Czarina Faith Abuso

Zanjoe Marudo on playing a family man in UnMarry

Article (news)

Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

<p>Contrary to what people may assume after watching the trailer of his film <em>UnMarry</em> for the first time, lead actor Zanjoe Marudo clarifies that their Metro Manila Film Festival entry is not just about the process of annulment. The Star Magic artist shares what first drew him to the script of his latest film project. </p><p>“Istorya kasi siya ng nag-e-end na relationship. Meron din mga magagandang mangyayari. Ito ‘yung binibigay na istorya ng <em>UnMarry</em>, na hindi pa ito ‘yung katapusan ng buhay,” said Zanjoe. </p><p>“At hindi rin naman taon-taon nabibigyan tayo ng ganitong chance para makasama sa isang napakalaking festival,” he added. </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSfDuy_lPEH/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A2321526.2999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1059" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DScFgCMk79c/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A2321540.0999999046%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1024" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Looking back at his reaction when he was first offered the role, Zanjoe admitted he also thought the film would just focus on annulment. But his interest in the project grew when he found out that not only would he would be working again with his longtime friend and colleague Angelica Panganiban, but that their roles had a twist. This was the first time they would be working together again since they both got married and become first time parents with their respective partners during the past few years.</p><p>“Nung umpisa siyempre parang annulment, madami ng storya na napanuod na hiwalayan. Pero nung nalaman ko itong istorya, hindi kami mag-asawa ni Angelica, na-excite ako kasi parang bago. So parang makaka-relate yung tao, hindi lang sa isang couple. Kumbaga, sa lahat ng characters, yung pinagdadaanan ko na hinihiwalayan at pinagdadaanan ni Angelica na nakikipaghiwalay. Siyempre ‘yung mga anak na maaapektuhan, ‘yun ‘yung pinakanagustuhan ko dito sa project. Lalo na meron na akong sarili kong pamilya. Alam kong mas magagawa ko siya ng mas natural. Kasi hindi na ako nanghuhula kung ano nararamdaman ng isang tatay or isang asawa,” he explained. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/11/25/zanjoe-marudo-describes-marriage-and-fatherhood-as-ibang-kaligayahan-0851" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: Zanjoe Marudo describes marriage and fatherhood as, ‘ibang kaligayahan’</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DR6U3cxksg0/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A2321549.2999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="846" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Unlike his preparation for his previous projects with Angelica where he was focused on building chemistry with her onscreen, Zanjoe admitted that this time around, he worked on being a believable husband to his wife (played by Solenn Heussaff) and his son (played by newcomer Zack Sibug) in the story. </p><p>“Dito sa <em>UnMarry</em>, hindi katulad sa usual na ginagawa ko sa ibang projects. Nung nabasa ko yung script, nag-focus ako sa character ko. Mas nag-focus ako sa emotion kay Zach at kay Solenn, dun sa family ko talaga, mas pinag-aralan ko ‘yung pinagdadaanan nung character ni Ivan ‘pag ganitong nasa kalagitnaan ng annulment na iniiwan ka ng pamilya mo. More than dun sa (kwento namin ni Angelica), kahit na ang main plot is ‘yung character ni Angelica at sa akin. Tutal, sa movie naman, first time kami mag-mi-meet, so para mas natural, hindi ko na siya pinag-aralan kung paano mag-wo-work ‘yung eksena namin ni Angelica. Mas nag-focus ako dun sa emotion sa pamilya ko kasi ‘yun ‘yung mas, para sa akin, mas importante,” he explained. </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-3" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSb7ZIxEpq9/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A2322754.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="0" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-3" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe><blockquote class=" instagram-media-registered" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSb7ZIxEpq9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" id="instagram-media-payload-3" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSb7ZIxEpq9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSb7ZIxEpq9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by PUSH (@pushalerts)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1243141400569917%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/11/18/zanjoe-marudo-reunites-with-angelica-panganiban-ito-yung-masarap-na-friendship-walang-katapusan-1907" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: Zanjoe Marudo reunites with Angelica Panganiban: ‘Ito yung masarap na friendship, walang katapusan’</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRzENhCkc7N/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A2322826.399999976%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="0" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 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Directed by Jeffrey Jeturian and produced by Quantum Films and CineKo Productions, <em>UnMarry</em> opens on December 25 in cinemas nationwide. </p>

<p>UnMarry star Zanjoe Marudo shares how his approach has changed and matured ever since becoming a first time father and husband last year.</p>

UnMarry star Zanjoe Marudo shares how his approach has changed and matured ever since becoming a first time father and husband last year.

Zanjoe Marudo on playing a family man in UnMarry: ‘Hindi na ako nanghuhula kuno ano nararamdaman’

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Zanjoe Marudo on playing a family man in UnMarry: ‘Hindi na ako nanghuhula kuno ano nararamdaman’

Rhea Manila Santos,

Push Team

Published December 21, 2025 09:00 PM PHT

Read More:

Zanjoe Marudo

Angelica Panganiban

Solenn Heussaff

Zack Sibug

MMFF

UnMarry

Metro Manila Film Festival

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