Why Cogie tries to be different

At 16, an age when most young people look at peer pressure as the center of their lives, Cogie Domingo dares to be different. Yes, it’s cool not to be one of the boys.

It’s even a sign of wisdom, of being secure (versus being smug or cocky) about oneself. Cogie admits he feels mentally older than others his age. And he says this with no apologies.

The attitude shows in his taste in women. Leave the younger girls to the vast majority. Cogie admits his Achilles heel lies in older women. He gravitates at their maturity like a bee drawn to honey. Former girlfriend Krista Ranillo is a case in point. Mat Ranillo’s daughter happens to be two years older than Cogie is.

The edge also shows in the roles he has played so far. At an age when most young actors play cutesy pie roles in romantic films, Cogie – he with matinee idol looks that could easily make the other half of a love team, sinks his teeth in dramatic portrayals. Cogie was Maricel Soriano’s ill-fated brother in his introductory film, the thriller Sa Piling ng Aswang, a 1999 Metro Manila Filmfest entry. He was the suffering son of Lorna Tolentino and Christopher de Leon in Yakapin Natin ang Umaga (Adok). The role earned for Cogie an Urian citation for Best Actor.

And now, in his latest outing, GMA Films’ Metro Filmfest entry Deathrow, Cogie plays yet another haunted character: that of a minor thrown inside the dreaded death row. How could someone as angelic-looking as Cogie, and as new to the ways of this harsh world play a young criminal?

It’s a lot of hard work. Cogie would pore over his script every night and sharpen his eyes for any acting nuance he can pick up from his idol and co-star, Eddie Garcia.

The young actor turns rapt student as he watches Eddie’s every move – how the expression in the multi-awarded actor’s eyes changes with every emotional shift in a scene.

One must be a keen observer when working with the reticent Eddie, dubbed as the "Silent Superstar of Philippine Movies." But it is in so doing that one draws the most valuable lessons.

Spending four weeks inside the Sta. Cruz, Laguna City Jail was an eye-opener for Cogie. At first taken aback by the tattooed limbs surrounding him, Cogie’s fears ebbed when he discovered the goodness in the prisoners he met.

He saw the milk of human kindness in gangsters from such notorious groups as the Sputnik, Resbak and Commando. Talk about seeing a Dr. Jekyll in every Mr. Hyde. So sympathetic has Cogie become of the jailbirds he even swears some – who have become his friends – are innocent of the crime they’re accused of. This, he says, makes them more pathetic.

His City Jail immersion has also instilled in Cogie’s mind, more graphically than ever, the lesson that crime does not pay.

His advice to fellow youths is: "Think twice before doing anything wrong. Committing a crime can really put you in hot waters."

The guy applies this think-first-before-doing-anything stance in money matters. With a talent fee that has escalated since his introductory role days, Cogie is the save-for-the-rainy-days type who’d rather stash his money in a bank than spend it only in some whim of the moment. "I’m not the type who sees to it that I buy something every time I make a film," he says.

But he admits to having a dream purchase: an Explorer to take him around in style.

And only one regret in turning celebrity: "I have less time for the family."

Still, Cogie knows these sacrifices are in order if he wants to reach his goal: that of becoming a versatile actor. He is learning fast, especially with Deathrow director Joel Lamangan around.

"Direk is strict, and he’d shout at me to make me concentrate on my scenes," Cogie admits. But, like the student who learns more from a terror teacher, Cogie appreciates the training, demanding though it may be.

"Direk taught me a lot. He taught me how to express anger the adult way – by letting the feeling boil inside while venting it on the task at hand, like doing manual labor with greater push and pull of the muscles. He also taught me how to take advantage of camera lighting, how to make eye contact, etc…" Cogie rattles off.

Nothing escapes this eager student who absorbs everything the way a sponge takes in liquid. In the end, it is not just Cogie, but the viewer who benefits from it all.