Luis Alandy: ‘Work ethics is key to longevity’

CEBU, Philippines -  Competition in tinseltown has been cutthroat now more than ever, what with the emergence of fresh blood made easier by the digital era. Today’s toast could very well quickly become tomorrow’s has-been.

For model-turned-actor Luis Alandy, what made him survive in the showbiz jungle for as long as he has? “My good looks!” deadpanned Luis, who had penetrated the industry at 18 years old back in 1998 when he tried out his luck for a GMA Artist Center audition.

Kidding aside, Luis explained that while looks can get you one foot in the door, genuine talent and professionalism are what makes an actor last for the long haul.

“It’s really work ethics. When I was starting, I had the privilege of working with good and disciplinarian directors. These were the likes of Chito Roño, Joel Lamangan, Wenn Deramas, Maryo J. delos Reyes, and a lot more. My early soaps in ABS-CBN — ‘Pangako Sa’yo’ and ‘Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan’ – were directed by Rory Quintos, and he was really a disciplinarian. I feel lucky to have worked with them during my earlier years, because they required actors not to come late and come to set prepared. You have to know the script and the story. Those experiences molded me to have good work ethics. Of course, as in any other working environment, you have to also respect the other people you work with,” said the 34-year-old male lead of GMA-7’s afternoon drama “Innamorata.”

Aside from taking his craft seriously, Luis also makes it a point to enjoy a job that’s marked by long hours of waiting on set. His co-star, the lovely Max, described Luis as someone who lightens up the mood during tapings.

“You know how the work is, puyatan talaga and it occupies a lot of your time. So when I come to work, I make it a point to crack a few jokes and make it also fun for me and my co-workers. You have to feel like you’re not working, so that everyone’s happy on set, even if we have to execute heavy scenes,” he said.

One other factor which he thinks contributed to his longevity and steady flow of acting jobs is not feeding his personal life for the public to feast on. He shared, “In Manila and in showbiz, it’s so hard because every move you make is scrutinized. It helps that in my beginning years, I wasn’t really talked about. For other actors, people talk about their personal lives more than their work. I think that the quieter you are, people get to focus more on the work you do and the characters you portray. When I was starting, my parents told me to separate my career from my private life, because if anything negative is said about me, my family is the first to get affected. They’re not showbiz; ako lang sa pamilya ang makapal ang mukha.”

Luis is the middle child of a family that hails from Antipolo, Rizal. He took up Psychology at San Sebastian College. Recalling that summer when he and a cousin decided to audition for GMA Artist Center, Luis said they were just looking for something to do, but that he luckily got in. He hasn’t looked back since. Still, his road to getting to where he is wasn’t punctuated by constant breaks.

“Being in showbiz is difficult. It didn’t last long for others. For others, it just came easy. But for me, it has been a constant struggle, since there were times that I couldn’t bring it anymore. I tended to lose focus before. Even if I would do well in a certain series or movie, new talents continue to crop up, and of course, they will be prioritized and built up. That helped me also, because it would push me to improve. They can always get someone else to take my place, so I would just show them how I love acting, and it paid off,” Luis revealed.  

To this day, he feels the need to prove himself with every character he’s tasked to tackle. Contentment and complacency are out of the question, he stressed. In fact, he likened an acting career to studying — he watches other films, reads up on techniques, and observes the behavior of people around him.

When asked what his dream roles are, he said the Kapuso management had actually consulted him what role would challenge his thespic veins. “I said it would be challenging to portray someone with a physical disability, such as someone deaf or blind. And true enough, my role in the soap started out blind, which lasted for about a week. But I had to study how to act blind for a month, and it’s so hard to practice since you’re supposedly not sensitive to light.”

In “Innamorata,” Luis is Edwin Manansala, a former TV commercial director who had gone blind. He is tasked by his father (Michael) to help in the family’s shoe factory. He will meet Esperanza (Max) and they will become good friends, sharing a liking for the poem “Innamorata.”

And like art imitating life, Luis admitted that similar his current role, he also harbors a dream to work behind the cameras in the near future. The interest began when was doing the indie film “Kalayaan” with award-winning director Adolf Alix, Jr.

He planned to take up a directing course at the New York Film Academy, but his 2013 series “Binoy Henyo” and two independent films occupied his schedule then. Luis now intends to study directing in the Philippines when his calendar permits, instead of going all the way abroad

“I think being observant with the directors I work with help a lot. I ask many questions. Minsan, nakukulitan na nga sila,” he quipped. — VAB