Zanjoe doesn’t mind playing dad

Some actors are very careful about taking on father roles because they feel that doing so “ages” them. But Zanjoe Marudo doesn’t seem to mind. The hunky Star Magic artist played a father role to great success in Anna Liza, and he’s doing it again in Dream Dad, where he plays the adoptive father of the newest screen moppet, five-year-old Jana Agoncillo.

It’s a mystery to Zanjoe how he became the perfect onscreen dad. “With Anna Liza, it just happened. I was able to develop onscreen chemistry with Andrea (Brillantes, the show’s title-roler). Nakakatuwa kasi tinuring niya talaga akong parang tatay niya. Kaya siguro maganda ‘yung kinalabasan. Here in Dream Dad, I also have a good team-up with Jana (Agoncillo, who was first seen in the Downtown commercial with Marita Zobel before making her TV debut in Dream Dad) kasi napaka-cute ng bata. Wala pa siyang ginagawa, nakatingin lang ako sa kanya, hindi ko na kailangang umarte kasi parang automatic ‘yung lumalabas kasi sobrang cute niya. Yung mata niya, buhay na buhay, tapos ‘pag sumasayaw siya, napakagaling, napaka-natural niya umarte, ang galing niya mag-deliver ng lines, so hindi na kami nahihirapan.”

He’s not a dad, he’s not even married, but Zanjoe is such a natural at playing father roles. If and when he does get married, would he consider adopting a child, since the two fathers he’s played onscreen are both adoptive dads?

“I haven’t thought about it,” he admits. “Siyempre, gusto ko sarili kong anak. Hindi ko naman sinasabing hindi ko gagawin (ang mag-ampon) pero sa ngayon hindi ko pa naiisip dahil may inaalagaan akong aso. Medyo mahirap na,” laughs Zanjoe.

According to him, working with children like Jana on the set already makes him feel like a dad in real life.

The real source of concern on the set of Dream Dad is playing the lead role. This is the first time that Zanjoe is playing the title role rather than just supporting a title-role actress.

Does it make him nervous? Yes, but for a good reason. Zanjoe believes that as an actor, he should be nervous because that will keep him on his toes and will stop him from becoming too complacent.

“Of course, you can’t help but feel nervous — I think that’s important,” acknowledges Zanjoe. “Dapat kinakabahan ka pa rin kahit papaano, di ba? Kasi ‘pag masyado ka namang kampante, hindi rin maganda.”

Instead of giving in to the pressure, what works more for him is to focus on the character.

He shares, “Mas importante na intindihin ko ‘yung character, yung role, hindi yung mag-rate ba ito, mas mawawala ka sa focus. Mas magandang intindihin mo siguro ‘yung bawat eksena, bawat taping, ‘yung trabahong ginagawa mo, alagaan mo ‘yung sarili mo. Tapos ‘pag maganda ang kinalabasan nu’n, susunod naman lahat ‘yon.”

Zanjoe says it always helps him as an actor to have a real-life peg, or someone to model the character on. In the case of Dream Dad, the peg is his own father. “Siguro dahil sa na-experience ko, kaya rin ako nakakaarte bilang tatay kahit wala pa akong anak ay dahil siguro sa time na binigay ng tatay ko nu’ng bata pa ako. Kasi kahit tumanda ka, hindi mo makakalimutan ‘yon. Bitbit mo lagi ‘yon.”