It was a project that had piqued the interest of actor Dennis Trillo for quite a while – and when he received a call and was offered a role in “Pulang Araw” – of course it was a yes.
“May bakante pa pala,” the award-winning actor remarked at his solo press con at Seda Hotel Vertis in Quezon City last Tuesday.
Ever humble, Dennis, who had been consistently churning out remarkable performances in “Maria Clara and Ibarra,” “Voltes V: Legacy,” “Legal Wives,” and more, could not resist what he termed as “a role of a lifetime” as Japanese Imperial Army Officer na si Col. Yuta Saitoh, the chief villain in the epic historical drama, showing on Netflix and GMA.
There was a lot of preparations involved, because aside from playing a Japanese character who had a lot of hatred inside him, Yuta is trilingual. As a Filipino actor playing a Japanese who speaks in Nihongo, English and Tagalog, Dennis spends hours perfecting his lines, his pronunciation, and his intonation, not to mention making sure that his expressions match. It’s good that he has a very good ear, according to his coaches, Fil-Jap actors Ryo Nagatsuka and Kenji Ishiguro.“Pulang Lupa” director Dominic Zapata also heaped praises on Dennis, extolling his professionalism and depth of acting.
“If it’s a bad thing etong pagiging consumate professional, he’s gotten much, much worse,” quipped Direk Dominic. “Kasi todong-todo sya.”
Apart from the story and his villainous role, Dennis is thankful for the chance to be working with the “superstars” in “Pulang Araw,” referring to Alden Richards, David Licauco, Sanya Lopez and Barbie Forteza.
“Masarap katrabaho ang isang Alden Richards. First time ko siya nakatrabaho. Makikita mo talaga ‘yung passion niya every time may eksena kayo. ‘Yung energy level niya talagang parang hindi siya napapagod. Talagang ibang klase rin ‘yung Alden Richards,” he said, “At syempre si Barbie and David at lalo na si Sanya. Masaya ako na makatrabaho sila ulit, dahil nakatrabaho ko na sila noon, pero habang lumilipas ‘yung panahon, talagang nakikita mo ‘yung growth nila.”
The actor understands he will earn the ire of viewers as he wrecks havoc on the lives of the leads. Still he would recommend it to his own son, who, he said, has much to learn from our history.
“Ala rin siyang masyadong alam dun sa mga nangyari nung panahon ng Hapon. Mabuti na mamulat sya dun sa mga katotohanang nagaganap noon – maganda man o hindi maganda – pero ‘yun talaga ‘yung history, ‘yung bumuo sa pagkatao natin. Kaya tayo mga Pilipino ngayon na may sariling kalayaan.”
If there is a lesson everyone must take away from “Pulang Araw,” it is to choose peace always.
“Pag iwas sa mga giyera sa buhay,” said Dennis, “Maling maling. Peace-loving tayo na mga tao. Pahalagahan natin lahat ng mga mga tao sa paligid natin.”
