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Piolo Pascual on portraying dark, more serious roles: “I just want variety”

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Mary Ann Bardinas

He wouldn’t be called “The Ultimate Heartthrob” for nothing. In the over three decades that he’s been in the entertainment industry, Piolo Pascual has remarkably captured a lot of hearts, not only with his spellbinding good looks and charisma, but with his undeniable talents in singing and acting, too. And at 47, he continues to make us swoon, especially now that we get to see him every weeknight in the ABS-CBN teleserye <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/pamilyasagrado" target="_blank">Pamilya Sagrado</a>, playing the role of Atty. Rafael Sagrado.With how he’s able to last long in this ever-changing and grueling industry, it didn’t completely come as a surprise when he revealed that, despite being naturally shy, it has always been his dream of becoming an actor. He actually aspired to become an engineer or a broadcaster, too, yet it was in show business where he apparently found his calling, as he imparted in his interview with Kapamilya broadcast journalist Bernadette Sembrano for “Tao Po.”His career started in the ‘90s after coming back from the United States, where he used to work and live for quite some time. After taking part in a slew of TV and movie projects, it was his role as Brian, one of the leading men of Judy Ann Santos in the 1998 classic soap opera “Esperanza,” that catapulted him to fame. What was supposedly a short stint got extended due to his palpable chemistry with the Queen of Philippine Soap Operas, which the viewers admired.Piolo became her perennial loveteam partner, which has been considered one of the most powerful tandems in local entertainment history. They went on to do several projects together, such as the flicks “Kahit Isang Saglit” (2000) and “Till There Was You,” until they were paired with other actors.He’s able to prove his versatility as an actor through other projects that didn’t require him to make viewers swoon, which include his earlier movies like “Mila” (2001), in which he took on the role of the drug addict-boyfriend of Maricel Soriano’s character, and “Dekada ’70” (2002), wherein his effective portrayal of Jules Bartolome won him Best Supporting Actor from various award-giving bodies in the country.After decades of being in the industry and starring in 20 soap operas, he admitted that there was actually a point in his life when he no longer wanted to do it anymore. He clarified that it was not because it has become “redundant,” but because he only wanted to give other actors a chance to showcase their acting chops, too.However, the universe obviously has other plans for Piolo, as instead of taking a step back from the spotlight when he reached 40, just like what he used to envision, he just continues to thrive by taking on diverse roles that totally veer away from the ones he portrayed in the past.“I just want variety. I love variety. I mean, I still have the same excitement, nervousness, kilig. Everything that I felt when I was starting until now. I enjoy the pressure, I enjoy the challenge,” he exclaimed.He added, “I think, I’m constantly transitioning from being a matinee idol to a more serious actor taking on dark roles. I think, it’s inevitable and also, at the same time, a privilege for you to be able to diversify into different genres and characters. Ang ganda lang no’ng habang tumatanda ka, nagkakaroon ka ng iba’t ibang choices sa role mo and it never ends. I thought I was gonna retire at 40. Only God knows what I’m gonna do next,” he told Bernadette.In previous years, he astonished us with the dark and more serious roles that he took on, such as in the 2023 horror flick “Mallari” and in the Philippine adaptation of the Korean series <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/foe2022" target="_blank">Flower of Evil</a> in 2022. The same goes with his current character, Rafael, in <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/pamilyasagrado" target="_blank">Pamilya Sagrado</a>, who is actually a wolf hiding in sheep’s skin. Even though the character he depicts may be fictitious, the whole series reflects what’s been happening in the society.“No’ng in-offer ‘tong ‘Pamilya Sagrado,’ I couldn’t say ‘no’ to it, and I wanna be part of a show that tells a good story,” he recounted, imparting that it was the late Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal who pitched the concept to him, which apparently turned out to be his last teleserye as he passed away in February 2024.“Gaya nga ng sinabi ko, ayaw ko nang mag-soap [opera]. Pero ang ganda kasi ng intention and si Tito Deo, he’s so passionate about storytelling. I hope people will watch it not to be entertained, but to learn from it. And very passionate si Tita Cory dito e. We’ve been wanting to do something like this and now is the time to do this,” he said.While shyness can be perceived negatively by others, Piolo never sees it as an insecurity or a disability. However, he’s been trying to overcome it by playing different characters, which allows him to be not himself while serving as an outlet for him to express whoever he is at the same time. Besides, the trust of the people in him to portray a variety of roles has also helped him gain confidence as an actor, as well as his deep understanding of every character he breathes life into.In his over thirty years of being an actor, he imparted how showbiz has taught him a lot of things, not just about himself but the world as well. One of which is that an actor like him has “to learn a thing or two and to mature one way or the other.” Furthermore, he firmly believes that if a person appreciates what he does, then he can be really creative.As a seasoned actor, he wishes that the younger generation or new breeds of actors could learn something from his journey. If there are pointers that he wants them to keep in mind, it could be, “Hardwork, discipline, appreciation, humility, devotion, dedication, everything that’s good.” He also added sincerity to the character, faith in God, and passion for the craft, which are also important to him, too.Catch Piolo in <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/pamilyasagrado" target="_blank">Pamilya Sagrado</a>, weeknights on <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/articles-news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-kapamilya-channel-12340" target="_blank">Kapamilya Channel</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/abscbnentertainment" target="_blank">Kapamilya Online Live</a>, A2Z, and TV5.

Piolo Pascual continues to thrive by taking on diverse roles that totally veer away from the ones he portrayed in the past.