Parang nag-OJT sa first two films ng ‘bayaniserye’: BENJAMIN, tatlong ulit nang gumanap bilang Manuel Quezon

KAHIT kapwa sila gumanap bilang Manuel Luis Quezon sa TBA Studios film na ‘Quezon’ ay nagkaroon ng pagkakataon sina Benjamin Alves at Jericho Rosales na mag-bonding.
“Yeah, late 2024. We sat down with Jerrold [Tarog, direktor ng Quezon], iyon yung first initial meeting namin na binigay sa amin yung libro ni Manuel Quezon, yung autobiography niya, then the script, so sabay namin siyang nakuha.
“And then, I think a few weeks later, we had… after doing our separate studies, a few weeks later, nag-workshop kami, just to make sure na our energies match.
“Ayun naman yung importante kay Jerrold, na mag-match yung energy namin, na meron kaming common denominator kumbaga.
“It was important for him na when I’m on screen and when Echo’s on screen, pareho yung… isang Quezon lang yung nakikita ninyo. Even if my younger one has characteristics na iba sa older Quezon, obviously, kasi matanda na siya nun. So how did we do that?
“We went through yung mga… I think four speeches ni Quezon na nasa pelikula, yung…famous naman sa kanya yun e, ‘by the Filipinos, for the Filipinos’, all of the speeches.
“So we… para bang yung presentation sa school, si Jerrold yung teacher namin. Nasa labas si Echo, ako yung unang sasabak dun sa speech, one speech. Pagkatapos lalabas ako, si Echo naman yung isa, tapos…yun. After four speeches, nag-adjust din kami.”
Pareho ang mannerisms nil ani Echo?
“I hope so. I haven’t seen the movie but I hope so. Jerrold… knowing how meticulous Jerrold is and how meticulous TBA is, feeling ko naman yun ang na-achieve namin.
“Without watching the movie myself yet, feeling ko naman kasi magsasabi naman si Jerrold kung hindi e, lalo na si Jerrold napaka-ano niya sa movement. So yeah, hopefully yeah.”
Last installment na ito ng bayaniserye ng buhay ni Manuel Quezon.
Gaano kaimportante kay Benjamin na naging bahagi siya ng trilogy na ito?
“Yeah, I think…I think playing the role of someone na kilalang-kilala like Manuel Quezon, I think it’s what made me really feel na, ‘Ah okay’, I’m stepping into… I feel like I have the right na to step into the role or the person or to personify him on film.
“The first two nangangapa pa ako kasi again, first year ko sa showbiz and I think we shot second year ko pa lang sa showbiz.
“So I’m really trusting the guidance of everybody on set, na natututo lang ako as I go, para akong nag-OJT. The second one was also the same, the third one I felt like okay, I’m actually ready.
“I’m, I guess considered seasoned na as an actor, I feel more equipped going into the role. It’s important for me because yun nga, like saying earlier it’s nice to be a part of something bigger than myself as an actor.
“I think it’s unprecedented that we have a trilogy, I think it’s so hard to have three solid movies, I think it’s hard to have one solid movie.
“So three solid movies na yung continuity na yun everyone is familiar with. Napakahirap gumawa ng pelikulang ganoon and all the artists in the movie, we all agree na when we see each other down the line 10 years, 20 years ago.
“You can always look back into this trilogy na nagawa namin and be proud that we’re a part of something na nangyari yun sa career namin, nakasama kami because I don’t know if it can be replicated later on.”

(ROMMEL L. GONZALES)