Acting in indie films less stressful than doing TV work, says Janus del Prado

JANUS del Prado

Some directors make him a guide or “peg” when looking for a specific kind of comedy acting, and this upsets comedian Janus del Prado.

“A young actor told me that he once attended a workshop where he was asked, ‘Do you know actor Janus del Prado? I want you to play this character the way he would.’ That’s why I’ve been praying to land projects that will enable me to show something different,” said Janus, adding that he hoped he was able to do just that in the dark comedy, “Ang Bagong Pamilya ni Ponching.”

The film by Inna Salazar and Dos Ocampo is an entry in the ongoing 2016 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, which runs until Aug. 14 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City.

“In most of my mainstream projects, they wanted me to just be me. For this film, my directors said they didn’t want to see Janus in Ponching,” said the 31-year-old actor.

Janus said he was impressed by Ponching’s disposition in life. “He is an optimist and is very religious, just like his friend Elmerson (played by Ketchup Eusebio),” he observed. “While Elmerson is ambitious, Ponching is contented and happy that they get by.”

Elmerson coaxes Ponching to commit a seemingly “harmless” text scam.

When asked to share his experience in doing an indie movie for the first time, Janus replied: “When I do a project, I don’t set expectations. I just want to do a good job and hope that I could at least deliver half of what the directors expect from me.”

He added: “Working on this film was less stressful. We didn’t have a deadline to beat, like when you’re doing a teleserye. It’s a nice change of pace because in mainstream, you feel so worn out after a day on the set.

“I’m glad that for this project, my directors consulted me with how my character should develop.”
Janus clarified that “Ang Bagong Pamilya ni Ponching” does not encourage scamming. “It will depend on how people interpret Ponching’s actions, because some people can be one-dimensional. Some of them would think, ‘These people made the film light and funny, so I guess they’re promoting text scamming.’ But if they look into it, they will understand where the characters are coming from.”

The film presented another side of the text scam issue, Janus said. “It’s similar to the idea that not all policemen are bad, or that not all politicians are corrupt. Not all those who get involved in text scams are bad; some of them are just trying to get by.”
“Ang Bagong Pamilya ni Ponching” also features Odette Khan, Lollie Mara, Jojo Alejar, Joyce Burton-Titular, Jackie Lou Blanco and Mimi Juareza.

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