Baby on Matteo: He’s a pleasure to work with

MANILA, Philippines - “He doesn’t complain. He’s nice to his co-stars and his co-workers.”

That’s how director Baby Nebrida describes Matteo Guidicelli who is being launched as the new action star in Across the Crescent Moon while Grace Diez in an article in Star Studio magazine calls him “the quintessential Renaissance man, one who is never afraid to discover new things to satisfy his thirst for life.”

Aptly put because Matteo is an athlete (car racing, triathlon) incredibly good as he is in varied (mostly rom-com) roles. He’s also an endorser, singer (recording, concert), businessman (restaurant)….and what else can’t he do?

Matteo has the build, stamina, agility, dedication and intelligence of an action hero, which he shows in Crescent Moon as a brave and noble Muslim soldier (Special Action Force), fighting vice and criminality, especially human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Other actors were initially considered for the part. But it turned out that Matteo was the best choice, the Filipino-Italian actor from Cebu, a descendant of the prominent Fernan family (his grandfather was the cousin of former Supreme Court Chief Justice and Senate Pres. Marcelo Fernan). His father is an Italian who relocated to Cebu and put up several businesses there.

For the role, Matteo trained long and hard under Hollywood choreographers Shawn Bernal, Snooky Cruz and eight others from Thailand, some of whom have worked for such movies as Daredevil, Transformers and Divergent.

“He worked very hard,” said Baby, “never minding if he was risking life and limbs in all those thrilling action scenes.”

Matteo Guidicelli and Alex Godinez (they were teenaged sweethearts) in a scene from Across the Crescent Moon with Christopher de Leon and real-life wife Sandy Andolong (at the back) as Matteo’s parents. Left: Matteo and Alex in the bed scene that made poor Alex the target of bashers.

Matteo’s leading lady is theater actress Alex Godinez (the niece of Martin Nievera) as his Christian girlfriend who is not accepted by his family. Alex was Matteo’s girlfriend when they were teenagers. When Jasmine Curtis-Smith backed out, Matteo suggested Alex as the replacement. In one scene (“Not really a love scene but just a bed scene,” clarified Baby), Matteo was “somewhat reluctant” compared to Alex who, being a dedicated actress, was “game.”

Christopher de Leon, who plays Matteo’s father (with Christopher’s wife Sandy Andolong as Matteo’s mother), teased Matteo that he was “afraid” that Matteo’s real-life girlfriend Sarah Geronimo might “scold” him. “Under de Sarah,” Christopher joked, and Matteo simply shrugged…and jumped into bed without being passionate and simply kissing Alex on the shoulder.

“Matteo is a pleasure to work with,” added Baby. “When we had to pack up because of a storm, he would say, ‘Why pack up? Let’s go on!’ So we had to shoot and we didn’t mind the weather which was turning very bad.”

Baby is also all praises for Alex.

“I’m so happy that we got her. She’s very pretty, very cooperative pa. She would do her homework before she reported to the set. She turned out to be the better choice after Jasmine left us, iniwan niya talaga kami at sumama sa boyfriend papuntang Europe, for what I don’t know.”

The same Star Studio story quoted Matteo as saying, “I guess I am a dreamer. I like to be so many things, but I know things don’t happen overnight when it comes to life, showbiz and love. I think what is important is to be consistent in doing what you love to do. And you never stop.”

True enough, Matteo was unfazed by the hurdles, waited for the right time that has finally come.