Dennis Trillo gets into the nitty-gritty of playing Crisostomo Ibarra
Actors are agile, adaptable and resilient. Dennis Trillo has proven to have mastered such characteristics needed for his craft and mustered the courage to essay diverse and meaty roles. This pandemic-and-new-normal period has seen the actor portraying a Maranaw royalty and a fall guy-inmate-hitman in Legal Wives and On The Job: The Missing 8, respectively.
Dennis is back on the small screen as Crisostomo Ibarra in the GMA 7 primetime historical portal fantasy series, Maria Clara at Ibarra. He accompanies viewers to rediscover the famous character of Noli Me Tangere, a novel written by National Hero Jose Rizal.
“First of all, you have to consider it (a) serious work. It’s tough to play a role and at the same make it (the portrayal) believable,” said the Kapuso actor of portraying a familiar, literary character in a recent virtual one-on-one with The STAR. “People have their own impression about Ibarra, like his appearance, he looks like Rizal because he is a representation of Rizal. Dun pa lang, medyo mabigat na yun.”
There’s the challenge for any actors to meet viewers’ preconceived notions and present new insights about the character. “You need to consider a lot of things in order to build the character,” added Dennis. Also important in his work is knowing Ibarra’s manner of speaking, a product of the character’s social class and time.
“Alam mo ang nakakatuwa, ang gustong mangyari ni direk ay magkaroon ng walang kanto, so meaning walang tono, ang parang gusto niya yung natural lang na pagbigkas (What’s interesting to note is, director Zig Dulay wants the delivery of dialogues devoid of a particular intonation. He wants it to be natural),” shared Dennis. But when he slips into the costume, he unconsciously delivers the dialogue with some rhythm. Scene after scene, Dennis has to remind himself that lines, when delivered, should not sound like a poem and Filipino and Spanish words should be pronounced properly.
The actor also agreed that making sense of a character’s voice and accent is pivotal to a portrayal because these also differentiate the persona from other dramatis personae. They reveal the era the character is living in and “set the right mood in the scene,” added he. These nuances establish the stark contrast between Ibarra and Barbie Forteza’s Maria Clara “Klay” Infantes, who is from the present.
“Ang galing din kasi talaga ni Barbie, sobrang galing niya (She’s really good),” said Dennis. “Ang sarap niya ka-eksena kasi nagiging natural yung mga eksena dahil napaka-natural niyang aktres (It’s enjoyable to share scenes with her because she makes them natural. She is such a natural actress). She’s really good in reacting to things around her, in her environment. She takes her work seriously.”
Barbie and the rest of the actors inspire Dennis to be at his best. The actor also derives inspiration from audience feedback online.
“We’re happy that a lot are tuning in and we see their comments,” said Dennis. The show has been receiving encouraging and good messages, which serve as a pat on the back of the Maria Clara at Ibarra production and creative teams.
As for playing Ibarra, Dennis said that the character is already complete. The only thing one can do is just research, unlike in a case wherein an actor is given a character that requires him to create it from scratch. The Felix Manalo film came to his mind and Dennis implied that he relied on audio recordings and the script to play the part, since no footage or videos were available.
In Maria Clara at Ibarra, however, Dennis said, “Here, everything is presented to you.” So, he has to take on the role and make audiences believe that it’s really the character they are watching. What also helps Dennis to be in the zone and be transported to Ibarra’s reimagined environment is the collection of costumes he gets to wear from morning till it’s time to pack up.
“Actually, when you watch it, everything seems or appears easy, kasi light lang. But when (you pay attention) to the technicalities, (you’ll find that it’s not). Dun pa lang sa costume namin, tatlong layers yun na makakapal na fabric,” shared Dennis. Then, actors are expected to look good and comfortable in their costumes. Aside from that, they have to think of the conservative social behavior the Spanish colonial time prescribes. All this nitty-gritty also shows how big Maria Clara at Ibarra is as a project.
“You should not waste the opportunities that are given to you,” said Dennis. Once that chance comes one’s way, he said, “I give it importance (and attention) and I value it. Ayokong sayangin yung tiwala na pinagkaloob nila (I don’t want to waste the trust they’ve given me).”
That’s why Dennis remains a visible and reliable actor. In spite of having found his foothold in acting, he still sees himself as a student.
“Every time I get to work with new actors (or collaborators), I learn from them. It’s (acting) really a learning experience,” said he, “You learn something new from the people you deal and interact with, wherever you may go, especially in a workplace.”
Asked how he balances his work life and family life, Dennis had this to say: “Sinisiguro ko lang na pantay yung oras na nabibigay ko sa kanila, lalong lalo na sa pamilya (I make sure that I give them equal amount of time and attention, especially to my family), at mayroon kaming bagong baby na kasama, sinama ko sila dito sa lock-in (taping) (and we have a new baby and I have brought them here).”
The actor and Jennylyn Mercado have a baby daughter named Dylan. Dennis shared that he rented a villa for his family. So, they can also bond together, while he shuttles from one location to another either in Ilocos Sur or Ilocos Norte. In his free time, they can explore the resort where they are billeted. Dennis finds the place nice because it is surrounded by mountains and trees.
With all that, Dennis is inspired to play Crisostomo Ibarra on the small screen.
Watch Maria Clara at Ibarra from Mondays to Fridays after 24 Oras.
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