Albert Martinez’s antagonist role as Engr. Priam dela Torre in ABS-CBN’s action-packed series The Iron Heart is what the veteran actor considers as the “scariest character” he has ever portrayed.
In the primetime show, Priam, who runs a mafia called Tatsulok, will do everything to avenge the death of his son.
“This is the scariest character I’ve played because with the wink of an eye, (he) can kill without thinking. He will not show mercy towards you. He is so sharp, he knows when he is wronged by a person. His persona is like that,” he said of his character during a brief interview on set of the series in Cebu City.
The Iron Heart stars Richard Gutierrez, Jake Cuenca, Sue Ramirez, Dimples Romana, Maricel Laxa, among others. It airs Mondays to Fridays at 8:45 p.m. on A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, Kapamilya Online Live on Facebook and YouTube, Jeepney TV, and TFC IPTV.
“(It is) physical to begin with. May pagka-recluse (siya) so he is not fashionable, he doesn’t care what he wears,” he further described Priam. “Ang mahirap lang talaga dito (is) this is the first time I’ve done a character, which is pain-driven. All of his actions are a result of pain. He lost his first son then he lost his second son. And he has no more reason to live. Parang ang point lang niya ay ma-avenge yung pagkawala ng anak niya.”
He continued, “When you’re pain-driven, the way you think is different. That for me is the hard part. Parang whenever I play Engr. Priam, I feel the pain of (him). And whenever he loses a comrade or he loses a family member, hindi mo siya ma-control, yung tears of loss nandun. ‘Pag nawawalan siya ng tao, he feels the pain all over again.”
Albert was “amazed” when the project was first presented to him because it was something that he had not done before. He remarked, “It’s something that I’m interested in doing and it’s something that I can play around with my character. If you notice, the characters dito… it’s like very animated characters, which are typical of a franchise film.”
In terms of similarities with Priam, the veteran actor said he is also “a very private person and very quiet” like his character. “Even the way he talks. He talks very low-key,” he added.
Other than that, Albert said he is very far from the Priam persona, most especially with his “desire to get revenge.” “He will not forgive until he gets his revenge. I don’t believe in revenge (in real life). I believe that all of the things that happened around us have reasons. That’s how I look at it unless it’s really intentional. I’m like that.”
According to the actor, when he gets hurt by someone, he will charge it to life. “Kumbaga maybe, you have a reason why you did it. And maybe, it’s unintentional. If it’s intentional, kargo mo yun, hindi ko kargo yun,” he added.
For his villain pegs, Albert studied the bad guys in international shows such as Breaking Bad, Sicario and Peaky Blinders.
Although he hasn’t done many action scenes as of writing, he is the one who commands the members of Tatsulok. “I control everyone. But then again, when push comes to shove, ‘pag na-corner mo siya, he will fight to death. So maganda.”
When asked if he also gets bashed for being the antihero in the series, he replied, “It’s just another character Albert is playing.”
“I’m not a social media guy to begin with. I have Instagram but it’s not like it’s my life. It’s just that being a celebrity, you are an actor, you are required to have social media to help promote your projects.
“But if you see my social media, it doesn’t tell you who am I or who I am. It’s more of what people want to see. It’s not like I’m gonna cry over and say this is what’s happening with my life right now. I miss this, blah blah.”
While noting how social media has “changed the landscape of show business because you can promote (one’s career),” he also observed how the platform has been used as a “sounding board.”
Albert explained, “I believe it should not be because you want the world to know what’s going on with your life and what you are thinking.”
“Pero kanya-kanyang opinion yan,” he opined. “Kanya-kanya sila. Maybe that’s their way of releasing hot air or something. But for me, personally, I don’t wanna say I’m against (it) but it’s just my personal opinion. Siguro hindi dapat na yung mga angst niyo with your family (or) with your neighbors, ilalagay mo on social media.”
He also cautioned parents like him to “more or less teach your kids that social media is not life.”
“Maybe social media can enhance your career if you wanna hit a goal. So, promote yourself based on what you wanna be in your career. For example, you are a good architect, you are a good painter or you are a good mechanic, post it. Show your work. So it enhances your goal in life,” he said.
“But for social media to become your life like you’re addicted to likes, to subscribers and all, it eats you up as a person. Again, this is just my opinion. This is how I feel about it,” he furthered.
“Old school” Albert noted that social media is also “good” because you can “learn a lot from it.” The “bad” side of it is that the platform is “being used to bash other people or create fake news,” he pointed out.
“So, there are pluses and minuses. You just have to decipher which one is good or bad for you,” he stated.