No more heartthrob roles for Piolo

Piolo Pascual is happy to graduate from "pa-pogi" roles, with no less than a crime-thriller participating in the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival marking his latest portrayal.

"Masaya ako, kasi it's something that I've always wanted to do, something out of the box, something na hindi mo ini-expect, parang hindi pa-pogi, para maiba naman," Pascual told ABS-CBN News shortly before he left for France early Tuesday morning.

Pascual is attending Cannes this year as the lead star of a the Erik Matti-directed action flick "On The Job."

The Star Cinema production will hold its world premiere at the film festival, as one of the selections of the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, or the Directors' Fortnight, a section at Cannes held independently by the French Directors Guild.

"On The Job" shows Pascual as a National Bureau of Investigation agent hunting down a hitman on the run portrayed by actor Gerald Anderson.

The Kapamilya actors are joined in the film by Shaina Magdayao, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez and Angel Aquino.

"We're so excited because it's bringing honor to the country. It's not just about making a film, but also representing your country to a big festival," Pascual said on Tuesday.

Pascual is  thrilled to headline the project, which he sees as a departure from his usual heartthrob roles on the small screen.

"Lahat naman ng ginagawa natin we try to be different, para sa lahat ng role natin may ibang nakikita ang mga tao," he said.

He added: "Itong pelikula, sobrang off-beat, the audience will be surprised, especially the Filipino audience, kasi hindi siya love story, e."

Expressing confidence in the quality of "On The Job," Pascual urged Filipinos to pray for the success of the film in representing the country to Cannes.

"Talagang maganda 'yung pelikula. When I saw it, sabi ko, 'Wow, anglaking pribelehiyo para sa akin to be part of this film.' Talagang trinabaho ko 'to for so many years, para magawa ko rin, para makasama," he said.

"Kaya gusto natin humingi ng dasal, kasi lalahok tayo sa kumpetisyon, na may mauwing award, para karangalan sa bansa natin. Even walang mauwi, it's a blessing already to represent the country, to be part of a big festival," he said.