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Jerome Ponce on being open to same sex love: ‘Ang love walang pinipili yan’

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Rhea Manila Santos

After playing a gay character in the teleserye <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/asoldiersheart" target="_blank">A Soldier’s Heart</a> and now starring in the new BL digital series Ben X Jim, Jerome Ponce said he does not want to think about whether his popularity has grown because of his most recent roles.“Hindi po kasi ako yung nagbibilang ng followers, dun ako more sa pinag-uusapan and mas more on na-appreciate. Kapag hindi nila na-appreciate, hindi nila pag-uusapan, wala masyadong word-of-mouth. Pero ito kasi hindi lang siya for that community eh. Ang daming natutuwa eh kahit yung mga tropa ko minsan na lalake, nagkukulitan, inaasar ako, kinikilig yung mga babae na followers ko. Para sa lahat ito at talagang dito ko nakita na wow itong genre na ‘to ay something,” he said during the Ben X Jim press launch earlier this month. Jerome shared that the story of childhood friends Ben and Jim is not your typical BL series theme. “Hindi pa naman kasi ako nanunuod pa ng mga BL series pero may mga napapanuod akong mga scenes sa feeds, yung mga nakikita kong mga video na nag-te-trend and ang masasabi ko dun merong mga cute, merong mga parang intense, merong iba’t ibang tina-tackle yun eh. Pero yung pinagkaiba sa amin is more of sa friendship na from childhood at hindi natin alam kung ano yung mismong pinagdadaanan nila sa isa’t isa. Yung the fact na ang vibes nila is parang high school crush, yung ganun, na parang kapitbahay mo lang na siya pala yung crush mo all this time, inaabangan ka lang niya. Ito naman si isa walang ka ide-idea. Yun yung masasabi kong pinagkaiba namin. Ang message ng character ko na si Jim is walang masamang mag-try. There’s nothing wrong with trying. Every try is a risk. Every choice is a risk. So it’s your choice as long as wag mo lang pagsisisihan and as long as you like it. Yun yung gustong iparating ni Jim,” he explained.The Ben X Jim star also recalled the experience of doing a locked-in taping for the digital series. “Nag-lock in naman kami before sa <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/asoldiersheart" target="_blank">A Soldier’s Heart</a>. Dun kasi medyo madami kami. Based on sa experience ko dito, wala pa kaming 30 sa set and parang halos yung experience magkakaklase lang kami ng high school or college na gumagawa kami ng something for thesis or project na minimal. So pag may kailangan alam kagad yung galaw or kung sino yung hahanapin. At dalawang bahay lang yung pinag-stay-an namin so as early as 6 or 7 am nag-start na kagad kami tapos naka-ready na kagad lahat kasi nag-pa-pack up agad kami before 8 pm. Isa pa is dito talaga nagkikita kami, Iilan lang kaming cast so nagawa naman namin lahat yun ng maayos, social distancing and all,” he recalled.After shooting Ben X Jim, the 25-year-old actor admitted that he is not closed off to the idea of having a same sex love. Recent reports indicated that the Jerome’s former girlfriend volleyball player Mika Reyes announced their breakup on her Facebook page earlier this month. “Ang love walang pinipili yan. Kahit sino man yan. I’ve said to direk Easy (Ferrer) that the scenes I did it na normal lang, which work and kung ano yung na-vi-visualize ko sa scene, yun na yun. But the moment na nag-pre-preview kami, pag pinapanuod namin yung eksena before kami mag-next scene, kinilig ako I swear. So that’s me. So I’m going to say it’s yes,” he said.Ben X Jim stars Teejay Marquez and Jerome Ponce and presented by Regal Entertainment, Inc. It is now available for streaming on the Regal Entertainment Channel on YouTube.

‘Ben X Jim’ star Jerome Ponce shares what makes his first BL digital series different from all the rest. 