Echo no reason to feel insecure

MANILA, Philippines - Those who are tuned in to Bridges of Love on ABS-CBN night after night are saying that Paulo Avelino often outshines Jericho Rosales in their many confrontation scenes as brothers Gael Nakpil and Carlos Antonio, respectively.

In fact, it was only last week when Paulo once again displayed his intense acting during his and Jericho’s face-off-cum-revelation scene. This made many to wonder if Jericho feels insecure around Paulo.

 Jericho, who is also fondly called Echo, says, “For me, I’m a team player who is ready for any challenge na tipong ’pag hinarapan ako ng challenge, haharapin ko talaga ‘yun. But of course, people just see what’s on TV and they are quick to say, ‘Ah, he has more scenes than you.’ Ako naman, I know the whole story and there’s no reason for me to feel insecure when it comes to our roles. If this is his time to shine, then I’ll give it to him.”

He, too, reminds that shows nowadays no longer rely on a solo star. “It’s a different landscape now because you don’t just see one person being the lead star of a show but you always see two or more like here in Bridges.”

And if one is to recall the show’s past episodes, all stars had been given equal exposure. Echo had his “shining moment” during the early part of the show. Same with another lead star Maja Salvador who, according to reports, caught much attention when she performed a sexy number as bar dancer Mia Sandoval. Carmina Villarroel, Edu Manzano, Maureen Mauricio, Lito Pimentel and John Manalo also had their fair share of the spotlight.

 “I’ve been working (as an actor) for 20 years and I’ve given my heart and soul to it. I always look at longevity; my career is not always about rising up, it’s also about giving someone a chance to shine,” adds Echo. “To me, my validation (as an actor) doesn’t come from tweets or from the number of scenes (I’ve appeared in), it comes from how I was able to do a great job to the role.”

Thus, expect a more impressive acting performance from Echo in the last three weeks of Bridges of Love, especially now that he has found out that his long-lost brother JR and rival in love Carlos are one and the same.

“Will Gael fight for his love? That you have to find out because it’s a tough situation where you have to make a concrete decision,” shares Echo on one of the show’s not-to be-missed part.

In the almost five months of playing Gael, Echo admits to having imbibed his character’s persona. “Mas lalo na-strengthen ’yung love ko sa mga kapatid ko because I’m a kuya myself. Like Gael, I also value my family, and of course, I admire Gael’s sacrifice. I think it’s my mission here to show the importance of family.”

Off-cam, the cast members have become closer and treat one another like family. Maja often shares her baon with Paulo, while Echo sings along and jams with them during taping breaks. According to Maja, it is Paulo who usually plays the guitar.

After Bridges, Echo will fly to Canada to visit his family before heading to London for ASAP. When he comes home, Echo will prepare for an indie movie and take some time to oversee his barbershop business. A new teleserye will keep him busy again by early next year.

“So, relax muna after Bridges. Definitely, I will go surfing pumuputi na kasi ako (laughs).”

Asked if he and wife Kim Jones are now ready to have a baby, Echo answers, “Since Kim is working for different brands and her work requires her to travel, we can’t really have a baby yet. But right now, she’s preparing her body for pregnancy so that when God tells us this is the time (to have a child), then okay. Ako din, I want to be a good dad to our future kids. Right now, we can’t really handle that yet so enjoy muna kaming dalawa, plus I have a son (Santino) to spend some time with. I just need to balance everything well.”