ARIEL Ureta in “Dream Dad”
Some people seem to think that, to be outstanding and exceptional, a TV or film performance has to be highly dramatic and storm the thespic heavens with torrents of tears and endless screams for divine help or benevolent surcease!
In truth, some “awardable” and even actually awarded portrayals have been not at all lushly melodramatic and over-the-top, and have in fact been admired for their subtlety, and even their ostensible “ordinariness.”
The point is that practically anybody with a strong pair of lungs can scream up and ululate an impressive thespic storm—but, to come up with a believably real portrayal, you need genuine insight and an empathetic heart—and those qualities are much harder to come by!
Happily, the local TV screen is currently not wanting in good examples of relatively quiet performances that viewers gratefully and implicitly believe in, and feel with and for. Hokey screamers and livid over-actors out there, take note and try to follow suit:
Quietly exceptional
The first quietly exceptional character portrayal we’d like to cite is Angel Aquino’s depiction of Nash Aguas’ conflicted but supportive mother in “Bagito.” When she started her acting
ANGEL Aquino in “Bagito”
career, Angel was exceedingly lovely, but was a relatively awkward, limited and “empty” performer.
She remained embarrassingly beautiful but inept for too long a time—but, in the last few years, she’s finally gotten her thespic act together, and we couldn’t be happier for her.
In fact, her work on “Bagito” is her best TV performance to date, so we trust that she’ll do even better next season!
What makes her portrayal in “Bagito” so outstanding is its insightful understanding of her character’s complex feelings—and a most welcome lack of overt and attention-calling histrionics!
Fact is, she no longer has to chew up the scenery, because her thespic, “emotional” intelligence and feeling-for is more than enough!
For his part, Ariel Rivera also does superior work as Angel’s husband, and his portrayal reminds viewers (and hopefully other producers and directors as well) that he’s one of our most under-appreciated mature actors around.
ZANJOE Marudo and Gloria Diaz in “Dream Dad” videograb from youtube
A third example is provided by Gloria Diaz in “Dream Dad,” where she plays Zanjoe Marudo’s feisty and “newly-liberated” mom, opposite Ariel Ureta as her crusty hubby.
What’s most appealing about Gloria’s portrayal is the fact that she’s graduated from her “ex-Miss Universe” image of old, and is now “just” a good character actress, period.
Thus, she’s able to let her hair down, allow her age to show, and be “just folks.” Her portrayal provides the overly sweet and super nice series, the edge and bite it sorely needs.
As for Ariel Ureta, he also does well, but he tends to mug and scowl in his signature “funny-ornery” fashion, so the impression he makes is less refreshing and unexpectedly delightful.
Still, it’s much better than the “over” portrayals of many other TV character actors, who feel that they have to bust their guts and cry a river of (crocodile) tears to impress viewers. Not so!