“Na-miss ko,” said Ian Veneracion about his days as an action hero.
As the actor marks his 40th year in showbiz, Ian makes a grand comeback to the action genre via a new kind of hard-hitting series, “One Good Day.”
At the press con on Friday at the Seda Hotel, Ian talked about presenting a new kind of series to the Amazon Prime audience.
“This is so different from the usual fight scenes that I’ve done in the past, especially with the use of technologies we have now,” he said. “We’re trying our best to achieve a certain kind of quality, in terms of sound, color grading and the non-linear storytelling.”
Ian said he had to train his body for the dangerous, complex stunts which he did himself. But his years of being a martial artist and all-around sporty guy who also dabbles in extreme sports has been serving him well.
“Kaya pa,” he said with a chuckle.
It’s precisely the combination of his intense focus as an artist and his training as a athlete that made him the one and only choice for the role, revealed director and producer Lester Pimentel Ong.
“We chose Ian because number one, he is an athlete, a martial artist, and other than that, he is a very good actor,” said Ong, who is best known for “Panday,” “Lastikman,” “Imortal,” “La Luna Sangre,” “Indio” and “Bagani,” to name a few.
According to Direk Lester, Ian was so impressive and so dedicated that he did not hesitate to do his own stunts.
“For safety, we wanted a stunt double,” related Ong, “But when he saw the stunt double doing the stunt, he said, ‘I can do better than that’.”
“Nakakalimutan ko kasi ang edad ko, pasensya na,” Ian said in jest.
Time and time again, the 47-year-old Ian Veneracion has proven he is one of the most brilliant actors in the country. The former child star and “That’s Entertainment” alumnus eventually became a sought-after action hero in the ‘90s and early 2000s, with movies such as “Zaldong Tisoy,” “Halang ang Bituka,” “Sgt. Bobby Aguilar: Isa Lang Ang Buhay Mo,” “Ben Balasador: Akin ang Huling Alas,” “Bastardo,” “Armadong Hudas” and “Totoy Hitman,” among many others.
To celebrate his four decades in the entertainment industry, Ian is all geared up for his much-anticipated return to action via Studio Three-Sixty action series “One Good Day” set to stream November 17 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
“This series will surprise our Filipino viewers in terms of quality. With the recent availability of current technologies; the level of image and sound quality, non-linear storytelling, creative and fast paced fight scenes, that of which, would certainly make us proud to showcase the Filipino talent in the art, and science of film making,” shared Ian.
In “One Good Day,” he plays the role of Dale Sta. Maria, a strong-willed mobster who left the Rodrigo Organization after finding out that he has a brain tumor and that death is upon him. However, with the death of his loved ones, he is drawn out of retirement and is forced to go on a final mission before calling it a day.
“The role requires a delicate balance of internal ‘order and chaos’ for any actor. A sensitive man, trapped in the complexity of having to embrace violence, in order to gain the peace and simplicity that ultimately is, his end goal,” Ian explained.
Joining Ian in the star-studded cast Rabiya Mateo, Andrea Torres, Aljur Abrenica, Justin Cuyugan, Nicole Cordoves, Pepe Herrera, Robert Seña and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo. Also with them in this six-episode series are Claire Ruiz, Louise Abuel, Joe Vargas, Marela Torre, Lance Pimentel, and Pontri Bernardo.
“One Good Day” will stream on Amazon Prime Video starting November 17, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.
