Enjoying a brief lull following a busy year, award-winning Filipino actor Dennis Trillo arrived in Dubai to attend the Bayanihan Festival, an annual gathering of the Filipino community that was held last Friday.
The 34-year-old actor played the lead role in the television drama series My Faithful Husband, which concluded last month. He also did two movies this year, You’re Still The One and the box-office hit Felix Manalo, which depicts the life of the founder of a powerful church in the Philippines, the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Felix Manalo broke two Guinness world records for film attendance upon release.
In an interview with tabloid!, Trillo revealed that he has finished an independent film that will be released in January. He will team up with fellow Kapuso network star Solenn Heusaff in Lakbay 2 Love, which is directed by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil. Aside from Heusaff, Kit Thompson will also be part of the movie.
“It’s different from the other projects I’ve done,” he said. “Felix Manalo was a serious biopic, while My Faithful Husband was heavy drama. Lakbay 2 Love is a feel-good movie, a light romance. It’s all about biking and the environment.”
Trillo said indie projects appeal to him because it allows him to explore topics that are usually shunned by mainstream production houses. “I’m also interested in indie movies because the themes are out of the box. I’m more challenged to act in those kinds of projects. I’m a film buff and I’m interested in experimental movies. I’ve got lots of DVD and Blu-ray collections of different films,” he said. “I’m happy [when I get offers to do] indie movies because you never know what projects you will receive. There is no formulated plot.”
While he has played mostly lead roles, Trillo said he doesn’t mind playing the role of a villain or some other more challenging characters. “My favourite Hollywood actors are Jared Leto, Robert De Niro and Eddie Redmayne because whatever roles you give them, be it good guy or bad guy, they can give justice to the character no matter how hard it is. I also admire their dedication as an artist. I try to imitate them.”
Aside from working with fellow Kapuso actors, Trillo also wants to do projects with actors from other networks. “There are still a lot of actors I want to work with. I’ve already worked with most of the GMA network artists, so I want to explore [and work with] artists from networks like ABS-CBN or TV5. I believe the artists and the industry will grow if there is no exclusivity. It’s good if you can work with various artists. It’s always good to interact and work with different people for us to grow.”
Despite the numerous awards he has received since he started his career in 2000, Trillo confesses he has a lot to learn. “I believe it’s an endless process. It will not end in one stage. There is still a lot of room to improve myself as an actor. You need to improve yourself for you to grow, so more people can recognise [your abilities]. You need to enhance your craft. You’re always studying, it never stops.”
