Can Dennis fly?

Dennis Trillo has reason to be jubilant. It seems that he is the only actor who can be seen in an afternoon soap as Stan (a role originated by Christopher de Leon) in the TV remake of Laurice Guillen’s well-made ‘80s komiks-based melodrama Kung Mahawi Man Ang Ulap on primetime and as Gallian, the Blue Zaido in the Kapuso network’s newest telefantasya Zaido Pulis Pangkalawakan.

“I feel so privileged,” says Dennis, whose acting skills by now had been tried and tested, notably in his breakthrough part as the cross-dressing wartime hero/heroine of Aishite Imasu (2004). “Every project that GMA gives me is always better than the previous one.”

When he tells you his fellow leads Marky Cielo as the Green Zaido and Aljur Abrenica as Red Zaido, both products of StarStruck are “professional and good actors,” you tend to take his word for it. Their only waterloo — all three of them — is the fact that no one knew his way around a motorcycle. “We underwent all sorts of fight training,” shares Dennis. “The only problem was that all of us didn’t know how to drive a motorcycle. We had a one-day driving lesson and after that, we were like pros already.”

It goes without saying that making Zaido is an experience Dennis will treasure for long. “It’s a dream come true,” he adds with a smile.

“I’ve never been given something like this. It’s a show I used to watch as a kid and now I’ll be part of the group that will breathe new life to it.”

Dennis has such great faith on the project that he is not the least bit worried that it will be up against another fantasy series from GMA 7’s rival station. “It’s relatively fresher (Zaido),” Dennis points out Zaido’s edge over the competition. “The other show has been done several times on the big screen. People will be more curious to see Zaido which is based on Shaider, the popular Japanese-made series in the ‘80s and they will not be disappointed.”

Contrary to what others might think, doing a fantasy show is not exactly a breeze. “Drama is my respite,” Dennis says. “This (Zaido) is harder to do. Drama does not require you to wear a costume. You usually  just tape inside a house.”

Speaking of costumes, Zaido’s three lead actors’ tight-fitting superhero get-up will no doubt excite viewers. “We were uneasy at first. But this is what the role calls for. So you have to learn to be comfortable in it. Otherwise, you won’t be able to adjust and you won’t be able to enjoy doing your role. Some may be focusing on that area but then this is really what galactic characters like the ones on Star Trek wear. So you have to accept and adjust.”

Some quarters may opine that fantasy-oriented soaps serve to undermine Dennis’ ample dramatic talents but then the 26-year-old thespian is not one to run way from a challenge. It could be because superhero characters, be they foreign or local, hold a certain appeal that never fails to fascinate. “I’d like to do a remake of Spider-Man,” Dennis agrees to a colleague’s observation that he would fit perfectly into the role popularized by Hollywood heartthrob Tobey Maguire. “But then if I were to have superpowers,” Dennis continues, revealing a sensible side which we believe is always just lurking behind the somehow shallow matinee idol label. “I’d like to have an especially designed watch which I can adjust according to my heart’s desire. That way, I can have control over what might still transpire.”