As “Incognito” reaches its mid-season mark, the action-packed series continues to captivate audiences, maintaining its spot on the top ten chart of Netflix since it began airing in January.
With a stellar ensemble cast led by Richard Gutierrez, Ian Veneracion, Maris Racal, Baron Geisler, Anthony Jennings, Kaila Estrada, Daniel Padilla and directed by Lester Pimentel Ong, the show has reignited interest in high-octane action for Filipino viewers worldwide, including those who don’t typically watch local programs. And it’s not just the audience that’s hooked — the cast has formed a strong, united bond, both on and off-screen.
In this thrilling season, Team Kotraks, led by Gregorio Paterno (Ian Veneracion), embarks on a mission that takes them to the rugged mountains of Itogon, Benguet, and the freezing snows of Yamagata in Japan. Despite battling extreme weather conditions — from scorching heat in the mountains to bone-chilling cold in Japan — the cast agrees that every challenge has been worth it, especially after seeing the trailer during a recent press conference at the ballroom of Seda Vertis North.
Richard, who plays Jose Bonifacio, spoke about the intense conditions during their shoot in Nagano, where temperatures often plummeted to negative 6°C, with wind gusts making it feel much worse. “Every day is very challenging, plus shooting the action scenes. We just had to adapt and adjust. Mahirap talaga ang weather condition. Sabi nga ni Anthony, pag nabasa ang kamay mo, ‘yun na ‘yun. We had to wear waterproof socks, shoes. Syempre ‘yung daylight hinahabol namin.
“There were a lot of challenging conditions. But we were able to manage and I think we did a good job.”
For Daniel, stepping into the action genre — a territory his father Rommel and uncle Robin are famous for — has been a journey of self-discovery. When asked about the “action star” label, Daniel humbly shrugged it off. “This genre is new to me and na enjoy ko lang yung genre na to. Wala naman akong gustong i-label na action star ako. Wala. That’s just a role.
“Gusto ko lang ang genre na to kasi ang dami kong natututunan sa sarili ko… Nasusubukan ko ‘yung sarili ko. Minsan hindi ko alam kung kaya ko pa. Sinasagad ko ‘yung sarili ko. [Pag] nagawa ko ‘yun, [nasasabi ko] kaya ko pala ‘yun.”
He joked that it’s his mom, actress Karla Estrada, who prepared him for his action scenes. “Siguro sinanay akong nanay ko sa aksyon nung bata ako. Sinanay nya akong umilag. Siguro sa tulong din ng director namin, yung mga kasamahan ko rito, nila Chard at syempre sa gabay din ng mga magulang ko at ‘yung mga uncle ko natututo naman ng unti.”
Anthony recalled his favorite moment from the shoot. “Italy kasi pinakumpleto kami. Buo group,” he shared. “Tsaka dun nya ako binigyan ng core memory – peklat sa tuhod,” he added. “So far, Italy at Palawan.”
Baron has settled into his role as sniper-doctor Miguel. “Working for six months, blended na grupo namin, nakabisado na namin… I just automatically transform into Miguel because it’s very easy,” he said, adding, “I just wanna say that I’m truly grateful to my co-stars, the cast, the crew, the directors, for guiding me.”
Maris, who plays the chameleon-like Gab, faced her own challenges, especially speaking in Italian and also Hiligaynon like a native opposite seasoned actor Joel Torre. “So surprise ‘yun lahat and then sabi ko na ‘Thank God Bisaya ako’ kasi we have so many common words – Hiligaynon and Ilonggo and Bisaya,” she revealed. Thanks to guidance from both Joel Torre and fellow Ilonggo Anthony, Maris adapted to her role with ease.
Kaila, who portrays a strong and empowered female character, feels a sense of pride in the roles she and Maris play. “One thing I’m really proud of is both Gab and Max’s characters are really strong and empowered women. Talagaang makikita mong they’re as skilled as the other characters and that’s something that I really, really am happy about. Hopefully, seeing Max and Gab, inspires young girls to feel empowered and be independent and go-getters and have that fearlessness.”
The whole cast is united in their desire to work together again.
“Pag matagal na kayong na sho-shoot tapos narararamdaman mo patapos na. Andun na ‘yung nalulungkot ka na. Kailangan mo silang makita palagi,” revealed Anthony. “Everytime na magsusuot ako ng uniform… feeling ko superhero kami. May ganung pakiramdam. Feeling ko medyo matagal-tagal kong mararamdaman yun. So medyo nakakalungkot, pero at the same time happy ako love na love ng mga tao ‘yung characters namin… Sana, sabi nga ni Daniel, sana magkaroon pa ng season two para marami pa kaming pwedeng ibigay.”
With its high ratings, devoted following, and a cast eager to return, who knows?
