The showbiz air had surely been quite different with famous Kapamilya star John Lloyd Cruz lying low during his years-long hiatus from the industry. Recently, however, he has slowly been getting back on the scene and is sharing the story behind his absence. Learn more about it in this conversation with Boy Abunda on “The Best Talk” streamed on the FYE Channel’s Kumu account and the CinemaOne Facebook page and YouTube channel.
As an artist who has been in front of the camera for more than 20 years already, John Lloyd is well-known to any generation. He is loved by millions whether it’s for his teleseryes like Tabing Ilog, It Might Be You, and La Luna Sangre or blockbuster movies like “One More Chance,” “A Very Special Love,” and “The Mistress.” Other than being hailed as Best Actor or Box-Office King numerous times, John Lloyd has also gained much respect for his skill as a versatile thespian given his brave ventures into challenging roles and complex projects.
With this much traction and success, he certainly deserves a break once in a while, but many wonder if his decision to take it for a number of years was worth it. John Lloyd shares with Tito Boy, “Huminto man ako nang matagal, pero ‘di naman ako tumitigil ng paggawa”. Apparently, his passion for his craft was never lost because he still took on projects from close friends during his break. John Lloyd even adds that the whole process was deeply enriching for his life.
However, he did actively choose not to do movies or accept certain projects. According to him, sometimes you have to stop and reflect on what you are doing from a distance. As Tito Boy asked him to expound on it further, John Lloyd put it as, “Para malagyan mo ulit, kailangan mo muna ubusin… Something like that.”
Now, many may be thinking that John Lloyd got tired of it all but the veteran actor doesn’t view it that way. He just had a realization that life is short and there are many other things in his life he would like to achieve and give more attention to. In his words, “Ayoko namang tatandang na nagtataka ako kung, ‘Paano kung sinubukan ko?’” Aside from things he wanted to do outside of his showbiz career, John Lloyd may have also been talking about the importance of family and loved ones to him. He didn’t mention it explicitly but we know that the 37-year-old star has been becoming a reliable father figure and spending much time with his young son with Ellen Adarna, Elias.
John Lloyd assured us that although he has a hard time articulating what he has been through for the past years, he is taking delight in just observing life as part of the crowd. He may not be jumping back onto the ship completely, but he is looking forward to some of his projects which will be released soon, including his movie “Servando Magdamag” with multi-awarded, world-renowned filmmaker Director Lav Diaz.
This film may be John Lloyd’s first major project in his transition back into the big screen, but he says it wasn’t difficult to adjust to because he has always felt calm and secure in Lav’s set since they have worked on films together before. For his future projects, he is still unsure of what’s to come given that there are a lot of changes brought on by the pandemic situation.
With John Lloyd opening up more and little by little returning to the scene, Kapamilyas everywhere are excited to welcome him back with open arms.
Watch more of John Lloyd’s revealing interview with Tito Boy in this video.
Have a glimpse of Boy Abunda’s illuminating conversation with his special guests in “The Best Talk,” streaming live on the FYE Channel on Kumu with simulcast on Cinema One’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Download the Kumu app and follow FYE Channel (@fyechannel) to watch other FYE Channel programs via livestream.