But if the accolades have gone into his head, Dennis doesn’t show it. In fact, he’d rather sit quietly in one corner than join all the loud talk showbiz gatherings are known for. Ask him a touchy question that would normally provoke a violent reaction from his co-stars (e.g. what he does after the lights are out), and Dennis would just flash a naughty smile.
Quiet but dangerous, that’s the impression he gives – consciously or unconsciously.
"I’m not the loud type. I just love to observe," he explains.
Those who rush to his side for autographs and jostle each other to get their photo taken with him will be surprised to know Dennis has another side to his personality people never thought existed at all. There, safely hidden from public view is the headbanger in Dennis, the kind who loves to lose himself in the rhythm of hard rock.
"I adored Queen and Metallica in high school," admits Dennis. Then, he rolls up the right sleeve of his T-shirt and points to a sun-shaped tattoo on his upper arm.
"That’s how deep I was into this kind of music," he shares.
Music, it turns out is his first love. Dennis would lock himself in his room, just listening to all kinds of music. His love for guitar and the drums was so overriding Dennis soon found himself playing with one band after another – and enjoying every minute of it.
Initially, his family, steeped in the world of business, couldn’t understand why Dennis was that passionate about the arts. He’d join the art club in school and while his time away sketching during his free time.
"I myself don’t know where I got this love for the arts," says Dennis. "All I know is the first movie I saw was Superman 1, which I watched with my parents when I was two. They’d bring me with them to the moviehouse on a regular basis since then."
That could explain why Dennis is attracted to the arts – especially visual arts. He has a collection of DVDs which he cues in for the sheer joy they bring him and for the chance to observe the styles of all the acting greats he admires so much.
This power to absorb what he sees like a sponge has given birth to characters moviegoers and televiewers enjoy watching. Dennis almost scored a Best Supporting Actor grand slam at last year’s Metro Filmfest as a transvestite in Aishite Imasu 1941.
Now, he’s seeing another dream come true: playing his idol Christopher de Leon’s son in Regal Entertainment’s romantic drama for the Metro Filmfest, Blue Moon.
Dennis plays Christopher’s estranged son and Eddie Garcia’s grandson. Father and son are forced to deal with each other to search for a mysterious lady named Corazon in Eddie’s life.
It’s not surprising that Blue Moon turned out to be one hell of a learning experience for the twentysomething Dennis.
He picked up lessons on punctuality from Eddie Garcia, who was there even before call time. Christopher, on the other hand, inspired Dennis when he showed "dedication to his craft and intensity as an actor."
Dedication and acting intensity are also words that may well describe Dennis as an artist. Televiewers see this on GMA 7’s new telefantaserye Etheria, where Dennis plays Raquim, the prince of Sapiro.
Hopefully, they will see more of Dennis this coming year. Someone as serious about his craft, and as no-nonsense about his work, deserves nothing less.