John Lloyd Cruz considers ‘Moneyslapper’ role his ‘most special’ yet

Contrary to perhaps popular belief, John Lloyd Cruz isn’t opposed to doing “mainstream” movies. In fact, the actor, who has been working with auteurs in recent years — most notably Lav Diaz, his frequent collaborator — has a ready response for anyone asking him to return to films with more commercial appeal.

“Wala ba itong commercial appeal?” he jokingly responded, pointing to his new film “Moneyslapper,” a dark comedy directed by Bor Ocampo, which is being showcased at the ongoing QCinema.

The STAR and two other press outlets got to interview John Lloyd during a roundtable chat on the Radyo Katipunan show “Level Up” of talent manager and Metro Manila filmfest spokesperson Noel Ferrer.

The leading man in some of the biggest box-office romance films in the country, John Lloyd hinted that he’s actually been quietly exploring such projects and never really stopped searching for the right material. But it seems the stars have not aligned yet.

“You know, I haven’t really stopped. We’ve been developing things for years now — I don’t want to say it because it might be preemptive. Talaga wala lang siguro, sila din yung mga ka-jamming ko. I wish I could tell you more. I don’t want to name names, but one project is already on its third draft, and we’ve been brainstorming on another for almost two years,” he said.

“Maybe that’s why I’ve ended up doing more serious films, yung branding na hindi mainstream… kasi itong stage kong ito ngayon, actually, it’s more difficult to make a film. For example, me and Sarah (Geronimo), if we make a film now, it’s going to be more difficult.

Set in Porac, Pampanga, the film tells the story of a young man named Daniel (John Lloyd), who abandons his motherland after winning the biggest cash prize in the history of Philippine lottery.

“So it’s like, if we don’t welcome or embrace that challenge… ako nga gusto ko isama yun, yung ano pa yung gagawin natin. But hindi pa nagtutugma yung mga utak namin. It’s not about scheduling. Sila rin kasi, my co-actors, parang gusto na rin nila kutkutin.”

John Lloyd also qualified that the concept of mainstream nowadays is not clear cut but rather changing.

“You don’t know what’s mainstream now. When I watched ‘Past Lives,’ (naisip ko) yan ang pwede! That could be done,” he said.

“So, I always get questioned about that, ‘Why don’t you like mainstream? Idol, mainstream naman d’yan (give us something mainstream.’ You know, it’s not my fault (laughs). I’m not a writer; you should be sending messages like that to the writers.

“I’m just an actor standing in front of you,” he said, playfully referencing an iconic line from the romantic-comedy “Notting Hill.”

On the subject of romantic films, he was asked if he had already reached the saturation point of the genre.

He mused, “Mahirap ma-in love ha ng paulit ulit. Kasalanan nila lahat ito. Inubos nila ang pagmamahal na ayaw ibigay. Tapos nag asawa ng iba.”

Then he said, “I can’t wait to fall in love again in cinema. You think I’m not waiting for it to happen?”

John Lloyd was also queried about his favorite onscreen partner.

“Alam ko lahat favorite ko. Nagpapasalamat ako na may script na si Sarah kasama ko, ‘pag may drama si Bea (Alonzo) ang nakasama ko. Mahirap yung trabaho na sana pretend nalang. But you have a bond, not necessarily falling in love because that’s very one-dimensional, it’s more layered. Biro mo mag-aaway kayo, ilang araw nag-aaway, tapos hanggang magkakatoo na away niyo… but that’s normal. Okay nga. (It means) there’s bearing.”

In the meantime, audiences can watch him on the satirical “Moneyslapper,” an entry to the Asian Next Wave category of QCinema. The schedules for the last two screenings are Nov. 15 at the Shangri-La Red Carpet Cinema 4, 6:50 p.m. and Nov. 17 at Gateway Cinema 15, 2:25 p.m.

Here’s the synopsis: “Set in Porac, Pampanga, the film tells the story of a young man named Daniel (John Lloyd), who abandons his motherland after winning the biggest cash prize in the history of Philippine lottery. Five years later, he is searching for home and redemption through the people that make up his past. With each visit, his story unfolds like the last digit of a winning combination.”

John Lloyd said that his role here is his most special yet. “This is the first script that I read after I left ABS (CBN),” he said, referring to his indefinite showbiz hiatus in 2017 to focus on his personal life then.

“So at that time, when I saw the script, I found it hard to do and very hard to let go. I could not put it down. Pagbasa ko dire-diretso. Just like when I read ‘Servando Magdamag’ of Ricky Lee, wow, ang hirap ibaba!

“As time went on, Bor Ocampo was really patient with me, and I saw that his passion goes beyond just cinema. He connects with you as a person — he sees and understands your struggles. Tapos taon na yung binibilang namin, magkausap pa rin kami. I feel like I needed to do this project. Hindi pwedeng hindi.”

According to him, the role was also fitting for where he was in his life at that time he made it. He believed that it also led him to his current girlfriend, visual artist Isabel Santos.

“If the offer didn’t happen, I wouldn’t know Isabel. I mean, kung hindi nangyari yun… struggle ‘di ba? It means a lot. But honestly, if the film offer didn’t happen, many other things would not happen. ‘Dun talaga nagsimula,” he said.

He continued, “(The film) is not about me. But imagine that happened to him, ganun tingin natin sa kanila, ‘di ba parang malagkit yun sa dibdib? Hopefully, audiences see it as a story, they will see this at that level — molecular — as a family unit, that’s what can happen and that’s what is happening.”

When asked how he thinks fans will react to “Moneyslapper,” he admitted, “I have to manage my expectations. This theme might make some people raise an eyebrow, disagree, or even not care. With how tough life is, they might think, ‘Why should we care about this? Why is this being shown to us?’

“That’s not our point. For us, we believe in what the story is trying to say. And for others who may struggle to understand the state of the country, of each family, of every individual, I hope this can bring a bit of comfort. I hope people understand what it’s trying to express.”

John Lloyd shared what he missed about making films, especially when he took a break some years back.

“Madami. Everything I went through over the past 20 years, that’s where it all started and led me to where I am now. So maybe ‘di pa lang siguro nangyayari kasi ‘di pa kailangan or meron pang iba, but this is a good step. I feel something different about this opportunity of ‘Moneyslapper’ at QCinema,” he said.

He further revealed that “Moneyslapper,” which was filmed in 2022, was submitted twice to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) but didn’t make the cut. "So that’s okay, let’s leave it at that. No need to try a third time," he mused. “But with QCinema, I think the film will have its deserving audience.”

John Lloyd is also not just the lead star of the film, he's acknowledged as a creative collaborator. Screenplay is courtesy of Jason Paul Laxamana and Norman Wilwayco. The film also stars Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Charlie Dizon, Mercedes Cabral, Jojit Lorenzo, Susan Africa, Ronnie Lazaro, Mae Paner, Joel Saracho and even director Lav Diaz.