Elijah Canlas has captivated audiences with his dynamic portrayal of Pablo Caballero in the hit series "FPJ's Batang Quiapo." Known for his exceptional versatility, he brings a unique intensity to each performance, seamlessly shifting from action-packed confrontations to heartfelt moments.
In this exclusive video from ent.abs-cbn.com, he shared his top three favorite scenes from the teleserye, and talked about his passion for action sequences, the intricate behind-the-scenes work, and exploring different facets of his character.
As an actor, Elijah is a huge fan of action shots, especially when he gets to execute and experience the choreography first-hand. Thus, he places the savage brawl between Pablo and his nemesis David, who pretends to be Hesus Montenegro (McCoy de Leon), at the top of his list.
It’s worth noting that tensions between the two flared even before they knew about their families’ connection. Pablo’s fury intensified when he discovered that his enemy was the same guy dating his sister Katherine (Ara Davao), whom he is very protective of. This led to a brutal showdown when Pablo caught Hesus and Katherine at a restaurant.
“It was fun to shoot kahit medyo late at night na nakunan. Masaya siya i-shoot dahil sa stunts and fight choreography. I’m a fan of doing those scenes,” he remarked.
Another unforgettable act for him is the billiard fight with actor-director Coco Martin, who plays Tanggol. While the scene looks effortless on screen, it actually took them days to perfect. Elijah revealed, “Mabusisi talaga ‘yung shots at maselan talaga to get the right technique going.” He added, “Kung ang fight choreography kino-choreograph ‘yung bawat suntok, kung ano ‘yung numero ng bawat tira. Sa billiards, ganu'n din, may choreography din kung ano’ng bola ‘yung titirahin sunod, saan siya pupunta, at paano siya titirahin. So, it took a lot of time to shoot that and finish that.”
But the billiards sequence proved to be a genuine masterpiece, captivating viewers with its palpable anticipation and excitement, akin to witnessing a live match. For Elijah, the effort was undoubtedly worth it. “When I watched the episodes of the billiard scenes, kahit ako na-hook. Natuwa ako sa pinaghirapan namin kaya for sure that’s one of my favorite scenes ni Pablo.”
And lastly, the date between Pablo and Bubbles (Ivana Alawi) allowed him to thoroughly enjoy delving into a different aspect of his character—romantic and gentlemanly. “First time kong mapaglaruan ‘yung soft side ni Pablo, na lagi na lang siyang galit. Pero pagdating kay Bubbles, nanlambot na ‘yung mata niya, nanlambot na ‘yung pananalita niya. Naramdaman na makatao rin naman si Pablo kahit paano”
“Masayang i-explore bilang artista ‘yung iba’t ibang dynamics at layers ng character mo,” he noted.
Don’t miss an episode of “FPJ's Batang Quiapo,” weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.