Dennis Trillo has portrayed a range of characters that exhibited his versatility as an actor.
Needless to say, the 41-year-old actor is not one to back down on difficult roles, be they for television or the big screen.
But by his own admission, portraying Crisostomo Ibarra has scared Dennis the most: Crisostomo Ibarra.
Dennis gave life to Crisostomo and Simoun in the hit Kapuso primetime series, Maria Clara at Ibarra.
The series was based on the two novels—Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo—written by admired Filipino hero Jose Rizal.
READ: "Noli yarn?" How GMA-7's hit teleserye Maria Clara at Ibarra came about
READ: Maria Clara at Ibarra's X factor: great storytelling, stellar cast, big-budget production
SHAKING PRIMETIME VIEWING
Speaking to Esquire Philippines, Dennis said that assuming the role of a popular and polarizing character from two important works in Philippine literature was a tall order.
“In Maria Clara at Ibarra, I learned a lot—I was studying and researching. Of course, I’ve read the story.”
Maria Clara at Ibarra, to Dennis, is not the usual primetime series seen on Philippine television given its genre and background.
Dennis said, "People are not used to historical fantasy. Besides, it is also a love story and drama, everything is in here. And you'll learn while watching it.
"This is one of GMA’s big shows. I have no reason not to accept it."
As it turned out, Maria Clara at Ibarra was well-received and consistently notched impressive ratings throughout its months-long run.
The show is now streaming on Netflix Philippines where it enjoys great success as among the most-watched programs on the platform.
INSECURITY
The Esquire interview also revealed the actor's insecurity and struggles when he was just starting out in the industry.
Dennis described himself as "happy-go-lucky" in his younger years and someone who lacked ambition.
He, however, knew even back then that he would amount to something.
Said Dennis, looking back, "I just didn't know what it was. I've been feeling for a long time that I have a purpose. I just didn't know it would be in show business."
His path to showbiz greatness wasn't smooth sailing, though.
Dennis said that he was insecure about his body and that somehow got in the way of him acting naturally in front of the camera.
“My ears stand out. Every time I stood in my spot and faced the camera, people would look at me weirdly. I didn’t know why," he remembered.
"They seemed to be bothered by my ears, so they had to put tape around my ears.”
Today, Dennis is one of the country's most prolific actors whose resume can stand toe-to-toe with other showbiz greats, both past and present.
Visit esquiremag.ph to learn more about Dennis as an actor and as husband to wife Jennylyn Mercado and father to their kids.
Dennis also talked about the greatest lesson he learned portraying Crisostomo and Simoun in Maria Clara at Ibarra.