One on One with Marc Abaya: I’m the bad guy! It’s cool!

ISA ang musikerong si Marc Abaya sa mga masuswerteng singer na nabigyan din ng break sa pag-aartista. Mula sa pagiging indie actor, pinagkatiwalaan din siya sa mundo ng telebisyon, ‘yun nga lang, mas madalas ay puro kontrabida ang ipinagkakatiwala sa kanya.

Ayon kay Marc, dahil sa pagganap ng masasama at kasumpa-sumpang karakter sa mga teleserye, marami talagang manonood ang nagagalit sa kanya. Alam n’yo ba na tulad ng iba pang kilalang kontrabida sa TV at pelikula, nakaranas na rin ang Kapuso actor ng pananakit mula sa mga taong apektado sa kanyang epektibong pagganap.

Sa one-on-one interview ng BANDERA sa anak ng award-winning director na si Marilou Diaz Abaya, nalaman namin na wala pala talaga sa plano ni Marc ang maging artista, grabe rin ang pagtangi at respeto niya sa bida ng seryeng Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real na si Dingdong Dantes na inilarawan niyang isang “santo”.

Narito ang kabuuan ng panayam ng BANDERA kay Marc Abaya.

BANDERA: Kumusta katrabaho si Dingdong Dantes sa Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real?
MARC ABAYA: Dingdong is an angel, he is my dream kaeksena na lalaki. Actually, we came from the same school, I remember his name as Sixto, in Ateneo, grade school. He was a drummer then.

He’s the tall guy and pretty boy na talaga noon pa. I haven’t seen him for a long time, until nabalitaan ko na he’s studying film with my mother. He wants to be a director.

And finally, when we started working dito sa Mrs. Real, first day pa lang, me and Rodjun Cruz, who plays his brother, nagkatuwaan na agad kami, we talk about films, about our dreams, we have the same humor. And what I love the most about working with this man, generous gentleman, he is so open and fun, to the point na kapag eksena na namin, adlib-adliban na lang.

B: Pero kapag humaharap siya sa publiko at sa pagkakakilala ng fans sa kanya, hindi naman siya ganu’n?
MA: He’s opposite nga ng nakikita ng mga tao, he’s a saint, I’ve never met a saint. Lalo na sa stature niya ngayon sa industry, he’s a star, everbody loves him and I can see why, I can feel it.

He’s one of the most generous actors, this man is so generous, genuine kindness, walang plastik-plastikan. I can see how hard he works. He’s tired, but then, I don’t see it when we’re working. He will initiate conversation, and it’s very rare sa industry natin, di ba?

B: How about his other co-star in the series Lovi Poe, kumusta naman siya?
MA: I’ve worked with her ever since before, we first met when she did a music video for our band, yung song na ‘Pause’ of Kjwan band. That was the first time na nagkatrabaho kami.

Very charming lady, extremely sexy. Then we did ‘Aswang’, that was also crazy fun. So, when we saw each other sa storycon ng Mrs. Real, tawanan lang kami nang tawanan.

I mean, she’s into rock music too kaya nagkakasundo kami. She’s totally fun.

B: Na-meet mo na rin ba ang isa pang leading lady ni Dingdong sa Mrs. Real na si Diamond Star Maricel Soriano?
MA: In passing lang. Wala pa talagang chance na magkausap kami ng like, kami nina Dingdong and Lovi.  But I look forward sa pagsasamahan naming mga eksena, lalo na sa posibleng confrontation scene, dahil ako nga ang tumutulong kina Dingdong at Lovi. At yun ang kinatatakutan ko. Ha-hahaha! Baka ganu’n nga ang mangyari as the story progresses.

B: Saan ka mas nag-eenjoy sa pagkanta o sa pag-arte?
MA:  I need to do both, I love the rock shows, I love acting. As of now, what I love about music is, it’s my own, it has always supported me. Lalo na nu’ng nabuo ang Sandwich band.

When we boomed, I always hear people say, ‘Ay anak lang ‘yan ni Marilou Diaz-Abaya.’ It’s like, huh? Anong kinalaman ng nanay ko sa rock music? You know what, my mother has never been to a gig, pero supportive naman siya sa akin. Music is me. With acting naman, it’s a different thing.

The first time I was offered to try acting was, I think sa Prinsesa Ng Banyera, with Kristine Hermosa. Andoy Ranay invited me to join the project. Pero sabi ko, hindi pa ako ready.

So I wanted to get my ass kicked. At sino ang nag-push sa akin to do it, Mr. Johnny Delgado, he’s my mentor, pati si tita Laurice Guillen. That was really hard.

B: Hindi nag-object si direk Marilou nang pasukin mo na rin ang entertainment world?
MA: Kinausap siya ni tito Johnny, so ‘yun na ‘yun. Luckily enough, nasundan pa yun ng Ligaw Na Bulaklak. Tapos nagsunud-sunod na. Dumating ‘yung I Heart You Pare with Regine Velasquez and Dingdong dito rin sa GMA. Kaya when they offered me Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real, tapos si Dingdong uli ang makakasama ko, it’s really a blessing.

B: Nalinya ka sa mga kontrabida roles, how do you manage it, paano mo nagagawang totoong-totoo?
MA: Tingnan mo naman ang itsura ko (rocker na maraming tattoo). Ha-hahaha! First I took it as a complement. I’m the bad guy. It’s cool!

B: Hindi mo inambisyon talaga na maging bida? Maging leading man?
MA: When I did this one project years ago, sobrang sama talaga ng karakter, I asked the director, the production kung paano ang gusto nilang atake. They told me, we just wanted the people to hate you.

Ah okay, that’s easy. But then again, like most actors, kahit nape-peg ako sa kontrabida, I enjoy it, because maybe through time, natutunan ko na kung paano baliin (style) ng konti.

Kasi my goal, kahit na kontrabida, is to make the audience have a bid of emphaty, ‘Ah nage-gets kita. Kaya ka kups (read: epal), dahil ganito, ganyan, may pinanggagalingan.

That’s why I’m grateful sa lahat ng nakakatrabaho ko, dahil binibigyan nila ako ng freedom kung paano gawin yung role ko. And GMA people, they’re very open about it.

B: You think walang epekto ang pagiging kontrabida sa pagiging musician mo? Like ‘Ay, yan yung hayop, napakawalanghiya niyan du’n sa teleserye na ‘yun, sa movie na ‘yun? May impact ba ‘yun sa singing career mo?
MA: Sa female audience ganu’n, sa mga lalaki, astig yun! Ha-hahaha! Like what happened noong nasa Greenhills ako, sa Promenade, that was 2007, I still remember that incident, nakapila ako, an old woman hit me in the head and said, ‘Ang sama-sama mong anak!’

And when I looked at her…here’s a rich-Greenhills grandma, watching a soap opera. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Nanonood po kayo, thank you very much po!’ Hindi ako nagalit, tuwang-tuwa pa ko.

But as a musician, I think the best solution, lalo na kapag may gigs kami, is sense of humor. I try my best, I pray, before every taping, bago mag-gig, na sana mapaligaya ko ang mga manonood.

Sana, please, Lord, umuwi silang masaya pagkatapos kaming mapanood. Like after every gig, I introduce the members of the band, on guitars, on drums, and finally, yours truly, Mr. Derek Ramsay! Ha-hahaha! Tawanan lahat ng tao du’n! So, ganu’n, it’s very important na magkaroon ka ng connection sa audience mo.

And our band, we have a new album, it’s called ‘Kjwan Volume 2’, natapos namin ito last year, it took more than a year to master. Finally, it’s out.

B: Ano’ng take mo sa mga non-singers na humahataw sa concert scene habang ang mga tunay na performers ay parang nawawala sa eksena?
Tingin mo ba nagsa-sacrifice ang mga real singers?
MA:  I’ve read so much articles about it, and I think it’s funny. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my mother, if it’s acting or music, what’s you’re point Marco, why are you doing it? For yourself or for other people? Because if you do it for yourself, do it in your room, don’t complain that nobody listens.

Mag-selfie ka na lang! Or if you do it for other people, you find a way to communicate, so that’s the goal. Now when it comes to integrity, ito ‘yun – nase-sell out, e. Like ___ (pangalan ng singer), will sell out Araneta? Is it the artist’s fault, or the audience’s fault? Or is that the way it is and it’s our responsibility, as musicians to understand it.

You can say, and I’ve heard it, so much arguments, ‘Oh it’s machinery, oh it’s the promo, the hype, yes, it’s all of it.  But in saying that, directly or inderectly, sinasabi mo bang stupid ang audience mo, which I believe should not be the case.

Kung sa tingin mo, stupid ang audience mo, what does that make you? It makes you horrible, judgemental freak of a human being. Some see it as a problem, but I see it as a phenomenon, which must be understood.

Kung nagagalit ka, kung sa tingin mo hindi tama, you can be the solution, pero kung wala kang makitang sagot, you just what, point it out. Kasi eventually, market forces will prevail and hope, hope and believe that people have brains and will wake up.

B: May dream role ka pa ba? Kasi ang dami mo na ring nagampanang role, from demonyo to rapist?
MA: Oo nga, e, from  aswang, to cannibal. Actually, I love the coming of age stories (tulad ng Cinemalaya entry niyang Sundalong Kanin), I love seeing kids grow up in a film, go through up and downs and survive, parang Bagets, yung Ninja Kids, yun talaga! Hey, JC Bonnin, Herbert Bautista.

I would love to be in a film na barkada talaga na makaka-relate ang mga kabataan.

B: Lokohan ang tema ng Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real, sa tunay na buhay ba, may babae ka nang niloko?
MA: Marami. Marami akong niloko, at marami ring nanloko sa akin. But that’s the way it is. Sino ba ang hindi nasaktan sa love? Sino ba ang hindi nakapanakit, sige nga? Kaya maraming nakaka-relate sa Mrs. Real, sa mga series o movies na may temang lokohan.

( bandera.ph file photo )