Diego hits the road for History

MANILA, Philippines — In Perth, Australia, where Diego Loyzaga grew up and lived for 11 years, the young actor had no idea that his parents are esteemed actor and actress in the Philippines.

Diego’s mom is actress Teresa Loyzaga and dad is actor Cesar Montano. Little did Diego know he would later pursue the same path, where his parents established their respective enviable status in showbiz.

“I wasn’t aware that my mom and dad were in showbiz and they could act,” Diego shares. “I knew mom sang because I would always hear her sing. I know Tita Bing is in showbiz and she never stopped acting, like my mom did. I never really asked or I didn’t bother to ask. I would only know about it when I would see my relatives. I didn’t know mom and dad were stars here.”

Diego, however, need not be convinced to pursue acting. It’s in his blood, so it was only a matter of time before he also joined showbiz. “My dad didn’t encourage me because he wanted me to finish my studies,” Diego admits. “When I started in showbiz, I didn’t test the waters. I jumped right into it. The good thing is my mom supported me from the start.”

He was about to enter De La Salle University (DLSU) and go into college when showbiz beckoned and the opportunities came for Diego. He started a teleserye, Mara Clara, on ABS-CBN, where he played the role of the late Rico Yan.

Admittedly, Diego had to struggle in learning Tagalog in order to communicate easily and more importantly, deliver his lines on TV better. “Until today, I still have to learn how to pronounce certain Tagalog words,” Diego says. “The learning never stops once you’re into showbiz full-time.”

Today, Diego has made a name for himself as an actor. He is also a model and video jock (on MYX Channel). Recently, Diego was invited to join Celebrity Car Wars, Season 3, an action-reality series on History Channel.

“They told me they were looking for a cocky 20 year old, someone who’s very outgoing kind of guy, someone who leaves a mark right away,” shares Diego, who turned 23 last May. “Apparently, they saw all those traits in me. I couldn’t be thankful enough to be part of this show.”

For 12 days, Diego was locked in with his fellow participants, including fellow actor Xian Lim, to start the new season of Celebrity Car Wars. The show is a mix of competition, fun, rivalry and adventure, definitely bigger, better, more outlandish and rollicking.

“That time was like a retreat for me,” grants Diego. “I learned a lot being with the other participants, what to do, what not to do, what to improve on. Apart from literally the challenges and the tasks, you need to compete against yourself in racing.

“Before you worry about the good cars in front of you or behind you, your mindset is that you’re always fighting with yourself. What’s your QTT (Quick Thermal Transfer) or what is your pole position in the grid? You’re not facing anybody else but yourself. When you make a mistake, remember, you’re the only one inside the car. Patience is really a virtue.”

When he’s not busy with showbiz work, Diego spends time in the gym (to get in shape for a film role), plays basketball, boxes or goes out with his friends to watch movies. Then, he shares what he learned from director Rahyan Carlos, who teaches the Ivana Chubbuck acting technique.

“I don’t just watch movies,” Diego points out. “What I learned from director Rahyan is that you should always watch movies, whether you like the movie or not, whether you’re a fan of whatever movie or not, whether you like the actor or director or not.

“You should watch everything and anything you can watch. You get to see what makes the movie good or why the movie can be better or what makes the movie attractive. He said I should always learn from watching movies.”

So far, that has been Diego’s “constant homework” and that’s certainly doing him good.