, and struggles in the indie scene, Coco revealed that Jaclyn Jose was one of those who urged him to give mainstream television another chance despite his failed attempts in the past. “Mi J (or Mommy J as he fondly calls Jaclyn),

ayoko…Ilang beses na akong binalewala, mababa ang tingin sa akin sa

TV.” Jaclyn convinced him to take on a role in the

teleserye Ligaw Na Bulaklak

, which was directed by her good friend Andoy Ranay. She even told Coco, “

Hindi, iba si

Andoy,

nag-i-

indie

‘to. Isa na lang, pagbigyan mo na ako. ‘Pag wala pa ring nangyari ‘wag na

.”

Grab a copy of

StarStudio

July issue and discover more about Coco’s unforgettable experiences in life which proved beneficial in honing his acting and made him a multi-awarded dramatic actor.