MANILA, Philippines — Richard Gutierrez has expressed eagerness to work alongside his wife, Sarah Lahbati, in an action project. This comes on the heels of the actress’ unexpected cameo in the recent conclusion of his ABS-CBN primetime show The Iron Heart.
In the last scene, it was Sarah’s mysterious character who assigned a new mission to Richard’s Apollo. This ending opened up possibilities of a continuation or a new season for the twice-extended action series.
Even before this surprise cameo, The STAR had been asking the lead star if his wife was ever going to appear in his series. He previously acknowledged that it would be a challenge for both of them working simultaneously, given their roles as parents to their two children, Zion and Kai. However, he was supportive of Sarah’s return to acting or guest appearances, given their aligned schedules.
“Ang hirap kasi ‘pag nagsabay kami kasi ang mga bata walang…very hands-on kasi si Sarah. Actually, both of us but since I’m busy now, she has to take over and it’s not easy taking care of two boys and then being a hands-on mom and ako wala. Siempre, maraming adjustments,” he told The STAR then.
“So, I can’t imagine if sabay kami nagte-taping ni Sarah. But if there’s a chance for her to return to (acting) and then kung makapag-guest man siya, why not? Sobrang OK siya for us kasi pareho kami ng schedule.”
In a post-mediacon interview during his contract renewal with ABS-CBN last Oct. 26, Richard revealed what made Sarah agree to the cameo as he praised her suitability for the action genre. He emphasized that he had long believed in her potential.
“Actually, bagay siya (sa action). Matagal ko nang sinasabi sa kanya (that she fits the genre),” he said of Sarah.
“And she was willing to do it naman. Kinausap din siya ni direk Lester (Pimentel Ong), ng mga writers about it and it was just a short and fun scene. So, OK naman siya.”
When asked about the possibility of a full-length action project with Sarah, Richard expressed his hope, saying, “Sana. Sana! I’m praying for that actually.”
The actor is presently taking a break before gearing up for another action-oriented project. He mentioned that a new teleserye is in the works for the first quarter of 2024, stressing the need for careful planning to surpass the achievements of The Iron Heart.
“Right now, I just want to absorb everything that happened with The Iron Heart. I want to take a couple of weeks off and relax with my family and spend time. But I’m ready to work after a few weeks. We have a couple of things lined up,” he also said during his contract-signing.
“For the teleserye, I think (it’s happening) in the first quarter of next year. I think that’s enough time for preparation and for planning kasi ang hirap tapatan ng The Iron Heart.
“To be honest, we have to think of new concepts, and how to level up from what we did in The Iron Heart in terms of action, storytelling and locations. Kailangan talaga ng matinding planning. So, I think the first quarter next year is just the right time.”
Richard is also open to exploring new formats, including the possibility of a season break instead of starting a new drama.
“I’m very open to that as well. Actually, yun ang pinag-usapan namin dalawa ni direk Lester. You know, (it’s being done in) different countries, especially Hollywood. It’s never been done here, so why not be the first to do it?” he said.
“But, as of now, we’re still conceptualizing and we’re still discussing what will happen in the next project. But yes, definitely, I want to work with the same team (behind The Iron Heart).”
As he embarks on his “next chapter” with ABS-CBN, Richard aims for “bigger and better” action series, and hopes to venture into the world of movies and global platforms. Additionally, he expressed his intention to expand his involvement in production, potentially taking on the role of an executive producer.
“It’s something that I’m working on, actually. I really wanna do something like that because my involvement in The Iron Heart was almost like that. But I want to make it official and I think that’s gonna be my natural growth as an actor and as an artist. So, yeah that’s my goal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Richard is “very happy and very thankful” that even though the show ended its run on Philippine TV, it is currently enjoying “unexpected” popularity in Indonesia. It’s now airing on the Indonesian free TV channel ANTV during its Asian drama timeslot and dubbed in Bahasa Indonesia.
He has been noticing the comments in Indonesian and wants to learn their language, Bahasa, because of this.
“You know, nakakagulat at nakakatuwa kasi hindi namin ine-expect na ipapalabas kami sa Indonesia and all of a sudden, ang title ng show is Apollo, and pinapalabas siya ngayon, every single day, from Monday to Sunday. It started Monday to Friday, ngayon ginawa ng Monday to Sunday kasi nga daw naghi-hit siya ngayon sa Indonesia,” he said.
“It’s another blessing and I can’t wait to visit Indonesia and thank the people there and meet the Indonesian fans. It’s just a big blessing that I’m so grateful for.”
Asked if there are plans to have his series aired in other countries, he said, “I think it’s in the pipeline,” adding, “Hopefully, we can send it to more countries.”