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Manila, Philippines - Lao-Australian actor Ananda Everingham is a mishmash of all kinds of handsome. He’s got some Orlando Bloom angles, some Piolo Pascual similarities, and a whole lot of raw, masculine sex appeal. Best remembered for his work in the 2004 cult classic Shutter, he graces our fine islands with his presence as he wraps the shoot for an Adolfo Alix Jr. entry in this year’s Cinemalaya film festival. The movie is called Kalayaan, and is a project over five years in the making, discussing the lives of soldiers in the middle of the Spratly Islands conflict. Ananda sits down with us to talk about the film, and in the process, gets refreshingly candid about food, love, and his ego.

SUPREME: What would you say was the most interesting thing about shooting in Manila?

ANANDA EVERINGHAM: I like new things. I like meeting new people, I like new perspectives, I like new cultures, I like new food. The food I like. A lot. (Laughs)

Any favorites in particular?

"I’m single, but it’s not like I stay at home and twiddle my thumbs. I’m going around, meeting people, trying to be a Casanova."

The perfect meal for me is some sisig and kare-kare and some rice. Perfect.

What was it like making the actual film? Was it very different from what you’re used to?

I’ve done other smaller indie films, so I wouldn’t say I wasn’t used to it, but it was definitely different. Especially working with a foreign crew, you know sometimes you get lost in translation, especially when things are going really quick and everyone’s speaking Tagalog. Sometimes you can’t really make out, are they speaking normally or are they rushed or are they fighting. Was that a good take or a bad take? (Laughs)

Did you pick up any Tagalog while you were shooting?

It’s kind of there, but I can’t put the sounds together. It’s strange, normally language sticks with me, but this one’s hard.

That just means you have to stay in the Philippines longer.

I think so, yeah. Maybe I have to find an incentive. Meet somebody. (Laughs)

Do you have a lot of time to date?

I think it’s what you make it. I spend a lot of time at work because I can be obsessed with it. That’s a choice. I came out of a long relationship about a year or so ago. I’m single, but it’s not like I stay at home and twiddle my thumbs. I’m going around, meeting people, trying to be a Casanova. (Laughs) I always try and then I fall in love, then it’s all fucked. (Laughs)

I find that with a lot of actors, it’s hard for them to date people outside of the industry because they don’t necessarily understand what the work requires. Is it the same for you?

"When you’re stuck on your ego, you’re stuck on things that you think are better than other things."

My last relationship was with someone that was outside of the industry. When you live a very public life, there’s a side of your persona that has to cater to that, and sometimes it’s hard for that other person to deal with. You take it for granted that it’s something they might not know how to handle. I don’t do that sort of thing like, oh we can’t go out in public. I live like how I would normally live. The public eye and my personal life — it’s all the same thing. It’s just that when there are things in the press that are misinterpreted or things that are simply not real, it affects that person more than it affects me, and it puts pressure on the relationship.

Recently, I’ve made a conscious choice to not talk about the details of my love life to the press so much, especially after my last relationship. I used to be very open. Now, even when I’m speaking to you, I’m specific yet vague. (Laughs) When it involves someone else, I try to be a little more vague.

So let’s talk about you. When did you know that you wanted to become an actor?

I was very introverted when I was younger. I would get very, sort of, jittery or nervous if I was ever put on the spot. I was private as well, so when I started working as an actor, it was a huge contradiction. Then again, when I started acting, I didn’t have a choice. I got into a lot of trouble as a child and acting was a way out. I was given a choice, an ultimatum basically. Either you work and mature through work, or we ship you off to some military school. (Laughs)

It just grew on me, you know, it’s a very collaborative process. You fall in love with the people you work with, and that’s how I started getting attached to it. I also wanted to prove myself to the people I was working with, so I spent a lot of time watching films, reading books, studying culture — all the things that are part of the film industry. The more I studied it, the more I fell in love with it.

In terms of studying, there are different acting methods that actors subscribe to — Eric Morris, Stanislavsky. Do you follow any in particular? How do you get into character?

“I got into a lot of trouble as a child and acting was a way out. I was given a choice.”

Everyone finds something that works for them. My process is I tend to overcomplicate things before we shoot, and when we get to the set, I make sure to simplify everything and come in blank, basically. I get to the set in the hopes that it feels real, that what’s going on is actually happening right there and then. Keep it simple, stupid. You know? (Laughs) It’s not easy. That’s just what I attempt. (Laughs)

So is there a certain type of character you look for when entertaining projects? What sort of script makes you want to do a film?

I like to look at a script as a whole, how genuine it is and what it stands for. I’m not specific to genres, I used to be when I was younger. Like when you’re younger, you’re more ego-specific. Like, mood pieces, dramas, where you can act it up a bit more, things that were serious. There was this innate thing that you feel like, if it’s serious, it’s better. But it’s not true.

What’s changed between then and now?

Maturity I guess. And less ego. When you’re stuck on your ego, you’re stuck on things that you think are better than other things. And then you start to create formulas for your acting in order to cater to these tastes, which makes you inflexible. And then it creates stress, when you’re not getting what you want. When you start to let go of it more, and just understand that these characters are different people, and it becomes fun. It’s nice when you can be surprised by situations you thought you had an outcome for.

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