Is he Felix? Or is he Dominic?
A case of mistaken identity is bound to happen when you’re dealing with identical twins like Dominic and Felix Roco, the youngest among the five children of Bembol Roco and former model Coco Artadi. You call him Felix and Dominic laughs. Then you realize that Felix is the one who’s somewhere else and the one you’re talking to is Dominic.
When Felix came home last year with director Pepe Diokno from the Venice International Film Festival with the Orizzonti and Lion of the Future Luigi de Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film for Engkwentro, an indie about gangs and vigilante squads, everybody was congratulating Dominic. Actually, the handshake was meant for Felix who plays a teenage gangster in the movie.
“But it’s okay,” said Dominic. “I don’t mind. In fact, I was flattered. I don’t bother to correct those who are congratulating me. I just smile and say, ‘Thank you!’”
Doesn’t Dominic feel insecure since Felix is getting bigger breaks?
“I’m proud of Felix,” admitted Dominic. “I’ve seen ‘yung pinaghirapan niya sa Engkwentro. But then, come to think of it, the situation is creating a healthy competition between Felix and me. As it is, Felix and I are working hard to get out of our dad’s shadow, and with Felix getting an award I feel as if medyo naiiwan ako. So it challenges me all the more to prove myself. I keep reminding myself, ‘Kaya mo rin; your time will come’.”
On the set of Lamang-Lupa, an episode in the Regal Metro Filmfest entry Shake, Rattle and Roll XI in which the twins appear as the barkada of Iya Villania and company (their second movie together after Star Cinema’s Otso-Otso which they did when they were just into their teens), director Jessel Monteverde (a relative of Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde) would make sure who was who before calling for a take.
“It happens 70 percent of the time,” said Dominic, “even on the set. Everyone calls me, ‘Felix! Felix!’ Para tuloy gusto ko magpagawa ng T-shirt na may nakasulat, ‘HINDI AKO SI FELIX!’ That makes me wonder tuloy kung mas kilala si Felix kaysa sa akin,” adding, “hoy, kayo d’yan ha. Hindi ako si Felix, ako si Dominic!”
Except for their looks and their height (5’8”), the twins are poles apart — well, almost. Felix is thinner than Dominic and older by two minutes, born on April 12, 1989 (Aries). Felix is outgoing and adventurous and Dominic is the quiet type. “I’m more like my dad who is tahimik, parang anti-social.”
Felix is more daring when it comes to choice of roles. In Sagrada Familia, he shows his butt in one of his love scenes with Lovi (Poe). “I cannot do that. Maybe the farthest that I would go is strip down to my undies.”
While being groomed for stardom by Lino Brocka, for the 1975 classic Maynila sa Kuko ng mga Liwanag, Bembol agreed to pose nude as centerfold feature of a women’s magazine.
“Yes,” Dominic said, “I saw that. But I don’t have enough guts to do the same.”
Unlike other twins who are similar in many ways, Felix and I are different when it comes to stuff like food, sports, girls. I like Filipino food and Felix likes Japanese food. When it comes to girls, magkaiba ang type namin, so we have never fought over a girl. It never happened that we fell for the same girl. Mabuti na lang.” And then he laughed and laughed. “Felix has no girlfriend and neither have I.”
Since they are twins, they are hired to endorse the same brand and they have no problem in that area.
“We are of the same size kaya minsan naghihiraman kami ng damit.”
Any pointers from their dad?
“All that he always reminds us is to love our work and to respect other people so they respect you back. And be professional. Ever since, that’s what Felix and I have been doing.”
If and when, which of his dad’s movie would he want remade (with him, of course, playing his dad’s role)?
“Maynila. It’s the only movie of my dad that I’ve seen. What I also want to play is an addict (As everybody knows, Bembol is a reformed addict, something he has never hidden. — RFL). But I’ve never been an addict; I am clean-living. Basta, ang ganda siguro i-portray ng isang addict.”
I wondered why Dominic turned somewhat defensive when asked how his dad was.
“Hmmmm,” he hesitated. “I guess we are...well...fine. We are...doing...good. All I can say is that we are working hard for our mom. Kahit ano gagawin ko to make my mom happy.”
I decided not to “intrude” into the twins’ family life.
“Basta, we love our mom so much,” added Dominic.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)