Coco takes a breather from heavy drama

MANILA, Philippines - While Coco Martin is often seen doing heavy drama on the big and small screens, it certainly takes some adjusting to the idea that he can really pull off a role that requires him to loosen up and show a lighter approach to acting. But wouldn’t it be refreshing to see Coco in a lighter fare with fancy footwork to match his sweet and, sometimes naughty smile? Not a bad idea. That’s why, Star Cinema and Viva Films joined forces for the first movie team-up of Coco and Sarah Geronimo in Maybe This Time to hit cinemas nationwide on May 28.

Coco, in an interview with The STAR after the press conference held recently, admitted making some adjustments to fully inhabit a character in a way he has never done before.

“Whenever I do a project for TV, usually it’s heavy drama. Same thing with my past movies like A Moment in Time and Born to Love You. They touched on romance but still the delivery was intense. With Maybe This Time, I found it tougher, especially during our first few shooting days because it’s very light. They (production people) told me, ‘Co, magaan ka dito,’ ‘Co, gusto namin makita yung kakaibang Coco na di pa nakikita ng mga tao,’ so I really tried toning down (my acting) and later on, I was already enjoying because I had totally embraced my role.”

Coco added that through the movie, he was able to discover that he can also do projects that do not require him to be on the serious side all the time. “Ang sarap pala na makapagpasaya ka at makapag-pakilig din sa mga tao.” But he emphasized that heavy drama remains his forte. 

In Maybe This Time, Coco plays Tonio Bugayong, who is the total opposite of Steph Asuncion (Sarah). The only thing they have in common is the fact that they fell in love with each other, yet circumstances beyond their control compelled them to live separate lives. Tonio became involved with the socialite Monica (Ruffa Gutierrez) who happens to be the boss of Steph in the PR firm she works for. Monica instructs Steph to reinvent Tonio in order to fit into Monica’s world. Steph and Tonio get closer once more and a mix of thrilling and painful moments follow. 

Coco said it was a breeze acting opposite Sarah. “We instantly clicked to the point of direk Jerry (Lopez Sineneng) allowing us to have our own take on our sweet moments, kumbaga nagkaroon kami ng chemistry probably because we share a lot in common — attitude, interests, views towards life and people. Nakakatuwa kasi nagkaroon kami ng rapport sa personal na buhay bukod pa sa trabaho.”

At the presscon, Sarah exclaimed superlatives for Coco’s performance. “I will forever cherish the experience of working with Coco because although we worked together in Idol, we never got the chance to know each other better but this time our rapport as a love team is there. I hope the audience will be able to feel it in the movie. We have a good chemistry and it is in this movie where I get to appreciate Coco more. He’s a thinking actor na para siyang direktor na ginagawa yung mga eksena namin.”

Coco, too, has nothing but praises for the popstar who displayed a kind of acting which he said was totally different from the time they first worked together in the musical TV series Idol in 2010. “If I were to rate her from one to 10, I’ll give her a 10 for her satisfying portrayal. I was surprised because during our first scene, I didn’t know if it was okay for me to touch her but after several days, I was surprised when he told me, ‘Co, yakapin mo ko,’ kasi syempre love story. And she told me not to feel awkward anymore. She assured that there’s nothing to worry and reminded me to just enjoy and do our respective roles in the best way we could.”

How similar or different is Coco from Tonio?

“I guess we are similar in many ways. The only difference is that Tonio handles his problems lightly. I can’t do that because it really shows when something is bothering me and I have to face it right away. I take things seriously.”

But he never denies about having a naughty side, saying, “We all have our share of naughtiness and that’s natural. Pero mas serious ako as a person kumbaga parang lahat sinesoryoso ko at big deal sa akin, di kasi uso sa akin yung laro-laro lang. Lahat sa ’kin may ibig sabihin yang mga nangyayari.”

These days, Coco only sets his eyes on his goal: Saving up for the future. He is fully aware that the next big thing in showbiz could come as fast as a blink of an eye.

He said, “I have experienced what’s it like to live with nothing, as in totally nothing. I guess, you know what I’ve been through in life and now that I have the opportunity to work for the future, I will really take every project that comes my way because I know that one day this (popularity) is going to end. And when that happens, there will be no regrets as I did everything the best I could.”

(Maybe This Time, written by Anton Santamaria and Melai Monge, also stars Ogie Diaz, Marla Flores, Zeppi Borromeo, Tony Mabesa, Buboy Garovillo, Dennis Padilla, Minnie Aguilar, Alex Castro, Kathleen Hermosa, Devon Seron, Garlic Garcia and Cecil Paz.)