The moment he steps on set, Jake Cuenca is no longer himself but the character he portrays. From looks to nuances, he makes sure to create new personas in every teleserye or movie he stars in. After his believable act as a politician in Viral Scandal, he impressed yet again with his chameleon acting style as he morphs into the roguish mobster Eros in The Iron Heart.
How does Jake build his on-screen personas? In previous interviews about Viral Scandal (2021), Jake mentioned he had a specific politician as peg for his looks as Mayor Troy Ramones. He also watched senate hearings as part of his process.
This time, he delved deep into the mind of a criminal by studying the life of Al Capone aka Scarface, one of the most notorious mafia leaders in American history, by reading his books rather than watching gangster movies. He also read the “Wiseguy” which inspired the film “Goodfellas.”
He clarifies, though, that these are just bases. When it comes to the acting part, he wanted his own version of a mafia leader and build Eros with different personality layers, “I didn’t want to copy. I wanted to do something more organic, as totoo lang ‘yung approach ng paggawa.” Jake is known to play very distinct characters in terms of voice and radical changes in his appearance, which are evident in Eros.
Through the years, he mastered not only getting in but more so getting out of a character. He said it takes practice and maturity to learn how to shed a character once you’re done with it.
“Noong mas bata ako, parang sometimes nauuwi ko ‘yung mga characters. Pero sa proseso ko ngayon, which is doing repetitions, hindi na eh. When I finish the role, parang kakatawid ko lang ng finish line, I’m done,” he shared.
Eros veers away from Jake’s previous ‘kontrabida’ roles in that he is given a deeper and exciting narrative. “Kaya gustong-gusto ko ‘yung story ni Eros kasi it’s a story of his rise to power. Hindi muna siya ‘yung powerful na tao. But mapapanood nila all throughout the show kung paano si Eros at Apollo (Richard Gutierrez) makakarating doon sa taas at doon sila maglalaban,” he hinted.
Jake and Richard’s recent chase scene between shipping containers in a port [LINK OUT https://ent.abs-cbn.com/theironheart/videos/ang-paghaharap-nina-eros-at-apollo-338521] got positive feedback from viewers. Jake said it was the first scene he shot for the series and his first scene with Richard after 21 years.
They have practically grown up in the industry and Jake is glad to see how Richard evolved into the man he is today.
“’Pag nag-uusap kami ni Richard, sabi ko, it’s so perfect na nagkatrabaho kami in the beginning of his career and then ngayon at this point in our lives na he has a family, ganyan.” He is definitely amazed and proud of his friend, “’Pag napapanood ko si Richard sa set, kung paano niya jina-juggle ang pamilya niya at showbiz, it’s certainly beautiful to see. It’s beautiful to watch.”
From there, Jake was asked about working with his other co-stars. He expressed admiration for Albert Martinez, who he considers the epitome of a good actor. “That’s the actor I want to be,” he would tell himself while watching Albert. “I always say, I think Albert Martinez is one of the best actors in the country.” Jake added that Albert’s example and advice influenced how he shaped himself into the actor that he is, “He has touched so many actors’ lives. In so many different phases in my career, Kuya Albert is always there to give me the best advice. So, I’m just very lucky to work with him.”
The Iron Heart also reunites Jake with Dimples Romana. And when the two work together, we can expect nothing but excellence because, as Jake puts it, Dimples brings out the best in her co-actors. He is thankful that she has been part of his career and life. They are growing like a team, a family after each shared project.
“Simula ‘Viral Scandal,’ ‘The Iron Heart’ and ‘My Father Myself’ magkasama kami – three very serious, extremely different characters. I can honestly say nakita na ni Dimples lahat ng facets or sides ko. She has seen me as a politician, a gangster, and has seen me as a closeted gay man,” he related.
Speaking of reunions, he shares the screen yet again with Sue Ramirez, who plays his sister in the Viu original series “K-Love.” There’s practically no more adjustment since they already warmed up in the said digital series.
Meanwhile, it’s his first time working with Sofia Andres and he is impressed by her talent and eagerness to learn on set. When it comes to breaking the ice with new co-stars, Jake admitted he prefers to be professional first, like they start with script-reading, then set the friendly tone from there.
There’s so much more to look forward to in The Iron Heart as the key players start to cross paths. Don’t miss an episode of the action-drama series, shown weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.