Award-winning actor Christian Bables flexes his thespic gift anew as he leads Maalaala Mo Kaya “Serendipity” together with JC De Vera. The episode tells the story of two LGBT people who found forever in each other.
LOOK: Behind-the-scene photos of MMK “Serendipity” episode
Christian portrays Iron Guerrero, a hopeless romantic who never got tired of praying for true love, which he eventually found in Jay (JC). Lauded for his past gay roles, Christian said taking on a new LGBT character excites than scare him. He learned to turn pressure into eagerness to sketch new characters.
Besides, Iron and Jay’s story is something new to him. His initial reaction was, “Ang sarap i-arte nito. Paano kaya kung haluan ko ‘to ng puso ko?” That’s exactly what makes him stand out. Christian loves to dive deep into the character. He acts from the heart, thus the power to transform a character into someone honest, full of charm, and relatable.
Since he acts as if the role is knitted to his own heart, Christian also struggles to let go of a character. “Hindi ako naniniwala dun sa in just a snap makakabitaw ka. Mahirap lalo na kung nilagay mo ‘yung sarili mo nang buong-buo doon sa karakter… Mahirap talaga kasi buhay ‘yung pino-portray mo, eh. May puso, nakakaramdam, humihinga, buhay. Mahirap itapon,” he said.
His process circles back to the basic – prayers. “Every time, I pray na ‘God, nagawa ko na ‘yung purpose ko. Nagawa ko na ‘yung gusto Mong gawin ko. Kayo na pong bahala. Babalik na po ako sa sarili ko.’” And it works for him all the time.
Christian said working with JC was a breeze. It’s their first team-up but he’s already aware and impressed with JC’s acting style before MMK. The chemistry was natural and easy, thanks to JC’s generosity as a co-actor. “Isang tingin ko lang sa kanya, ramdam ko na agad. Ganun ‘yung connection na nabuo. Isang tama lang ng mga mata namin, ramdam ko agad ‘yung gustong sabihin ng character niya. “
There was a scene where he wasn't much in his element, probably due to exhaustion. He requested to see JC first so he could deliver the right emotions. It was a team effort and proof of their ‘connection.’
MMK “Serendipity” promises to impart inspiring lessons about love. Christian assured viewers will realize that “sometime, somewhere, meron at merong tao na nakalaan sa ’yo.” All you have to do is patiently wait. And one day, you’ll meet someone who will make your prayers happen.
A believer of destiny, Christian underscored that God’s timing and plans are always better than ours. This kind of faith is one similarity he shares with Iron, besides giving their all in love.
Christian went on to talk about his dream roles and co-stars. He wishes to work with Maricel Soriano and Sharon Cuneta. Yes, he’s willing to be slapped by the Diamond Star, “Kahit pa tadyak.” His dream role is to play a suicide bomber, a kontrabida, or a person with split personality disorder.
Catch Christian in MMK “Serendipity,” hosted by Charo Santos-Concio, this Saturday, September 4, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.