Jay Taruc’s “The Few, The Proud” airs Monday in I-Witness

CEBU, Philippines - Victor Basa is yet another under-the-radar actor blessed to be cast in the phenomenal hit and soon-to-conclude “My Husband’s Lover.”

The former model and Pinoy Big Brother celebrity housemate fleshes out, effectively at that, a modern gay man working as a successful chef.

A departure from his current television role, the 28-year-old will play Fr. Francisco Solano in the 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival entry “San Pedro Calungsod, Batang Martir.” He also hosts a cable show titled “Appetite Wars” with namesake Victor Aliwalas.

Here’s our quick chat with the chiseled stud.

Are you an exclusive Kapuso talent now?

Currently, I don’t have an exclusive contract with GMA like other artists. I think GMA started to be more conservative when it comes to exclusive contracts. I’m being managed by Arnold Vegafria and I enjoy working with a lot of networks. Although it’s ideal to have a network contract, but if there’s a role which you want to try out for in other channels, it’s not exactly open to you if you’re tied down to one network.

You initially tried out for the Vincent character, right?

Yes, but I got the role of David. I guess the director had another idea.

How did you prepare for your David role?

I prepared in a sense that I memorized my lines…but as for the emotions, I think to be in love is universal. It doesn’t mean that the person you love is a fellow male, that the level of love would be different as opposed to loving a female. This is the third time I’ve portrayed a gay role. The first one was in the indie film “Maling Akala” and the second was for television where I played opposite Joross Gamboa in “Your Song.”

How did you attack this one differently?

Here, he doesn’t show outright that he’s gay. Just the nuances, and I think that’s what should be shown from time to time on local television and not just the stereotype of gays that we’ve gotten used to watching. 

Your girlfriend Divine Lee is considered a gay icon. Did she give you any tips?

She’s trying to give me so many tips. But I said, ‘Look, thank you for the help but I have to plot out and develop this character on my own.’ Because it has to be real. It also helps that she has a bevy of gay friends. I’m often asked if I have a specific person as a peg for David. I tell them that I don’t want to have a peg because it will come across like I’m just imitating somebody and the viewers will figure that out. There’s a chance the character will turn out a caricature. I’m eclectic in choosing my gay traits. The nice thing about our characters is their believability. They’re not written to be extremes or over-acting.

You’re not afraid to be stereotyped with gay roles?

To tell you honestly, the first film that I did, the gay role was also not outright. It was just implied. I do trust our audience. The viewers are more intelligent these days. They can determine what’s reel and what’s real. At the same time, I think they want to see actors tackle a variety of roles and not just stay stuck in a certain category.

Which male personalities do you admire?

I like Ethan Hawke. In the Philippines, it’s Richard Gomez. These days, our term for that is man-crush, which for me is someone you idolize or hope to emulate.

How secure are you with your sexuality?

I’m very secure. I don’t think anyone who’s a bit shaky with their sexuality will accept a role like this. You can see that all the gay characters in our show – at least I think so – are straight. It’s funny because there was this one time I was walking somewhere, and this one kid called out my name. He said, ‘Uy, Victor Basa! ‘Di ba sa GMA ka? Sa ‘My Husband’s Lover?’’ Then he added, ‘Di ba, bakla ka?’ I didn’t know how to explain that it was just a role. But I guess it shows that people have really been watching and that my acting has been effective to some extent.

Do you get affected when people doubt your sexuality?

Not really because I’m at an age where I appreciate that they’re talking about me, even if I’ve never met these people.

Will we hear wedding bells anytime soon for you and Divine?

As of now, there are no plans yet. We both need to be stable and I still want to accomplish many things. If people ask me how many years we will wait before getting married, my answer has always been: It’s like love. If you feel that it’s right, then that’s it and you have no control over it anymore. (FREEMAN)