Siguradong maikukumpara si Michael Sager kay Paul Salas sa Philippine adaptation ng Shining Inheritance kung saan silang dalawa ang lead actors.
Andami ring young actors ngayon, kahit sa talent management arm ng GMA-7 na Sparkle pa lang.
Read: Johnny "Mr. M" Manahan explains how artists of Sparkada are chosen
Napi-feel ba ni Michael iyong pressure na dapat mas umangat ang career niya this year?
“Opo,” tugon ni Michael sa Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP.ph) nitong Enero 29, Lunes ng hapon, sa Tapabar cafe, Mother Ignacia Avenue, Quezon City.
“I mean, accepting… or given the Sparkle U po na lead role, that was already pressure.
“Kasi, first lead namin [ni Zephanie] as a love team together din. So, nakaka-pressure in the sense na, ‘Kaya ba namin ito? Kaya ba naming magdala ng chemistry for the screen, and all of that?’
“And for me naman, yung Shining Inheritance, I mean the cast kasi is very star-studded, and mga veteran actors sila.”
Read: Zephanie at Michael Sager, parehong career muna bago love life
Tampok din sa Shining Inheritance sina Kate Valdez, Kyline Alcantara, at Coney Reyes.
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Dagdag ng 20-anyos na si Michael, “So, for me, sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Hala!’ Ha! Ha! Ha! I mean, malaki yung mga agwat namin, especially since bago ako.
“But I use the pressure to motivate myself, to make it as good pressure because… I don’t see them as competition.
“Like for example si Paul, or yung iba kong mga kasama. When I’m with them on set, we’re friends. We have a good time.
“So the way I see it is, as long as I’m enjoying my craft, I’m giving it my all sa ginagawa ko, dun na lang mapapakita kung… yung competition na sinasabi.
“Pero sa totoong buhay, I just leave it all behind because I want to have a good time lang, and positive lang.”
Meron ba siyang pa-abs o pa-kissing scene sa Shining Inheritance? Si Paul, laging may pa-abs sa socmed.
Natawa muna si Michael bago nagturan, “Well, sa preparation ko po sa Shining, pinag-workout talaga ako. So, I’ll let you wait sa premiere para makita nyo kung may pa-abs man.
“Pero yes, talagang medyo more mature ang atake dito. Kasi, I’m in my 20s sa character ko. Apart from that though, yung naging favorite ko, yung action scenes.
“Yun yung hindi ko in-expect po na maano, maraming fight scenes yung character ko kaya natuwa po ako.
“Kasi parang ini-explore ko pa po yun and at the same time, ang saya lang na natutunan ko yung mga ganun. So yun po yung apart from dramatic scenes, yung action scenes.”
ON ATTACKING HIS ROLE
Ano ang hugot ni Michael in life para mas mai-deliver ang akting na hinihingi sa kanya ng role o character niya?
Sagot ng Kapuso young actor, “Depende po sa mga eksena namin but siguro if it’s a kilig scene, available, yun ang tinuro po sa akin ni Ms. Ana [Feleo], ‘Just be available.’
“I’m in the moment kung sino yung katrabaho mo, just find something that you like, what you admire. Go with that and siguro, that helps a lot so that you can create a chemistry that’s needed.
“And pag mga dramatic scenes naman, that I got challenged with, especially sa Shining Inheritance.
“I really took my time to reflect and work on my processes as an actor, and through the workshops that I was given I was able to develop something that I can use especially sa mga eksena po.”
Sinu-sino ang mga peg niyang aktor?
“Siguro si Tom Cruise, I like him because when he does his action stunt scenes, it’s all him, e!” bulalas ni Michael.
“Ang natutunan ko sa kanya is that as an actor, he gives it everything. Kumbaga, kahit mamamatay na siya, ginagawa pa din niya.
“So yung dedication, yun talaga ang naa-admire ko sa kanya.”
Sa local actors, kaninong mga yapak ang inaasam niyang masundan?
“Ako po, nasagot ko po ito sa interview with Tito Boy [Abunda], si Alden Richards. Si Kuya Alden,” sabi ni Michael.
“Kasi, nung nakatrabaho ko siya sa Five Breakups And A Romance, grabe yung… yung pagka-observe lang sa kanya, it’s very inspiring.
“Na someday gusto ko din yung maabot. And for me if you ask how bad I want it, well, I’ll sacrifice a lot.
“I’m willing to do more, give it more effort, time and all the blood, sweat and tears para lang maabot yung goal na yun.
“Kasi… nandito na ako. Let’s give it all, let’s give it a try. And if I don’t make it, if it wasn’t meant to be, it wasn’t.
“So I just believe that with the guidance of the Lord, He’ll help me reach my goals in life.”
Streaming ang Five Breakups And A Romance umpisa Pebrero 14, Valentine’s Day, sa Prime Video.
SHINING INHERITANCE
Eighteen (18) weeks ang Shining Inheritance.
Originally, ang target airing nito ay Marso 2024. Pero dahil na-extend na naman ang Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap, at malamang na ma-extend din ang umaaribang Makiling, hindi pa masabi ni Michael kung kailan eere ang Shining Inheritance.
Patapos na ba sila sa taping nito?
“Hindi pa po, e. We’re halfway done, I guess. Kasi nag-lock-in po kami last December,” pagtatapat ni Michael.
“And ngayon, baka mag-lock-in uli. So, yun po. I mean, we’ve been taping a lot, so nakaka-excite lang na halfway, I could say halfway.”
For sure, maikukumpara ang Philippine adaptation sa 2009 South Korean original series na pinagbidahan nina Han Hyo-joo, Lee Seung-gi, Bae Soo-bin, at Moon Chae-won?
Gaano kalaki ang kaibahan at pagkakahawig ng Pinoy version sa orig na serye?
“As an adaptation po, or remake as a Filipino version, there are some changes that we have to make para mas maka-relate ang Filipino viewers,” saad ni Michael.
“And of course hindi po siya the same sa Korean version, may mga differences po, but feeling ko, yun ang exciting part.
“Kasi, makikita natin kung paano yung atake ng Filipino version.”
Sa mga pangunahing artista ng Shining Inheritance, si Michael ang baguhan.
Marami nang acting experiences ang co-stars niyang sina Kate Valdez, Paul Salas, Kyline Alcantara, at ang beteranang si Coney Reyes.
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“I really learn from them. Sabi ko, to ahh parang be on their level, I change my habits,” pagsisiwalat ni Michael.
“From mga habits na dati pa noong beginning ako, binago ko na to how they work — very efficient, very productive cast.
“Kung mag-memorize ng linya, word for word. Yun talagang very professional lahat sa set.
“Kaya whenever I work there, kahit mga 30 sequences or more pa kami, ambilis. Kasi lahat kami, may passion, e. Yun yung nakakatuwa.
“And yun yung nakita ko sa veteran actors, na iba yung drive nila sa pag-arte, like yung atake nila is very smooth lang.
“And siguro natuwa lang po ako, kasi na-expose ako sa ganun.”