JC Santos basks in ‘100 Tula’s’ unexpected success

I used to have stage fright, that’s why I pursued theater arts in college.

Actor JC Santos and Fidel Lansangan, his character in Jason Paul Laxamana’s hit rom-com, “100 Tula Para Kay Stella,” are similar in a lot of ways, especially in their fear of public speaking.

“I used to have stage fright, that’s why I pursued theater arts in college,” JC told the Inquirer. “I couldn’t speak in front of the class without reading a script. You won’t be able to count on me to say anything smart. In fact, I couldn’t handle interviews. I wasn’t as spontaneous as I am with you now.”

JC also claimed he was once a dork where dealing with girls was concerned.

“That didn’t last long, though, because I eventually discovered the things that gave me confidence,” he added.

JC is currently dating theater actress Teetin Villanueva.

“100 Tula” won the Audience Choice award during the recently concluded Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

Prior to its nationwide release, JC admitted that he was worried about how the audience would receive the film, because it was released after Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s blockbuster film, “Kita Kita,” which has earned more than P300 million at the box-office to date.

“I’m happy about my performance in the movie, where I portrayed a very complex character. The story is relevant because it tackles issues related to being a college student, like depression and the uncertainty of life after high school,” he pointed out.

JC said his leading lady Bela Padilla made work easy for him.

“She is a lot of things—she’s funny, witty, hardworking and very generous. We hit it off immediately, that’s why I got to enjoy the process. I’ve not had the chance to work with a lot of (mainstream) actresses, so I hope there are more actresses like her out there. I like her work ethic.”

Two years into pursuing theater arts at the University of the Philippines in Diliman (where he performed in plays for Dulaang UP), JC decided to work as a performer at Universal Studios in Singapore and, two years thereafter, at Hong Kong Disneyland.

After a year and a half of his stint in Hong Kong, he came home before he left for New York City to study musical theater at the Circle in the Square Theater School.

His introduction to the mainstream scene came by way of the teleserye, “Till I Met You,” which starred James Reid and Nadine Lustre. He is currently doing “Victims of Love,” with Julia Montes and Paulo Avelino.

On the big screen, he’s part of the cast of the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “Love Traps #FamilyGoals,” featuring Vic Sotto and Dawn Zulueta.

In October, he’ll start working on another rom-com, “Mr. and Mrs. Cruz,” opposite Ryza Cenon, with Sigrid Andrea Bernardo at the helm.

JC said, “When I returned home from the States, I realized that I just wanted to keep performing as an actor. Whatever is happening to me now, I just accept. This is a new world for me!”