Luis gears up for new movies

Fresh from his controversial role in ABS-CBN’s primetime soap, Gulong ng Palad, Luis Alandy is excited about his three upcoming movie projects.

Among them is Manay Po, Regal Films’ comic caper that takes a light-hearted peek at gay relationships.

"I play the boyfriend of Polo Ravales here," Luis explains. "It’s a very discreet relationship, and of course, it’s highlighted by passionate romance."

Even if it’s his first time to tackle a gay role in a movie, Luis didn’t feel squeamish at all.

"It helped a lot of course that Polo and I know each other well, after having worked together last year in Penis Talks," Luis elaborates. "We were just nervous about having to do retakes of the intimate scenes, but thankfully, we ended up just doing one take, and we didn’t even have to get drunk to do that."

Directed by Joel Lamangan and written by Dinno Erece, the movie also stars Cherrie Pie Picache, Christian Vasquez, John Prats, Jiro Manio, Giselle Sanchez, Mike Tan and LJ Reyes.

"I’m also doing Manny Pacquiao Story under FLT Films," he chimes. "I play the role of Bobby, Manny’s younger brother who’s also a boxer."

It’s a role that seems tailor-made for Luis’ chiseled physique, which is getting more defined these days as a result of gym workouts.

The third movie, still untitled, was written by Senedy Que and will be directed by Gil Portes. "It will be shot in Athens, Greece," Luis discloses. "So far, I think Ricky Davao will be part of it, too."

He also did two independent films: Lambanog, (starring Danica Sotto and John Lapus and directed by Paolo Herras) and Karma (where he co-stars with Alessandra de Rossi and directed by Briccio Santos).

"In Lambanog, the story revolves around me," he points out. "I’m finding my true love, going back to where I came from, which is Los Baños, Laguna. It’s a bit like Crash, where the individual stories of different people intertwine. For Karma, I play the boyfriend of Alessandra. It’s a suspense thriller."

Luis is still a sought-after product endorser, making his pitch for brands like Bench, Bioessence, HeadZone and Gold’s Gym.

Looking back, Luis is amazed at how his role in Gulong ng Palad has evolved through time. "No one knew I would eventually turn out the bad guy," admits Luis, who plays Diego in the TV series. "One time, an old lady even got mad at me for ‘acting’ the way I did, saying, ‘Why did you rape Kristine? It’s just right that you got jailed for what you did!’ Imagine that? I guess that just shows I’m doing my role well."

Although the series will end next month, Luis feels optimistic about getting better parts in the network’s future shows. "I’m very thankful for ABS-CBN for always giving me worthy roles," he says.

Asked about their all-male singing group, the Barako Boys, Luis laments the fact that their conflicting schedules eventually led to the group’s demise. "The friendship is still there though," admits the budding singer, "but we don’t do gigs anymore as a group."

Having parted ways with his long-time showbiz girlfriend, Luis is in no rush to get involved again at the moment. "Work is my main priority now," he emphasizes. "I’m thinking about the future. I want to have my own house in two years."

When not tending to his showbiz commitments, Luis tries to lead a pretty normal life. "I go to the gym, play basketball, go to the movies, go out with friends and play with my two dogs: a Schnauzer and a Labrador retriever," he says in closing.

Luis is being managed by Arnold Vegafria’s ALV Talent Circuit.