JAKE Cuenca was “very convincing,” says costar Ricky Davao.
Actor Jake Cuenca had to lose weight for his first-ever gay role in a TV special shot in Barcelona, Spain last month. He said he drew inspiration from BB Gandanghari, the former Rustom Padilla.
Cuenca will give life to the character Louie in the “Barcelona” episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK),” airing on Oct. 15. In the story, he strives hard to gain acceptance from his father, played by Ricky Davao.
“I only had two weeks to prepare,” Cuenca told writers during a media gathering in the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City. “When I was told that I’d be doing MMK in Barcelona, I was excited. My first question was, ‘Sino ang leading lady ko?’ Never did I imagine I’d be made to portray a gay character.”
Role models
Initially, Cuenca said he felt unsure if he could actually do it. “I was scared. I guess it helped that the letter-sender was around while we were taping and I got to know him. Aside from BB, the real Louie became my model.”
Davao, who has also played gay roles on TV and films, said he was impressed with Cuenca’s performance. “I didn’t have to give him any tips. He was already very convincing and moving,” said Davao. “Jake was really dedicated. While the rest of us were eating delicious Spanish dishes, he didn’t touch the food and just sat in one corner.”
“Barcelona,” written by Benson Logronio and directed by Dado Lumibao, is one of three special episodes in the MMK’s 20th anniversary celebration.
“Palawan,” directed by Cannes best director Brillante Mendoza, will air on Oct. 1. Featuring Angel Aquino as a woman who loses her sight in the middle of her quest to stop mining in Palawan, the episode was written by Ruel Montanez and also stars Yul Servo, Miles Ocampo, Paul Salas and Maria Isabel Lopez.
“Bukidnon-Happy Feet,” the story of the “Pilipinas Got Talent Season 2” tap dancing duo, will take the spotlight on Oct. 8. The episode, written by Joan Habana and directed by Lumibao, tells of the struggles that brothers Ramonito and Lourdito Mata went through to fulfill their dream. It features John Prats, Nash Aguas and Ariel Rivera.
During the press interview, ABS-CBN president and MMK host Charo Santos-Concio announced the network’s plan to institutionalize the program. “Our relationship with our letter-senders doesn’t end with the airing of their stories. It has always been our dream to put up an organization that will enable MMK to give back.”
MMK’s conduit
Concio said she was very pleased with the way the show is being run. “I hope it will continue to make stories that mirror life, and show our strengths and weaknesses as a people. I want to see more tales of survival, of always seeing what’s positive,” the network exec said. She added that MMK will likewise keep giving breaks to new directors and writers.
Concio pointed out that she is “merely the show’s conduit. Ang letter-senders ang totoong bida. I simply relay their messages to the viewers.” She also recounted the stories that had so much impact on her life as a mother.
Concio recalled the 2007 episode titled “Rehas,” which featured Gina Pareño as a mother who struggles to take care of her three mentally challenged children in Aklan. “This is a story of the unconditional love of a mother for her children. She sacrificed a lot ng walang hinihinging kapalit (without asking anything in return).” For her role as Nanay Reming, Pareño won the best drama performance by an actress at the 12th Asian Television Awards, while director Jerry Lopez Sineneng won best director.
Concio said the life story of Fatima Soriano, which aired in 2008, was “very inspiring, her disability did not change her positive view of life. She still thinks the world is beautiful. She did not give up.”
A two-hour documentary special titled “MMK Dalawang Dekada,” which aired last Sunday, featured actress and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos and talked about the show’s journey and how it has sustained viewers’ interest through the years.
MMK airs Sundays at 7:45 p.m.