Rookie actor Brent Manalo shared how he feels to be part of a huge primetime teleserye and to act opposite award-winning stars like Jodi Sta Maria.

In an episode of Kapamilya Chat, Brent mentioned he started as a model, then, he trained under Star Magic and the rest is history. He currently takes on his first acting gig as Zanjoe Marudo’s younger brother in The Broken Marriage Vow.

While he easily got the character of Migs Ilustre, Brent wasn’t lax about his preparations. He plays an interesting role that’s his opposite in real life. For one, Migs is ‘madaldal’ and ‘makulit’ while Brent is more of the quiet type. Brent also had to study his character’s background as a Baguio native, thus familiarizing himself with Ilocano language and accent.

He went on to talk about his co-stars, beginning with his onscreen mom Susan Africa, whose warmth made him feel at home in their taping bubble. She’s like a real mother to him on- and off-cam.

Brent remembered that his first-ever scene was with Jodi, hence the jitters. Director Connie Macatuno helped him relax by asking him to act as if he has a crush on the actress. As a newcomer, Brent was taught he’s supposed to approach the seniors. That’s what he did on his first day at the standby area. He walked up to Jodi and the other cast members to introduce himself.

He said everyone was welcoming and helpful, even Zanjoe was generous of praises. According to Brent, Zanjoe would commend him for the good takes, and in turn, it motivates him to do better.

But the greatest lesson he learned from his seniors is to always be on time, especially since they didn’t have the luxury of time filming in a lock-in setup.

While there are differences, he also has similarities with Migs. They are both family-oriented and a loving son and brother. His character taught him that it’s okay to be positive and full of hope, especially during these times when there’s a lot of pressure around us. “Stay youthful” as he put it.

When asked about his thoughts on cheating, Brent maintained that it shouldn’t be tolerated “kasi grabe ang emotional trauma na nako-cause n’un.” He knows because he witnessed some friends and relatives suffer from cheating.

He would rather break up and leave with proper closure instead of cheating for the sake of keeping the relationship. He thought it’s a more complicated scenario for married couples, though, since there are vows, contracts, and kids involved. While he thinks cheating is a deal breaker, there are instances when a married guy changes for the better because of his children, so it still depends on the scenario. But for Brent, one thing is for sure- if cheating becomes a cycle, you need to stop granting unlimited chances.

As advice to Kapamilyas suffering from a toxic relationship, Brent stressed the importance of self-love and knowing one’s worth. He said people stay in a bad relationship because they’re counting the memories or years spent together, which shouldn’t be the case if you know your value. “Mas marami pa kayong makikilala,” he assured.

Join Brent in a fun ‘kwentuhan’ in this episode of Kapamilya Chat.