John Lloyd Cruz: Sunday Honey

On lazy afternoons, hung-over from the previous night’s party, or stuffed to the throat from lunch at grandma’s, one-hour installments of rural living by the creek have become a staple element in typical Sunday viewing. Friendship and betrayal, puppy love and heartbreak, and yes, even marriage and annulment are just but a few of the things that have made the teen-turned-not-so-teen Tabing Ilog into one of the very select weekly shows to survive the unpredictable ratings on television. After running its many seasons over the air, Rovic, a character portrayed by 19-year-old John Lloyd Cruz has become a familiar face and name to Tabing Ilog patrons. He has become the Sunday afternoon tea, which makes the thought of going back to reality the next day a bit more bearable.

"I never thought I would be in showbiz. I really wanted to become either a soldier or pilot. A talent scout approached me and asked me to audition for the Talent Center. That’s how it all began," narrates John Lloyd of his sudden change in plans. Having taken a detour from being a standard schoolboy to one of the most promising young actors, he has been served the perfect slice of cake to match his very own flavor. "Many of the roles I have portrayed so far, are similar to who I really am," he shares. Needless to say, this does not mean that John Lloyd has, at such an early stage in his career, been thrown into the pits of type-casting. "I’d like to try different roles and new fields in acting. I know that these things will come in its own time so for now, whatever project I get, I make sure to give it my all," he explains of his chosen craft. Despite his inclination for drama, John Lloyd’s idea of icing on his cake would be the sugar-rushed role of George Clooney (Danny Ocean) in Ocean’s Eleven. "It would probably be nice to play Mr. Smooth or at least be like him for a change," he says with a smile that could only belong to the endearing lola’s boy in Tabing Ilog. At that, a cliché often said in acting workshops begins to fill the air—"There are no small roles, only small actors."

Once in the limelight, an essential in life called Privacy begins to leave one’s side. This, much like Newton’s law of gravity, is an inevitable force that surrounds the world of entertainment. Being the optimist that he is, John Lloyd says, "Invasion of privacy, having fans and reporters around even on your bad days, is all part of being an artist." Apparently, he sees no distress in this trade-off. Whether there are eyes on him or not, once the curtains are down, he buffs up at the gym, goes to the mall, sees the latest flicks, and spends time with his girlfriend. Yep! That’s right and there’s no hiding it—tea finds his honey and should any names be brought up, don’t expect to hear any overly used lines like "Friends lang kami" from him. Instead, he’d simply state that, "Heaven is in her arms." A whole song could just as well be composed from those words, a few cringes might arise now and then, but as John Lloyd would put it, "What matters most is that I’m true to myself and those close to me." Optimism, girlfriend, and Bible (something he says he can’t live without) at hand, it sure looks like John Lloyd has all his bases covered. "I plan to stay (in showbiz)," he declares as if he were actually getting ready for battle in Middle Earth (better yet, Tabing Ilog).

By now it may seem like John Lloyd is all about afternoon tea, cake, and everything nice. Well, of course he is. But just when you think you’ve heard it all, he reveals, "I’d like to try backpacking and extreme sports. Traveling and exploring other places on my own would also be nice. As for my career, I think doing real-life stories like Johnny Depp would be a challenge." Having said that, it was pretty apparent that there’s more to John Lloyd Cruz than meets the Sunday afternoon eye. He is obviously ready to leave the creek side, add some action to the perfectly timed tears that fall from his eyes on dramatic scenes, and put a little more spice to the perfect brew that he has already become.