Even after years in the acting business, Dingdong Dantes still considers himself a “work-in-progress.” That’s why he’s always on the lookout for roles that give him — to borrow the title of his latest starrer — A Hard Day. For one of Philippine showbiz’s favorite leading men, to be a better actor is to seek out projects that make him “uncomfortable.”
“Gusto ko yung parati akong na-e-excite, yung tipong hindi ako comfortable,” said the Kapuso star, who started out as a teen actor and dancer in the ‘90s, in a recent exclusive Zoom interview.
“May term nga kaming ginagamit parati sa aming line of work — we call it ‘edge work.’ We want to be in a certain place where it’s no longer comfortable because that’s the only place wherein an actor can grow.
“So, for me, I want to always be on that edge because I’m able to challenge myself para mas malawak at mas marami akong natutunan as an artist. For me, yun yung parati kong iniisip sa pagpili ng mga roles. And this (A Hard Day), literally, has put me on that edge na talagang, ‘Whoa! Push natin ‘to.’”
A Hard Day, directed by Lawrence Fajardo for Viva Films, is one of the entries in the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), which is being held amid the reopening of cinemas after over a year of closure due to the pandemic.
The Filipino adaptation of the critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful 2014 South Korean thriller of the same title, tells the story of police detective Edmund Villon (Dingdong) who in the span of 24 hours encounters a series of unfortunate events. His mom has died. He is being investigated for corruption. He figures in a hit-and-run incident.
He tries to cover it up and dispose of the body by stashing it in his mother’s coffin. But a certain Lt. Ace “Alas” Franco (John Arcilla) appears out of nowhere and starts throwing threats, warning to expose Villon’s crime if he doesn’t hand over the corpse of the man he accidentally killed. As it turns out, the dead person isn’t just any ordinary pedestrian.
A Hard Day was awarded the third Best Picture winner at the recently-held MMFF Gabi ng Parangal.
Dingdong said he was attracted to the material because it delved into the moral decisions people would make when thrust to a corner.
“I think it’s very real, true to the times. Also, I think, nahu-humanize lalo yung character because of the situation he is in. Regardless of your job, whether you are a policeman or a company executive, kapag malagay sa peligro yung pagkatao mo, ano kaya yung choices mo? Ano kaya yung gagawin mo? Ito yung naging interesting para sa akin nung nakita ko at napanood ko yung Korean version,” he said.
“Aside from the fact that it is very exciting and interesting when it comes to the suspense element and its entertainment value. This, plus, so many other reasons, that I said, yeah, let’s do it. Because I was challenged in this role, I wanted to do it. It’s something new for me also,” he added.
When asked about the first thing he did in preparation for the role, Dingdong honestly said, “I had no idea how to interpret my role. I went to the set on the first day having zero plan of attack.”
However, he said he entered the set with full trust in the collaborative kind of work he would create with his director and co-stars.
“You need to be able to adapt to the situation and know how to adapt to your co-workers because you can’t tell stories on your own,” he said.
“And because our director (Law Fajardo) was very open, because my co-actors were also so involved and invested into their characters, it was easier for me to form my character. I had a clue on the framework but, you know, they really filled up the missing pieces. I think that’s the beauty of filmmaking: You create it with your co-actors, you create it with your directors, you create it with the scene, you create with the stimulus.”
For providing that stimulus, the actor heaped praise on John Arcilla, who earlier this year won the Volpi Cup, the highest acting honor at the Venice International Film Festival.
“I was so lucky to be able to work with him in this film, in this career, and I must say, in this lifetime. He’s really the epitome of a professional, of someone who values ??his craft. You can really see the dedication he has to what he does, and that’s really something I look up to, something that I respect so much,” said Dingdong.
Grateful to Viva for casting them together, he hoped newbies would also be blessed with the opportunity to work with the veteran actor.
“Ako kasi, I learn every day, I’m a work-in-progress and I very much welcome the inputs. Kahit na di niya (Arcilla) sinasadyang ibinibigay sa akin, ang dami kong nakukuha sa kanya, things that can improve my job as an actor.”
He further shared that Arcilla was doing multiple projects that overlapped with the filming of A Hard Day and yet, they hardly heard a complaint from him.
“My measure of excellence really is whenever he steps into the scene, literally, I become afraid of him. He wears his character perfectly. I can’t imagine how I could fulfill my responsibility as an actor if he didn’t give me that stimulus. So, napakalaking bagay talaga na kasama ko dito si Heneral Luna, that’s how I call him (after his iconic film character). It’s one opportunity I’ll be grateful for — forever.”
Dingdong recalled they also shot scenes in chronological order. He believed it had helped make the suspense build-up more authentic and felt. “I think that’s one of the most important things in a suspense film — your journey as an actor. If you can also ride the journey of the character, you, as an actor, will also be excited. You will naturally get carried away because of the flow of the story.”
Meanwhile, Dingdong is no stranger to starring in Filipino versions of Korean content. Previously, he starred in the TV adaptations of Endless Love (with then girlfriend and now wife Marian Rivera) and Descendants of the Sun.
For him, based on these projects, Korean storytelling has resonated with Filipino audiences because of such similar elements and themes as attachment to family and passionate love.
While stressing their A Hard Day as “very, very Filipino,” he said, “If we can learn something good from (Korean) storytelling and if it works, why not? But we also have to always make sure that we interpret it our own way and not just rely solely on their material and just create like a copy of that. Kailangan may interpretation pa rin kasi dun pumapasok yung artistry.
“But if you know something is working and that something can make people happy through entertainment, why not? As long as we make sure we make it our own and insert that element of being Filipino into these stories.”
Dingdong, who will be next seen in a GMA mini-series in 2022, is happy that his latest film is being released as people are returning to the cinemas. But even as the pandemic situation in the country has improved, the new normal will continue to pose challenges to the entertainment industry.
He said, “I’m aware that it would be definitely more challenging for the industry and of course, for us actors. I think yung mga challenges na ito, eh dumating din naman para magkaroon ng kanya-kanyang reform, not just for the entertainment industry, but for everyone. Even in our own homes, there are challenges and the message there is you have to reform your health protocols.”
It’s the same for show business, Dingdong added. But while there are changes in how content is now being made, with lock-in tapings and all, nothing has changed in terms of the principal objective of creating stories, he stressed.
“That’s why I think we always have to think of ways to adapt. We always have to think of ways to survive despite the challenges. We can’t just stop, kelangan tuloy-tuloy but within the boundaries of what it’s safe and right.”
This is why he is also taking his hat off to the MMFF organizers.
“Talagang tinaya nila at sinabi nila, hindi mag-ha-hardline tayo dito, na itutuloy natin ang pagbubukas ng mga sinehan, tulad ng pagbubukas ng maraming industriya. Although medyo nahuli nga tayo, but we got to start somewhere, right? And I think this is such a promising start and hopefully, many will be able to watch and appreciate the reopening of cinemas.”