MANILA, Philippines -- In his latest big screen outing, actor John Lloyd
Cruz portrays a character originally pegged for actor-host Derek
Ramsay.
During a press conference for Star Cinema's "The Mistress" on
Wednesday, actress Bea Alonzo, who stars in the romance film opposite
Cruz, shared that Ramsay was at one point tapped for the character of
JD, now played by Cruz in the Olivia Lamasan-directed film.
"Nung binabasa ko ['yung script] -- sabihin na natin, kasi una si
Derek -- nung binabasa ko siya, talagang Derek, the way the character
talks," Alonzo said.
Of being offered the role, Cruz said: "Alam ko na nung unang tanong
pa lang, alam ko na tuloy na ako. Bahala na kung ano 'yung ide-demand
nito sa 'kin."
"I'm sure kung iba rin 'yung gumawa, maaaring mas higit pa dun sa expectations," he added.
'Ice scramble'
"Tapos nung si John Lloyd 'yung gumawa, una di ko nakikita, parang ibang-iba, kasi iba mag-deliver naman si John Lloyd 'di ba," she said.
"Nung eto na, nung ginawa na namin 'yung isang scene, 'yung ice scramble scene na 'yun, sabi ko kay Vanessa, 'Van, iba, pero pasok na pasok. Iba, pero ang saya niyang makita,'" Alonzo added, referring to the scriptwriter of "The Mistress," Vanessa Valdez.
In the "ice scramble" scene, shown in the trailer for the film (below), a persistent Cruz is seen cornering Alonzo against a half wall, saying, "I'm not giving up. Have coffee with me."
In an earlier interview with men's lifestyle magazine Esquire, Valdez shared the 28-year-old actor's apprehensions about playing JD in "The Mistress."
"He was so unsure if he could pull it off. 'This is so not me,' sabi niya. He doesnt think he's sexy. The script was looking for a very self-confident man, well-traveled, with a natural swagger, sexy. That's why we found the idea so exiting, because he hasn't done it," Valdez told Esquire in its June 2012 issue.
"He has always played the good boy, the guy who is makulit, sweet when he tries to win the girl. But here he's an adventurer, a man who does what he wants and doesn't care," she added.
'A man of the world'
Even when he first read the script, Cruz said he saw the role as challenging.
"Nung una pa lang, 'Talaga ganito siya? Meron bang lalaking ganito?'" he said.
"Malayo si JD sa 'kin, matapang si JD, he's too aggressive. Malayong-malayo siya sa akin," he added.
During filming for "The Mistress," Cruz said he struggled to give justice to JD's character, who he refers to as "a man of the world."
"Pinakamahirap sigurong eksena, nung mga first few shoooting days ko, doon ako nag-struggle, kasi nga malayo 'yung character sa 'kin," he said.
"It took me a while para huminga 'yung character on its own. Grabe 'yung struggle, pero hindi naman ako napabayaan ng director ko at ni Ate Vanessa," he added.
Although Lamasan and Valdez, along with Cruz's co-actors in the film, are very much convinced of his portrayal, the actor said the achievement was not without its "lonely" nights.
"I really did my best sa pelikulang 'to. Iniyakan ko kahit sa pagtulog. Iniiyakan ko 'yung trabaho, kasi mahirap po talaga," he said.
Also starring Ronaldo Valdez and Hilda Koronel, "The Mistress" hits theaters nationwide on September 12.
