Brett Dier wants ‘Jane the Virgin’ to ride happily into the sunset

POP QUIZ for the single guys out there: What would you do if you were told that your girlfriend, who swore to remain celibate until she gets married, has been artificially inseminated by accident with the sperm of the boss she has a huge crush on?

For actor Brett Dier, who portrays dashing detective Michael Cordero Jr. in the Peabody Award-winning satirical telenovela, “Jane the Virgin,” the contentious situation would most likely drive him crazy: “And I’d probably need to see a therapist to get through it unscathed (laughs),” Brett told us during the actor’s exclusive phoner with the Inquirer, arranged by ABS-CBN’s Aaron Domingo on Friday.

That isn’t saying that the 26-year-old actor intends to leave his lady love high and dry in the face of “misfortune.”

True, the question isn’t an easy one—even for someone who’s been “living” Michael’s dilemma for two seasons and 44 episodes, so far.

The series revolves around the events that transpire after a life-changing accident at an OB/GYN clinic thrusts protagonist Jane Villanueva (Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez) into a situation that compels her to choose between the loving man she’s engaged to (Brett) and her dreamy employer Rafael (Justin Baldoni). But Rafael’s ex-wife Petra (Yael Grobglas), who’s as duplicitous as she is lovely, has no intention of letting Jane ride happily into the sunset.

Season 2 is currently being aired weekdays on ABS-CBN at 10 p.m. after “Born for You,” and is now on its last 12 episodes. But, the series has just been renewed for another season on CW network in the United States.

Brett explained, “If it happened to me, it’ll drive me nuts, but I’d probably do the same thing that Michael did—support Jane’s decision [to keep the baby]. Would I have stayed in the relationship? If you really love a girl, you’ll find a way to fix something that happened by mistake. There’s something about love that endures impediments like that…”

A self-confessed hopeless romantic, who enjoys hiking with his girlfriend and taking trips to visit his hometown in Canada, Brett thinks that Jane and Michael’s relationship may have been in a constant flux all throughout Seasons 1 and 2 but, he said, they could truly be meant for each other: “Everyone has a soul that is meant for another.”

As to what Season 3 has in store for the series’ followers, Brett said he isn’t allowed to spill details about it just yet: “The events at the end of Season 2 leaves a lot of room for more drama, so the next season is going to be an exciting ride for both the characters and the show’s followers.”

Brett attributed the series’ success to its creator Jennie Snyder Urman’s “smart and clever ideas that keep the show perpetually funny and relatable. It may have its quirks, but Jennie also keeps it grounded in reality.”

He also thinks that the show is successful because of the cast members’ readily perceptible rapport. “It’s not like we just go to the set and get the job done—we all got along very well since Day One, even when the cameras aren’t rolling. It’s the kind of rapport that keeps our creative juices flowing,” he said.

Asked to dish about his costars, the actor was quick to say that among the lead actors, the beautiful Yael is farthest from the scheming villainess she portrays: “She is goofy and is the nicest person you’ll meet. She will never do anything to harm others. As for Gina and Justin: Gina has Jane’s quirky charm and humor, while Justin is caring and easy to work with.”

Brett said it wasn’t difficult for him to relate to Michael, because he likes the police detective’s “blue-collar likability and openness.”

He said, “We’re both passionate about the people we care about—and we don’t stop until we figure out the source of our woes. We like getting things done.”

What has he learned from playing Michael? “From my character, I have learned to be patient and resilient,” he replied. “Moreover, we both like the selflessness of love. How can you not respect a guy who’ll do everything to protect the woman she loves?”

Brett said he’d love to visit Manila if invited by ABS-CBN: “Besides, I’ve never been there before—and I’d love to meet the show’s followers.”

Any other projects that his fans can expect from him? He said, “I’m working on a pilot called ‘Hiatus’—it’s about me. It’s a comedy show about what my life is about when I’m on hiatus from acting. I hope people will find it funny—and I hope it gets picked up by the networks.”

Can he talk about the fulfillment he gets from the diverse activities he loves to do in his downtime—like taekwondo, parkour, breakdancing, listening to jazz and making music (he began playing the piano at age 4)?

He answered, “Very diverse, yes—I like variety. Music has been part of my life for 22 years—like the improvisational nature of jazz.

“I love the adrenaline rush I get from dancing and parkour. In taekwondo, I was kicked in the face and broke my nose twice (laughs)—and it’s all right.”