The evolution of Sandino Martin

First things first: Sandino Martin is not in any way related to celebrities surnamed Martin, neither to Carmi Martin nor to Ricky Martin, and definitely not to Coco Martin (whose real name is Rodel Nacianceno).

Born Augusto Rafael Sandino Martin on Oct. 12, 1991 (a Goat according to the Chinese astrology), Sandino was named after Augusto Cesar Sandino, a.k.a. Augusto Nicolas Calderon Sandino, the assassinated Nicaraguan revolutionary called “a bandit” by the US government after he led a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the US military occupation of Nicaragua.

“My father was a revolutionary (an activist in local parlance),” said Sandino who didn’t name him, “and that must be why he chose that name for me. He and my mom (Shirley Bayona) separated more than six years ago and he has his own other family now. In the beginning, their separation felt like langit at impierno (heaven and hell) to me, but everything is okay now. We are all in good terms.”

Unlike his father, Sandino is not a “revolutionary.” Instead of politics, he was inclined towards the performing arts. He took up Theater Arts in UP where he was active in plays together with contemporaries JC Santos and JM de Guzman, who are among the new breed of talented young actors who have successfully crossed over from stage to screen.

It was in Ang Larawan, 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Best Picture, where Sandino turned curious heads for his low-key, self-contained performance as Bitoy, the narrator of the story based on Nick Joaquin’s classic oft-staged play Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.

“I was on Cloud 9 performing with veteran actors,” confessed Sandino who beat good friend JC for the role, thanks to his singing prowess and who did a thorough research before the shoot since he said he was clueless what Ang Larawan was all about. “In that scene where Joanna (Ampil, Best Actress) is delivering a monologue, I was totally floored. Ang husay-husay niya, natulala talaga ako.”

Even if he didn’t have any difficulty in the singing parts, still Sandino had to undergo voice lessons under Emmy Cayabyab (wife of Ryan “Mr. C” Cayabyab).

“Ma’am Emmy asked me,’Sino ba ang gagayahin natin?’ I said, ‘Si Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables.’ I thank my mom from whom I got my singing talent. She used to be an amateur singer and she was always singing at home.”

Sandino will have to hone his singing talent some more for the musical remake of Himala, Ishmael Bernal’s classic film that immortalized Nora Aunor as pseudo-visionary Elsa’s line: “Walang himala. Ang himala ay nasa puso ng tao...” He plays Pilo (Pen Medina in the film), Elsa’s right-hand woman Chayong’s (Laura Centeno in the film) lover who was driven to commit unspeakable crimes. Aicelle Santos gets her biggest break (and challenge) as Elsa.

Produced by The Sandbox Collective and 9 Works Theatrical, Himala: Isang Musikal is opening on Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Power MAC Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati. The original musical with book and lyrics by Ricky Lee, and music and lyrics by Vince de Jesus is directed by Ed Lacson Jr.(also the set designer).

Barely three years before Ang Larawan and Himala, Sandino was in Singapore teaching speech and drama to toddlers in daycare centers. “Yes, toddlers talaga. I was very happy because I love kids.” Back from Singapore in 2014, Sandino passed an audition for a lead role in Unfriend (with Angelo Ilagan), a critically-acclaimed indie film directed by Jay Altarejos that had its world premiere at the Berlinale.

“I stayed behind in Berlin with my foster family. It was Brillante (Mendoza) who introduced me to the family who happened to be his friend. For one month, I watched all the foreign films that I could.”

Back home, he was cast by Cinema One in Dagitab (with Eula Valdes and Martin del Rosario), followed by the R-16 Esprit de Corps (with JC) in which he was nude in most scenes. Esprit de Corps won him Best Actor in the Cinema One Digital Film Festival.

“I have no qualms about doing a gay film or nude scenes,” stressed Sandino. “It doesn’t make me a lesser person. I am secure with my sexuality. And I’m not homophobic. Besides, that’s part of my work as an actor,” adding with a laugh, “but I don’t think I will do it again in the next 10 years. Also, I cannot do it in theater in front of a live audience. During the shoot for Esprit de Corps, there were only five people on the set including JC, the director and the cameraman.”

He returned to Berlin and attended a 10-day crash course at the Berlinale’s Talent Camp, along with Dan Villegas (for cinematography) and Sigrid Andrea Bernardo (for directing). Sandino did Oro, the controversial 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival entry with a scene showing a dog being butchered. He also starred in Ringgo: The Dog Shooter that won him Best Performance by an Actor at the World Premieres Film Festival (2016). In his latest film, Star Cinema’s Changing Partners (for which he was nominated Best Actor in the Cinema One Originals), Sandino stars with Agot Isidro, Anna Luna (of Maestro fame) and theater actor Jojit Lorenzo, directed by Dan Villegas. The plot is somewhat “confusing” and Sandino made it sound so simple.

“Basically, you are following only one couple; there are only two characters, Alex (the older one) and Cris (the younger one). I and Anna are Cris. Agot and Jojit’s character are just one. Nagbabago-bago lang ang variety at ang takbo ng istorya...nagiging May-December (affair), then nagiging lesbian relationship, so on and so forth.”

If that sounded more confusing, I advise you to just watch Changing Partners which is still showing in mainstream cinema (after a run at the Cinema One competition).

Didn’t Sandino get, uhm, “excited” in his love scenes with Agot (who admitted being 50-something)?

“Our love scenes were really torrid but I tried not to get carried away. Kapag may naisip ako, I would tell Agot, ‘May gagawin ako,’ para hindi niya isipin na binabastos ko siya. And Agot would say, ‘Go ahead.’ She amazed me. Agot doesn’t look her age. She’s still beautiful and young-looking.”  

Like Lino Brocka, Sandino was raised a Mormon (although he said he’s not a practicing one).

“As far as I know, bawal sa mga Mormon ang anything addicting,” said Sandino, described by friends as clean-living, who heard that Lani Misalucha is also a Mormon. “Being a Mormon doesn’t limit my choice of roles.”

Asked who his role models are, Sandino didn’t mention an actor unlike most young actors.

“My idol is my mom. She used to be a teacher, a hardworking lady who has been working for years. She’s hypertensive, parating tumataas ang blood pressure, so I told her to stop working. My sister and I are working and we want her to rest; she deserves it. Enjoy life! I saved to put up a burger stand for her.”

(For tickets to Himala: Isang Musikal, call 0917-5545560, landline 586-7105 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.)

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