John Lloyd Cruz, one of the most recognisable names in the Philippine entertainment industry, is now the face of a brand that is familiar to many Filipinos living abroad.
The 33-year-old actor has been named Western Union’s Global Ambassador for Overseas Filipinos, and says it fits in nicely with his support for Filipino movies going global.
“It’s a big responsibility, of course,” he said in an interview with tabloid! during a recent visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He was in the country to meet his fans and to headline Western Union’s sixth Awitawanan 2016, a musical and comedy variety show.
“The process, I think, complements both parties. It makes me accessible to my fans, especially those abroad. I have this advocacy about films to make them global.”
Cruz, a box-office star in the Philippines, played an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in the film Dubai in 2005.
“I love partnering with brands and with people who are truly sincere about their desire to help our fellow kababayans [compatriots],” said Cruz. “You just have to be sincere in what you do. Of course, my top priority is film, that’s my first love. If you understand film, you can understand that any performance that I give I try to keep it sincere.”
The company partnered with Cruz and brought him to the UAE because his name resonates strongly with OFWs.
“John Lloyd is a great star,” said Jean Claude Farah, Western Union’s executive vice-president. “But not all great stars are born equal. There are a lot of great stars, but when we thought of our OFWs, the only name that came into our minds was John Lloyd because of the similarities that his career has with our own company, whether being a star and being a leader in the industry, and at the same time him being resilient in his career,” Farah told tabloid!.
Cruz said his formula for being an endorser is just to be himself. “The moment I step out of my house, I’m still myself. I keep it real. If I’m having a bad day, I’m having a bad day, but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to be rude to anyone who will approach me for a picture, because obviously they are not aware [of] what you’re going through,” he said. “I understand that there is a big pressure when you get an endorsement deal, but I’m really learning a lot [from this experience] and I cannot wait to apply it in my own personal career.”
Cruz said fans will not have to wait much longer to see him back on prime-time television and the big screen. His last television series was Beautiful Affair in 2012-13 and his most recent movie was Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left), which won this year’s Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.
“There are talks now,” Cruz said. “I might be back on primetime teleserye [television soap opera] very soon. That’s good. It makes me excited.”
He said he could reunite with Sarah Geronimo, his love interest in a number of hit films, for a new project, after another project stalled.
“Now that I heard that Sarah Geronimo is willing to do another film this year or maybe early next year, I can’t wait to be back home and tell Star Cinema that maybe we can explore that [possibility],” said Cruz. “This current project of mine is going nowhere. I was supposed to do a film with Jodi Sta. Maria, unfortunately Jodi will have to prioritise another project for the network.”
Cruz said his recent exposure to the independent film industry and participation in international film festivals has also piqued his interest in directing.
“When I was in Berlin [for the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in February] for Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis [A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery], [the experience] ignited something. I came back to the Philippines wanting to create a short film,” Cruz said.
“I’m in love with cinema. [I don’t think of it] as independent or mainstream. Cinema is just cinema, whether it gains a massive success or not. I just love cinema. I think I’ll die doing cinema.”
He said he is also considering producing “because I think in producing you are given absolute freedom.”
Cruz said he would also love to do another movie that would highlight many of the untold stories of OFWs. “I think this is a good time to create a film for them that will showcase their desires, their passions, their struggles, their hardships,” he said. “I did Dubai in 2005, but we can do something that is not exactly like Dubai. There are a lot of beautiful stories to be told.”
