Dream stellar team of young stars

BEA ALONZO has made dangerous thespic choices.

We were shooting the breeze with our writer-actor-director buddies last week, where the talk focused on the best TV-film young-adult of this generation, and what a thrill it would be to see them topbilling an especially challenging movie project, inspiring and challenging each other to come up with their best performances yet!

And, who might these top thespic lights be? It was instructive to see that we didn’t take all that long to survey the local acting scene today, and agree on our best four bets. (Do they reflect your own informed choices?):

Our four young-adult thespians for all seasons and reasons are— Jericho Rosales, Bea Alonzo, Angelica Panganiban and John Lloyd Cruz.

Other acting buffs may also consider Glaiza de Castro, Dennis Trillo, Rocco Nacino, KC Concepcion, Angel Locsin, Ina Feleo and Martin del Rosario, but Jericho, Bea, Angelica and John Lloyd ruled our roost.

Why did we choose our top four?

Bruised talent

Jericho has had a couple of rough and uneven seasons of late, but he’s recovering nicely with “Bridges of Love,” where his now more mature and “bruised” talent is evident for all to see—and feel. He used to be known for his frisky, cocky edge, but it’s been replaced by the even better virtues of restraint and depth of feeling.

JERICHO Rosales now shows restraint and depth of feeling.

Currently, his character is manfully striving to cope with the deeply painful realization that the love of his life (Maja Salvador) now has another romantic partner (Paulo Avelino), and there’s nothing he can or should do about it. Imagine how much more fiercely the thespic fur will fly when he finally discovers that Paulo is his long-lost brother?

Unique combination

For her part, Bea Alonzo has always impressed viewers, from as early as “Betty La Fea,” with her unique combination of “deep” beauty and complex acting impulses. In an industry full of pretty but shallow “A-B-C-D” performers, she compels special attention with her “Alphabet-wide” range of emotions and “dangerous” thespic choices.

Her last series (“Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon”) was a triumph for her, eliciting calls for a follow-up film, the better to “cement” and “document” the heightened acting level she now

JOHN Lloyd Cruz goes for dark roles.

inhabits.

Angelica Panganiban similarly dazzles with her “ambidextrous” facility at both drama and comedy, a unique gift that makes her stand out in her own way.

Finally, John Lloyd Cruz has come a long way from his “cute,” rom-com origins, and sometimes also goes for “dark” roles that require him to emotionally “dare and bare.”

Now, as for the dramatic material that has to be created to give all four prismatic and charismatic stars opportunities to stretch their thespic horizons as they creatively interact with one another, we suggest a story line that starts out in a deceptively simple and uncomplicated manner—but eventually darkens, heats up and “explodes” with unexpected discoveries about its four protagonists’ real selves and motivations!

Will a keenly empathetic producer who also loves great performances do the honors?