The soothing stillness of Piolo

There’s something about Piolo Pascual which not everyone notices. If you are a keen observer, or someone who spends a lot of close encounters with him, you will see it in his manners, hear it in his mellifluous voice, sense it when you scan his photographs, and feel it when you watch him up close. It’s a stillness that’s quite soothing to the senses.

The reason why I think Pascual is fast morphing into a genuinely competent actor? He’s clean – in fact too clean – which sometimes arouses a lot of suspicions and nasty talk. He’s deep, which is a good place to draw all those emotions needed for a good take in front of the camera. He’s straight, meaning he knows where the gray areas are and when not to cross over.

He admits, though, that there are times when he can be volatile, and occasionally, very vulnerable. But the visceral young drama actor has, through the years, learned to look at love and life from a wider perspective.

"Often kasi, when you’re too involved with someone or something, you tend to get very subjective and other emotions tend to cloud your thought patterns, which prevent you from looking at things the way they are," he explains, admitting he’s had periods like these when he’s too engrossed with a role or when he’s too passionate with a person.

But the older one grows, the more one compiles lessons in the book of experience. At 20-something, Piolo’s pages are not as thick as say, those of celebrated politicians, or those who are products of dysfunctional set ups, but quite are significant in volume and content.

Well, he needs to be tough when he’s part of the dog eat dog world of show business. Piolo is aware that it’s a jungle where he is, and to survive, he has to keep his eyes wide open, his ego in constant check, and his mind always on alert mode.

Oh yes, he’s definitely had his share of hard battles, some of which he fought all by himself. There’s the continuous probing of his true sexuality, his alleged in-the-dark liaisons with equally popular personalities, his head-to-head collision with his former business agent, and other juicy items which the nosy public love so much to devour. These not only gave him sleepless nights and drained his energies, but also woke him up from the painful realities he has to learned to live with, considering this is the profession he chose to have.

But altruistic as he is, he’s able to turn the tide and create opportunities to rechannel his energies, specially as far as his being an actor is concerned. Piolo continues to reinvent himself – a must for longevity in the business.

There’s no denying he has made marked improvements in the acting front – from his impressive debut in Mel Chionglo’s Lagarista to his mega-successful outings with Judy Ann Santos, to his uninhibited portrayal of a male mermaid on Wansapanatym. Yet Piolo continues to strive for the next step up, carefully choosing projects that will give him more challenge.

He’s wrapped up work for Chito Roño’s Dekada 70, and his film 9 Mornings just opened a few days ago, wonderfully received by an evolving movie-going public. Directed by Jose Javier Reyes from the script of Antonio Sison, 9 Mornings is all about finding meaning in living, and being honest with oneself and others, the first step towards genuine happiness.

On the side, he’s reaping the fruits of his endorsement contract with a popular chicken house, earns dollars when he goes abroad with The Hunks for road shows, and upon accidentally discovering he’s got what it takes to make it as a solo singer, Piolo is thinking about interpreting an entry for a songwriting competition and is in the process of finishing a musical album.

Piolo believes his strongest asset is his ability to see things in simple terms. "When I get too caught up with something and start to get irritated, I remind myself to calm down, relax and breathe. So that my mind can function well," he says.

Piolo Pascual has learned to trust his instincts. At this bullish phase of his colorful career, he is not quite sure what he’ll do next – or where his hard-earned but well-deserved popularity would lead him to. But he’s confident life will deliver something interesting.

"I think finding meaning in one’s life is a never ending process," he says, adding that he thinks everyone of us is taking on that journey, whether we are conscious of it or not. He is also aware that we’re constantly distracted by stimulation and excitement, making it hard for us to truly find fulfillment in the things we do. "It’s not always a smooth path, and a lot of times, things always go deeper than what they seem to be, and that is really hard," he says.

But he admits that he’s, by and large, happy living a single, unattached existence. "There’s a lot to discover within yourself. And a lot to explore as far as possibilities are concerned. The more you know yourself, the better you can love yourself. So if the time comes when you meet someone whom you can offer your love to, you know you are ready."

They say that if you get to complete the nine morning dawn masses during the Christmas season, your wish will be granted. Whether he makes a sweep of the nueve-dias-misa-de-gallo or not, I’m sure the higher powers will grant the most fervent wish of Piolo Pascual’s benevolent heart.