What makes a man

MANILA, Philippines - With all the pa-cute and pa-kilig roles that John Lloyd Cruz has inhabited over the past decade or so, it’s hard to imagine him transforming into a brooding actor whose major concerns in life are bigger than just snagging a girl for a happily ever after. He is more than aware of the nuances and the pitfalls that his job entails as an actor and while he’s at the height of his career, he’s more than thankful for the opportunities that he’s being given. After all, he’s one of the few actors who has managed to showcase his dramatic acting chops in films like The Mistress and Dubai while exercising his kilig muscles in films like My Amnesia Girl and the Laida-Miggy Trilogy. His trilogy of films (A Very Special Love, You Changed My Life, and the new film It Takes a Man and a Woman) with Sarah Geronimo comes from that rare thing in Philippine cinema: a romantic comedy that has expanded into a trilogy. Their tandem has inspired a hardcore following, even though John Lloyd and Sarah were never linked romantically.

But going past onscreen action, John Lloyd is starting to think more seriously about his life. He’s starting to break away from the gloss of show business into more mature territory. He’s talked about early retirement, something that’s elicited gasps from industry onlookers as well as his thousands of followers; he’s mulled settling down and he’s slowly shaping up into the man that he wants to be.

Supreme talked to John Lloyd Cruz about his new film and he opened about his process as an actor, the perception of romantic comedies, and his plans for the future.

SUPREME: I want to know what is your process when you get a script and how do you get into your character?

JOHN LLOYD CRUZ: Yung process ko is very personal. It’s hard to explain. It’s hard to tell anybody about your process kasi it’s very personal. You tend to lose your way and madalas hindi nila maintindihan kasi ikaw lang nakakaintindi ng process mo. But basically what I tend to do upon receiving the script, so, ia-absorb ko lang kung ano yung nangyari dun sa story. Pero yung character mo, how you want to make it rich or give it life, yung process na yun is the most complex experience, the most complex journey that you will have. It’s like creating another person. It’s like giving birth to another person. Kailangan galing siya sa’yo and ang mahirap kasi most of the time yung mga pinagdaanan nya hindi mo naman alam eh. Yung mga pinagdaanan niya as a person are basically unknown to you. So you try to… imbento! Magiimbento ka nung kung ano-anong bagay in your head, in your heart. But sa akin, napakasimple lang (kung) sisimulan mo sa puso mo. Let it flow, just like life kung paano siya tatakbo. Hayaan mo siyang mabuhay and your complexities will come along the way.

Pinagsasabay mo yung telenovela, yung movies, but after that how do you switch off your different characters?

It’s hard. I remember doing Maging Sino Ka Man, yung show ko with Bea, Sam, and Anne. Yung girlfriend ko nahihirapan sa akin kasi inuuwi ko raw yung character ko.

So minsan nadadala mo talaga?

Yeah. I remember the last time si Daniel Day-Lewis won his third Oscar for Lincoln. He thanked his wife, si Rebecca Miller kasi yung partner mo magtitiis sa’yo. He’s a method actor so talagang yun siya (yung character niya). Imposibleng pagdating mo lang sa set dun mo lang gagawin. If you’re doing the kind of work na ginagawa niya, hindi pwede yung ginagawa natin dito. Nung ginagawa ko yung Maging Sino Ka Man, yung mga mannerisms (ng character ko), nakukuha ko, yung thinking niya, kung paano niya ina-apply yung mentality niya sa lahat ng bagay, naghahalo siya. Those actors na kaya nila to switch on, switch off na ganun kabilis, bilib ako sa kanila.

People have always seen you in romantic comedies or dramas. Do you have other characters in mind that you want to do?

Of course. Every now and then, I get to do characters like in Dubai, The Mistress, and I’m really thankful for that dahil nabibigyan ako ng chance to explore other fields aside from romcoms.

In your creative process with the writers, gaano kalakas ang power ng isang top actor to change things in the script or the character?

When my schedule permits, I brainstorm with them sa simula pa lang ng creative process ng pagbuo ng pelikula. I try to be with them, with the writers, the creative managers, the director. I try to be there kasi it’s your movie, part din yun eh and dapat alam mo yung nangyayari. Filmmaking is a very personal subject. Hindi pwedeng “Eto po yung lines nyo” tapos babasahin mo and i-de-deliver mo lang. Hindi ganon yun, even in romcoms. Dun ako nalulungkot kasi when people talk about romcoms it’s as if “romcoms lang yun.” What I realized after doing romantic comedies, a lot of (people), especially the independent filmmakers, ang tingin nila romantic comedies are sh*t. Isa sa mga pinakamahirap gawin ang magpakilig. Ang kilig mahirap ipaliwanag. Ang hirap niyang i-fabricate so most of the time talagang puso. Direk Cathy Garcia Molina, I salute her for being the number one romcom filmmaker.

How much pressure is there for you to always come up with a box office hit?

Yung box office para sa akin bonus na lang yan eh. Lagi kong pakiramdam after we do the post-prod and nakita ko yung pelikula and I see a good movie, kumita yan or hindi wala akong pakialam. Pag kumita, well and good! Thank you! Pero kasi ang mahirap is kumita na nga yung pelikula mo, pangit naman. I mean, mamili ka. Ako dun ako sa, “You know what you have a good movie, direk. Don’t worry alam ko kinakabahan tayong lahat pero kung maganda ang pelikula, that’s more than enough.”

Was there ever a time when you watched yourself and you thought you could have done better?

Oo naman. All the time. It always happens in bed, before sleeping, naiisip mo yung ginawa mo during the day tapos “Sh*t, dapat ganito ginawa ko.”  Lumipas na yung moment eh so you have to move on.

On a more personal note naman, in your life right now, what’s your state of mind?

Right now, we just finished the movie, we’re doing promos now so I’m very busy, I’m very tired, but I’m thankful for the opportunity. I’m really excited and emotional for this one because last na ‘to eh. This is the last of the franchise. I’m not bragging ha pero this is the only movie na franchise, na nagkaroon ng three parts. The only Filipino film na naging ganito.

What do you want to change in the system, if anything?

I’m after the people. Hindi lang kaming mga artista, hindi lang kami na mga lumalabas sa camera. Sana magkaroon ng union na hindi lang pumuprotekta sa amin kundi pati sa mga writers, especially sa mga crew, cameramen, sa mga technical people. I’m part of a network and maybe for saying this baka tumaas ang kilay ng mga boss ko but you know sabi nga ng kapitan namin dati, isipin mo yung tao muna, tao muna alagaan mo at babalik sa’yo ang lahat. So ako, yun lang sana maiisip ko, better working hours not just for the artists but also for the others. Kung tutuusin sa isang set tayo yung hindi pinaka-pagod eh. We have our own tents, we have our own dressing rooms, yung mga crew yun ang mas kawawa eh. I’m not losing hope sana dumating yung time na maprotektahan lahat hindi lang yung artista.

How do you see your life? Do you plan things or do you just take what comes your way?

It’s a little bit of both. Especially a year or two ago, I started thinking about investing, saving up and having more financial stability because the reality is hindi naman tayo ganito forever. Darating yung point na sa bilis ng transition sa dami ng bagong artista na lumalabas, for the past how many years maraming tumangkilik ng mga pelikula ko but until when? You’ll never know kung anong pwedeng mangyari sa sarili mo, sa katawan mo. So ngayon talaga nagiisip ako for my future, sa magiging pamilya ko in the future kasi one my greatest dreams is to be a good provider. I want to provide good education for my kids, I want to give my wife a very comfortable life, that’s my dream and now given the chance and the opportunity, hello, talagang magpapasalamat ka dahil hindi lahat nabibigyan ng ganitong pagkakataon.

Since andun na yung dream mo, are you close to settling down or not yet?

Wala akong masabi. I’m thinking early retirement but hindi ibig sabihin 30 or 33, hindi ganun eh. When that time comes, pag naramdaman ko na financially stable na ako, yung income naman natin hindi mo masabing stable kasi nothing is permanent in this business so by then saka ko maiisip. And i’m really after quality of life. I want to enjoy more time with my family, especially with my mom. Ang dami nga ng kita mo, ang dami mong trabaho, but I miss out on a lot of things. It breaks my heart kapag feeling ko yung pamangkin ko medyo nahihiya sa akin kasi hindi niya ako nakikita. Lumalaki sila na hindi sila familiar sa akin. Ayaw ko ng ganon, I want to be visible to them. Para talaga sa akin, quality of life is really number one.