Coco Martin Was Initially Intimidated By Nora Aunor

COCO MARTIN is producing his new movie, “Padre de Pamilya”, for his own company CCM Creative. He stars with Nora Aunor and this is a dream come true for him. “Noon ko pa naisip ang concept na ito for us,” he says. “When Direk Adolf Alix told me his plan na pagsamahin kami ni Ate Guy in a movie, he said he has two stories at pumili ako ng magugustuhan ko. I told him may concept din ako at kinuwento ko sa kanya, about an OFW na nagsasakripisyo abroad para sa ina niya’t mga kapatid, pero parang nabalewala lahat ng pagod niya kasi pag-uwi niya, wasak pala ang pamilya nila. Nagandahan si Direk and he said, sige, yan na ang gawin natin. At nagpapasalamat ako dahil pumayag agad si Ate Guy.”

So how’s his experience working with Ate Guy? “Noong una kami mag-meet, sa Eastwood yun, kinakabahan ako kasi alam naman natin ang stature niya. The night before our first shooting day, hindi ako makatulog. Ang ginawa ko, pinanood ko yung old movies niya, ‘Bona’ at ‘Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos’. Lalo akong kinabahan kasi kitang-kita ang galing niya. intimidate ako but it turned out, very simple siyang katrabaho, ngiti lang nang ngiti. Sa shooting, ang gaan-gaan kasama, very professional, tawanan lang kami nang tawanan sa set. Maalaga siya sa mga kasama niya, lalo na kay Anita Linda na gumaganap na Lola ko. Talagang inaalagaan niya ito, inaalalayan.”

In the story, his dad, Joel Torre, abandoned them and Nora tries her best to raise his elder brother (Manuel Chua), him and their only sister (Miles Ocampo) by herself. Then needy relatives keep on joining them in their house, like Anita Linda (Joel’s mom) and Rosanna Roces (Joel’s sister). Coco opts to work in Malaysia to support their big family and, while he’s there, he falls in love with another OFW, Julia Montes, who left her own husband, Baron Geisler, in Manila. When Julia goes home, he follows and it’s then he finds out that his own mom has found a younger lover, Joem Bascon. This leads to some dramatic confrontations between mom and son.

We ask Coco why he formed his own company to produce indie films? “Kasi, as an actor, maghahanap ka ng ibang material naman kaysa dun sa ginagawa mo sa teleserye o mainstream romantic movies na for your body. Ito namang ganitong project, it’s for your soul. Para mapagbigyan mo rin ang pagka-artist mo.”

Ate Guy butts in at this point. “Totoo yan, nangyari rin sa’kin yan. Noong panahon ng Tower Productions, daig pa noon ang indie films kasi in two or three days, nakakatapos kami ng isang pelikula. Minsan, darating ako sa shooting, iba na mga artistang kasama ko, yun pala, iba na namang pelikula ang ginagawa namin. Kaya nagtayo ako nga sarili kong kumpanya, NV Productions, at ginawa namin ang ‘Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos’ in 1976 na nagpanalo sa’kin ng Urian at Famas Awards.”