“Malaking karangalan na kahit napakabata ko pa sa industriya, nabigyan na ako ng ganito kalaking award na ipinangalan sa idol ko, sa hero ko,” he says. “Sana yung mga adhikain niya para sa industriya, maging daan ako para makatulong din sa ating lahat.”
Susan Roces, FPJ’s widow, says Coco deserves the honor. “Sa stature niya as Teleserye King and his success in mainstream and indie films, he has remained very humble,” she says. “Talagang he has honed his talent as an actor from basic raw performance in indie films at makikita yun dito dahil makatotohanan lagi ang pagganap niya. Dito, nag-dive siya in one scene sa napakaruming ilog. Puede naman siyang dobolan pero hindi siya pumayag at siya mismo ang gumawa. Akong ninenerbiyos kapag ginagawa niya yun. Positive rin lagi ang attitude ni Coco. He says good morning to greet us and start the day with a warm conversation. Very considerate rin siya. Kapag sobrang late na, he tells them na unahin nang kunan ang mga eksena ko, para hindi ako masyadong mapuyat.”
He’s so proud of all the episodes that they’ve taped so far. “Salamat sa Dreamscape at ABS-CBN kasi hindi nila pinagtipiran ang show. Parang pelikula ang pagkakagawa at maraming malalaking eksena. Saludo rin ako sa directors naming sina Malu Sevilla at Avel Sunpongco kasi they made sure na maganda ang bawat eksena namin.”
He also wants to thank all his co-stars: Bela Padilla as the wife of his Ador character, Maja Salvador as the love interest of his Kardo character, Jaime Fabregas as his uncle who knows his secret about being twin characters, Albert Martinez and Agot Isidro as the heads of a syndicate who torments Ador, Arjo Atayde as Ador’s rival at the PNP Academy, Joey Marquez and Malu de Guzman as the parents of Maja, and Dennis Padilla and Ana Roces as the parents of Bela. ‘Ang Probinsyano’ replaces ‘Nathaniel’ starting on Monday night.
