Will Marcus get his B-day wish?

He was only 17 when Marcus Madrigal auditioned at Regal Films. He passed it and was quickly cast in the experimental movie of Lav Diaz, Burger Boys, along with another newcomer, Gerald Madrid.

"But it took a long time before that movie was released and, in the meantime, I played Basilio, the young rebel, in Mario O’Hara’s Sisa," he recalls. "That was shown ahead of Burger Boys and I got a Best New Movie Actor nomination for my performance."

He got more good notices for his portrayal of a slum boy in love with Ana Capri in Jeffrey Jeturian’s Pila Balde. His last film was Live Show by Joey Reyes, where he played a bag snatcher summarily executed by the police. After that, he was absent on the big screen for more than a year. How come?

"There was a slump in the local film industry and all I get are offers to go bold in sex flicks made by small companies," he explains. "E, ayoko namang mag-bold if the project is not that good. Also, I still had a contract with Regal Films then and I just cannot accept film offers from other companies. My only exposure then was on television, like in GMA-7’s Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga where I play Elizabeth Oropesa’s young lover."

A few months ago, someone tipped him that the newly-revived Imus Productions is holding auditions for a new movie, Ang Galing Galing Mo, Babes.

"So I went to producer Marlon Bautista and auditioned. He made me read some lines from the movie. Later on, he just told me they’d call me up if I passed the audition. Sabi ko, malabo na siguro ito. A couple of weeks later, I did get a call from them and I was so surprised and happy when I was told I’d be playing Joyce Jimenez’ husband in the story."

It’s his most daring role to date as he consented to take all his clothes off in his honeymoon scene with Joyce.

"It’s the first time I appeared butt-naked in a movie and I trusted our director, Ed Palmos, na hindi basta bulgar o malaswa ang execution ng scene. My role as Phillip is very challenging. I first see Joyce dancing in a stag party and I become obsessed with her. I wooed her and offered to give her a new life by marrying her. But my relatives, Perla Bautista and Cloyd Robinson, who sent me to school, are against her. I’m supposed to go to work abroad as an engineer so I can repay them. When I finally left, they treat Joyce as a housemaid and were so cruel to her that she ran away and worked in Olongapo, where she meets Albert Martinez. She thought I’d never come back so she lives with him, but he turns out to be a pervert who performed acts of sadism on her. When I return home, I learned what my aunt and uncle did to her and I try searching for her. The problem is Albert wouldn’t want to give her back to me anymore."

Marcus was very quiet on the first day of shooting.

"Joyce is such a big star and Albert Martinez a much-awarded actor and I felt, who am I compared to them? I couldn’t even believe I’d get to star with both of them. But they turned out to be very nice. Joyce has no airs at all and even gave me tips on how to do our bed scene. Albert was also helpful in our confrontation scene when we had to fight each other over Joyce."

Marcus is turning 21 on Aug. 26 and his birthday wish is to have more film and TV assignments. "I help my family and I have a brother who has Down’s syndrome whom I’d like to send to a good school," he says.

He admits having had a non-showbiz girlfriend before but he is not committed to anyone now since he wants to concentrate on his work. How come there was once a rumor that he is having an affair even off camera with Elizabeth Oropesa?

"Naku, hindi po totoo ‘yon. But it’s true I used to be so nervous when we did our scenes together because she’s a veteran in the profession who even scored a grand slam as Best Actress. That’s why I really have to be on my toes kapag kaeksena ko siya. But our relationship is strictly professional, no more, no less."