He’s really lucky compared to Jaclyn Jose who has won several Urian best actress and best supporting actress trophies, including a best actress plum for the indie film “Sarung Banggi” in 2007, but has never made it as a Dekada awardee. Coco has really come a long way indeed from being a sexy actor who did sexy gay scenes with Alan Paule in “Masahista” and Paolo Rivero in “Daybreak” and even showed full frontal nudity in “Serbis”. “Naging hadlang talaga ang simula ko ng una kong kinukuha sa ABS-CBN,” he recalls. “May humaharang kasi sexy actor daw ako. Si Direktor Andoy Ranay ang nagpilit na makuha ko at una kong ginawa sa ABS ang ‘Ligaw na Bulaklak’ with Roxanne Guinoo, followed by ‘Tiny Tony’ na kontrabida ako kay John Prats. Pero napansin talaga ako sa ‘Tayong Dalawa’ na nagpanalo sa’kin ng best actor for drama sa Star Awards. This was followed by ‘Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo’ na nanalo naman akong best actor sa KBP Golden Dove.”
It’s now predicted that his dual role as a soldier and as rebel in “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” would surely bag him another acting award. “Mahirap talaga yun. Sobrang pagod ako kasi I play two roles at doble lagi ang mga eksenang ginagawa ko. Kung minsan, nakakalito, sino ba ko sa eksenang ito?”
Is he still willing to do indie films? “Yes, diyan ako nagsimula, e. I did films for the love of it. Kung minsan, P2,000 lang ang bayad sa’kin sa isang project, pero okay lang. Ang training na nakuha ko diyan molded me into what I am now sa craft ko. Ang dream ko, sana, wala ng distinction between indie or mainstream films. Basta pelikula na lang.”
He’s definitely getting a much higher talent fee now from the TV shows and films he does. “But my biggest earnings is from the endorsements I do, like Nescafe, Wow Ulam, Boardwalk, Bench, Adidas and Belo.”
When he received his Urian award, he cried dedicating his trophy to his grandma. “Yes, my parents separated when I was 9 at napunta ko sa mother ng ama ko, si Lola Matilde. I’m the eldest of three kids at siyang nagpalaki sa amin. I’m working hard now for them.”
He has a love child with Katharine Luna with whom he had a brief affair when they did “Masahista”. The girl is now 6 years old and his dream is to see her in person one day.
