MANILA, Philippines - Benjamin Alves, at 23, is a mix of all things dangerous. He has a face that fuses boy-next-door charm with a hint of rebellious heat, a body chiseled in the manner of Grecian gods, topped off with a summa cum laude intellect that professes love for poetry and Japanese novels. He is endearingly candid, surprisingly cheerful, and obviously mannered, which leaves little room for wonder as to why his name has been widely visible on our radar as of late.
This week, Supreme sits down with the new face in GMA Network’s stable of stars to talk about heading back to school, faith, girls, and his uncle, Piolo Pascual.
SUPREME: You had started building a career in modeling here in Manila when you decided to head back to Guam and pursue a college education. What sparked the decision to prioritize your studies?
BENJAMIN ALVES: The lack of degree, for me, felt like an invalidation of self – all because I was impatient to finish school prior to entering modeling/showbiz. It got ugly. I felt ugly within. A break from it was necessary: new perspective, cleaner disposition. One thing I learned and have a lot of now: patience and gratitude. I wake up every day and realize, this was never in my plans, so let’s enjoy and stay grateful for today.
You’re quite open about your faith. Anyone with a keyboard and an Internet connection can see that your Twitter feed is chockfull of snippets from the Bible. How great a role does your faith play in the way you consider acting roles or career opportunities?
Ah geez, I didn’t realize. I actually scrolled down and yes, [my Twitter] does read like a devotional book. (Laughs) It plays a good deal. Both faith and art are always taken into account.
It’s hard to escape the fact that you’re related to Piolo Pascual, whose trajectory is one that inspires so many young actors. What would you say are the perks and the downsides of this relationship? Do you seek his advice with regard to your own career?
Trajectory! What a word! Sorry, I get excited by words not used colloquially, especially when I hear them from someone else. I have this look of – “I’m your long lost lexical-brother!” Nerdy, I know. (Laughs) In all honesty, there are definitely way more perks. I’m sure he would be excited to give me advice, but all I’ve told him so far are the good news, because it’s been raining blessings lately. When the time for advisement does come, I have him and a great friendship with my manager, Jonas, along with GMA management, that I can turn to for professional advice.
Being constantly compared to someone like Piolo, what would you say is the one thing that sets you apart from this generation’s leading men?
I’m not really sure, because I want to say I’m more gung-ho, more passionate, more knowledgeable about all of this. But leading men like Paolo Avelino, Joseph Marco, and Lemuelle Pelayo, are people I lined up hours and hours with at VTRs and final castings, and their passion is just the same as mine. I was told by someone that maybe people’s eyes are going to be more keen on me and are expecting, hopefully in due time, a Piolo-caliber performance. So I pray I am delivered gracefully to that kind of development and progression in my craft.
What do you enjoy most about acting?
I love film. I love the process of making a film. I love acting. I love the exploration, and removal of inhibitions and limitations, and the self-discovery that I am not who I thought I was. Acting is liberation from my bashful shell. And seriously, I love watching movies. Not from an enthusiast standpoint, but from every standpoint possible—audience, director, DOP, actor, producer. I’m doing a horror film, Guni Guni, with Lovi Poe, and that’s pretty exciting. At this point, everything is new.
If you weren’t in show business, what career path do you think you would have followed? What else are you passionate about?
Showbiz was a blessing, because I was planning on pursuing a Master’s degree and eventually earn a Ph.D. I was planning on becoming an English professor at a university somewhere. I love to write, I love reading other people’s writing and their development as writers; I used to tutor ESL (English as Second Language) students as my part-time job at the university. I also want to write a novel that would be adaptable to film. I want to try my hand at screenplays, though I am pretty bad at injecting dialogues in my stories.
Let’s get a little less serious. Who are your showbiz crushes? I knew this question was coming. I always enjoy answering this question. (Laughs) Locally, there’s Lovi, Sarah Labahti, Anne Curtis, and Carla Abellana. Foreign, oh wow, Anne Hathaway and Natalie Portman. That’s it, either of those two is all you need.
Are you currently involved with anyone?
Single.
What attracts you to a potential mate? I’m attracted to someone’s voice – that’s the thing that lingers in my head when they’re not around. Eyes as well, I’m caught staring at them, even when I’m not physically looking at them. Weird, I know. Scent too. Oh man, now I’m realizing how much I need to find this girl! (Laughs) When these things radiate from one person, plus a down-to-earth, family-oriented personality and a passion they strive for... oh man, all bets are off.
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