For almost a year, The Iron Heart has filled our evenings with action and drama, as we followed Apollo, compellingly portrayed by seasoned actor Richard Gutierrez, in his heroic pursuit of bringing down the crime syndicate Altare.
But apart from providing us with a remarkable narrative, great acting and performances, and action-packed scenes every weeknight, the well-loved teleserye has also filled our eyes with wonder by bringing us to some of the most picturesque places here in the Philippines and abroad.
And as it approaches its much-awaited finale episode dubbed as “The Ultimate Ride”, let’s look back on some of the fun moments and unforgettable adventures that the The Iron Heart cast had shared during their filming in Italy and Japan, as well as in their show abroad, through the photos and videos that they shared on Instagram.
Avid viewers certainly know that the first season of the series was entirely shot in Cebu. As the goings-on continues to become more riveting and thrilling in the second season, the showrunners didn’t just take the action and drama in a new local location – Iloilo – but also abroad!
Earlier this year, a few members of the cast and crew jetted to Italy to shoot the next chapter of Apollo’s mission to stop the spread of the virus that ravaged the country by procuring the special vaccine from his father, Engineer Priam Dela Torre (Albert Martinez), who was in Italy.
While we’d witnessed a lot of fiery fighting scenes on-screen, the mood off-cam was actually just as laidback and warm as the city of Rome and the small town of Tivoli where the filming took place. Aside from Richard and Albert, Jake Cuenca and Ian Veneracion were also with them since their respective characters Eros aka “Commando” del Rio and Menandro followed Apollo there.
Unlike their characters, the four debonair actors were actually amiable with one another and were so cool on their own behind the scenes. They were spotted hanging out together and with the crew and their directors who were their companions during that work trip. Since they’re already in Italy, they made sure to make the most of that expedition by roaming around as tourists and creating plenty of fun memories together during their leisure time.
In an IG post, Richard expressed his gratitude to the viewers for the overwhelming support, as well as divulged that his dream of filming action scenes in Europe finally came true. He wrote, “It’s always been a dream of mine to shoot action sequences in Europe, through hard work and dedication, with the right people around you, impossible goals can be achieved.”
And for the upcoming explosive finale of The Iron Heart, Apollo’s final mission and concluding bout with Eros has taken place in Japan, specifically in its capital, Tokyo.
Prior to the release of the episode that showed their arrival at the metropolis, Richard and Jake teased fans with photos and videos of their work-ation. Aside from learning how to use katana, the sword used by samurais or Japanese warriors, they also had the chance to explore around the bustling city.
In another IG post, Richard shared a special day spent with his co-star Jake, to whom he shares passion for motorcycles. The two even had the chance to visit “Iron Heart”, a denim company in Tokyo that specializes inmaking clothing for the motorcycling community.
Apart from Italy and Japan, Richard also travelled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates with his castmates Sofia Andres and Sue Ramirez for the Kapamilya Kalayaan Karavan in June 2023, in view of the Philippine Independence Day commemoration.
Sue expressed her gratitude towards their fans abroad in a previous interview, saying, “Eight months I think, we’ve been shooting [in Cebu]. Nakakagulat na hindi lang pala Cebu ang market namin, umabot na pala ng Dubai.”
What about you, Kapamilya? What’s your favorite moment from The Iron Heart?