Sa unang pagkakataon ay nakatrabaho ni Arjo Atayde si Judy Ann Santos at ito ay sa upcoming series na The Bagman.
At vocal naman si Arjo sa pagkukuwento na noong bata pa lamang siya ay hinahangaan na niya ang pagiging aktres ni Judy Ann, na nakasama ng ina ni Arjo na si Sylvia Sanchez sa ABS-CBN teleserye na Esperanza na umere noong 1997 hanggang 1999.
Noong nalaman raw niya na makakasama niya si Judy Ann sa isang proyekto ay tumayo ang lahat ng balahibo ni Arjo sa katawan.
Lahad ni Arjo, “Sabi ko, ‘Oh my God!’
“Parang nag-360 yung aking karera.
“Ever since I started, one of the reasons why I kept saying this…
“Esperanza days kasi with Mommy, di ba the script I used to kopya, sabi niya, ‘Bakit mo kinokopya, pambabae iyang script na iyan?’
“But then they understood it kasi it was drama, and mimicking and copying, siguro back in the day, they didn't notice it directly, it became an influence to me, and then later on, nandito nga ako.
“Then after how many years, coming from that beginning, and then starting in showbiz, and then bigla na lang makakatrabaho ko din pala siya in one big project.
“So when I found out, to be honest… goosebumps, everything else, mixed emotions, I was happy, I was crying,” ang bulalas na pag-amin pa ni Arjo.
“I was just very emotional to be given the opportunity to work with her, kasi it’s one of my goals talaga.”
Nakausap ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Arjo sa early thanksgiving party niya para sa mga miyembro ng media sa Quezon City District 1 headquarters sa West Avenue, Quezon City.
Ang pasasalamat ni Arjo ay para sa pagwawagi niya bilang Best Male Lead in a TV Program/Series sa ContentAsia 2024 na ginanap sa Taipei, Taiwan para sa kanyang performance sa Cattleya Killer.
At ang latest update, parehong pasok sa 50th Metro Manila Film Festival ang pelikula ni Arjo na Topakk (mula sa Nathan Studios/Strawdogs Studio Productions at sa direksyon ni Richard Somes) at ang pelikula ni Judy Ann na Espantaho (na mula naman sa Quantum Films / Cineko Productions / Purple Bunny Productions at sa direksyon ni Chito Roño) sa announcement ng final five official entries ng MMFF nitong Oktubre 22, 2024, sa The Podium Hall sa The Podium Mall sa Mandaluyong City.
Read: Arjo Atayde, sobrang thankful sa ContentAsia Awards victory
ARJO ON MEMORABLE SCENES WITH JUDAY
Pinagkuwento namin si Arjo ng senaryo sa first taping day nila ni Judy Ann.
“Wala, sumilip lang ako. Nakakatawa yun, silip lang naman yung sa first day,” at tumawa ang Quezon City First District Congressman.
“But definitely we had crazy scenes together, kasi I'm not to tell you the scenes kasi nga baka masira yung story.
“It’s for you to watch, but nung nag-cross naman kami, we had some scenes to play with, throw lines with, amazing!
“Of course, for me, it's amazing, I'm very much… I very much appreciate her professionalism, the way she is, pagiging mabait as always, ever since I’ve known her.
“And yeah, it's such an opportunity, and this is my dream, to be able to work with her.”
Ano ang pinaka-memorable na eksena nila ni Judy Anna na magkasama?
“I think the whole experience. Besides that, bias aside, is yung parang interrogation e, playful interrogation scene.
“Yun lang naman, ayoko ng magkuwento ng iba kasi it might spoil a bit of the story.
“But definitely one of the interrogation scenes we had is one of the things that we enjoyed, kasi we got to play around with some certain beats and some certain things.
“So masaya po ako, I was given the opportunity to express that creativity in that box of interrogation, sabi ko nga, ‘Oh my God!’
“It's a room of experience and again, even with Tito John and the rest of the cast as well.”
Kasama rin sa The Bagman, sa panulat at direksyon ni Shugo Praico, ang beteranong aktor na si John Arcilla.
Read: Arjo Atayde: Heaps of recognition after many rejections
Read: Arjo Atayde gives inside peek into wedding preparations
WAS ARJO RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING JUDAY for BAGMAN?
Idea ba ni Arjo na kunin si Judy Ann para sa The Bagman na ang isa sa mga producer ay ang Nathan Studios, Inc. na pag-aari ng kanilang pamilya?
Aniya, “No. I think siya naman po talaga yung target when they were writing it. Kasi si Direk Shugo naman, he writes, and then eventually, I don't know, it's for him to explain.
“Pero that’s what I know, pumapasok yun sa utak niya somewhat kung sino, of course, as an idea.
“And of course, Ate Juday is Ate Juday. No other option, it was her and we're glad it was her,” ang masayang bulalas pa ni Arjo.
“So I was given this opportunity, kasi obviously may konting conflict lang with nothing but schedule, so we're very happy and I was so happy at the end last minute or so, we were able to adjust her schedule and she was able to commit to the show.
“So sobrang blessed.”
Gaganap si Juday sa The Bagman bilang Presidente ng Pilipinas.
“It's a very nice character, very, very nice character.”
Katuwang ng Nathan Studios Inc. ang ABS-CBN International Productions, Dreamscape Entertainment, at Rein Entertainment sa produksyon ng The Bagman.
ARJO ON IMPENDING FATHERHOOD
Tinanong naman namin si Arjo kung kailan siya magiging Daddy Arjo.
“Obviously that's one of my dreams,” pakli niya.
“But for now, I'll leave it between us, but definitely, that's something that we talk about,” pagtukoy ni Arjo sa misis niyang si Maine Mendoza.
“That's one thing I have to say, it's something we talk about, but we don't want to disclose plans on when or what.”
Wala naman raw pressure kung kailan sila magkakaanak ni Maine
“Opo, practically… obviously she's also busy, I'm also hitting elections.
“Ayoko naman pong manganak siya sa susunod na election din, and a lot of things to consider besides that.
“So yun lang po, but definitely looking forward din po, of course,” ang nakangiting wika pa ni Arjo.
ARJO’S BLUNT RESPONSE TO BASHERS
Hiningan namin ng reaksyon si Arjo sa mga umikot na balitang hiwalay na raw sila ni Maine.
“Yeah, ano nga din po…sinasabi ko nga po, mga patutsada lang yan ng mga namumulitika, mga bashers.
“Mga undying bashers na hindi ko alam kung anong ginawa ko sa kanila,” at natawa ang actor/politician.
ARJO SHUTS DOWN RUMORS ABOUT HIM HAVING A CHILD
Isa pang nakawiwindang na tsikang kumalat ay may anak na diumano si Arjo.
“Wala po akong anak, wala pa po kaming anak ni Maine, but… should I say it ba? Wala, patutsada lang, I don't really bother anymore.
“I have a responsibility to serve the people, I'd rather go to work the next day not thinking about all these other things that don't matter and have nothing to do with reality.
“Kasi as long as I know I'm with my wife, I go home to my wife, I wake up beside my wife, so what's the problem?
“I don't think we're fighting, I mean petty fights, parte naman po ng relasyon yan, but nothing big.
“We haven't fought, I should say, but yeah, all those tsismis po, of course it gets to us, ‘Nag-break na raw kayo?’ ‘Tsismis yan,’" at muling natawa si Arjo.
“But again, I think it's just a political hit, kasi malapit na rin po eleksyon e, wala silang maitapon.
“We've been serving the people properly naman, we haven't had issues here of any stealing, of any issues under the Office of the Congressman, our office here.
“I'm very blessed with the people, so if ever wala silang maibato, siguro they’re trying to find ways, and to of course, getting a bit of dirt on the name.”