Jake Cuenca shares turning point in joining ABS-CBN, leaving GMA-7
MANILA, Philippines — A director's blunt remark left a lasting impact on Jake Cuenca, prompting the then up-and-coming actor to make one of the biggest decisions in his showbiz career.
Jake revealed that a director's brutally honest comment about him not good enough to be in the industry made him reassess himself. It was the mid-2000s, and the popular genre was fantasy series. GMA, the network known for their fantaseryes, has cast Jake in one of their marquee shows.
Jake revealed he had already mulled switching networks. He was even advised against it because it might not result in the boost in career that he hoped for. Some said that they have not yet heard of GMA stars who switched networks who made it big in their new agency.
"Bago ko lumipat ng ABS, it was my last fantaserye sa GMA. Tapos nagtatalo ko non e, lilipat ba ko ng ABS o hindi. Ang daming nagsasabi sa akin sa GMA na 'Jake huwag kang lumipat ng ABS. Wala pang lumilipat ng GMA na sumikat pagkalipat nila sa ABS. Siyempre natakot ako.
"Naalala ko non may eksena kong ginawa. Nandon ako sa hagdan ng OB van. Nanonood ng eksenang ginawa ko tapos sinabi ng director habang pinapanood 'yung shot ko: 'Alam mo 'tong artistang to, dapat bumalik ng modeling to e. Hindi dapat maging artista to e. Hindi siya magaling," Jake recalled.
Jake starred in some of GMA-7's popular fantasy series, including "Encantadia" in 2005 and "Majika" with Angel Locsin in 2006. The latter is his last GMA show, and Angel also left the network to work with ABS-CBN in 2008.
Instead of being disheartened by the unnamed director's blunt remark about him being not fit or good enough for acting, it made the former model to take acting seriously.
"Narinig ko 'yon sabi ko sa director: 'Direk, I'm so sorry.' Basag ang puso ko as an actor but because of that it fueled me. Ultimately, dahil don lumipat ako sa ABS. That was the deciding factor na sinabi ko na this was it. This is the market: lilipat ako ng ABS na malinis ang konsensya ko," he said.
Jake, however, clarified that he has now a good relationship with the director.
"Funny, this is years and years later, decade later, mayroon akong show na ginawa, dito naman bida ako, big show [called] 'Pasion de Amor.' The director was him. First niya sa ABS," he said.
The 2015 drama is an adaptation of a Colombian telenovela. It stars Jake, Arci Munoz, Ejay Falcon, Ellen Adarna, Joseph Marco, and Coleen Garcia.
Jake said that he told the director about the past and promised him that he will give his all to the project.
"I'm gonna use all my energy in this show, everything that I am to prove those words wrong," he said. — Video from One News PH YouTube channel
RELATED: Lester Pimentel Ong relishes directing villain Jake Cuenca
- Latest
- Trending
