CLIFFORD PUSING is a bemedalled swimmer and triathlon athlete from Olongapo who forayed into acting in 2020 when he was just 16 years old.
He played the role of Zach, a student who is caught cheating, so he’s told to serve as an altar boy in the Boys Love digital series, “Sakristan”.
“I did TV commercials and was an extra in the films of Darryl Yap, na kababayan ko from Olongapo,” he says.
“But it’s when I did a lead role in ‘Sakristan’ for him na talagang napansin ako.
"And now, I’m with Viva and I just finished a full length film, ‘Tag-init’, na sobrang happy ako kasi naidirek ako ng respetadong director na si Jose Javier Reyes.”
He is very candid in admitting that his parents separated when he was still a small boy.
He was raised by his father, who’s very supportive that he is pursuing an acting career.
In “Sakristan”, he had a love scene with another guy but in “Tag-init”, he gets to bed no less than the sexy New Zealander beauty queen Franki Russell.
Did he have to make any adjustment?
“Dito po sa ‘Tag-init’, no adjustment needed. Doon po ako sa ‘Sakristan’ kailangang mag-adjust kasi lalaki po ang kasama ko sa eksena.
"At si Franki, napakabait niya. First time ko siyang nakilala sa shooting namin sa isang beach resort sa Batangas at very accommodating po siya.”
In the story, he plays the younger brother of Ali Asistio who took him to the beach. With them is Ali’s friend, Aerol Carmelo and his girlfriend, Yen Durano.
At the beach resort, Ali and Aerol have a threesome with Yen, so Clifford chooses to walk along the beach and sees a beautiful girl who looks lonely, Franki.
It turns out that Franki is the mistress of a politician and she already wants to break up with her sugar daddy but cannot do so.
She and Clifford are both lonely souls and they make a connection that eventually leads to a deeper relationship.
Before Clifford meets her, all he does is to pleasure himself by ‘sariling-sikap’, but with Franki, he finally becomes a real man.
Clifford feels lucky to be given a good break playing a lead role in “Tag-init”.
“When I first tried acting, wala talaga akong background sa pag-arte kasi ang experience ko, puro sa sports lang.
"But I’ve since taken an acting workshop at love ko na talaga ngayon ang pag-arte. I’m praying mabigyan pa sana ako ng chance to do more challenging roles and be handled by really good directors.”
At 19, he’s almost 6 feet tall, has a lean physique and has no qualms about taking his clothes off before the camera.
“Basta kailangan talaga ng role at required sa story, okay lang po sa akin. Maski sa father ko at sa mga pinsan ko, very supportive sila sa pagpasok kong itong sa showbiz.”
'Tag-init" will start streaming on Vivamax this January 20, Friday.