It’s a bittersweet Christmas for Mark Herras

HERRAS. Ready for more challenges.

The bad boy of the Dance Floor isn’t so bad, after all – and, that isn’t just because we’ve seen the impact of Mark Herras’ terpsichorean gifts at GMA 7’s “KapuSong Pasko” concerts and trade shows in Davao and Cebu. The former “StarStruck” champ also won us over with his candor and cool demeanor – even when he talked about his dad’s jail stint, or the period of depression he went through early this year.

“Totoong tao ako. I don’t make up stories to evade an issue,” he explains. “I’ve been in show biz for seven years, and they continue to hurl ‘contrasting’ stories about me – that I’m a womanizer, or I’m gay, or I’m an addict. Wala na ba’ng bago?

What was the worst thing said about him? Mark shares, “Nothing fazes me anymore, except where it involves my family – that’s when I really get shaken. Like, the issue about my dad (who was sent to jail on drug-related charges some years ago) – but, he’s all right now.” (The actor’s life story plays out like a convoluted telenovela: His family used to be well-off – but, shortly after Mark turned 16, his family went through a rough patch after his father lost millions in a lucrative business venture gone awry.)

Deliberate provocation

He recalls, “A few years ago, during the press con of ‘Super Noypi,’ some people came up to me and said na nilapitan sila ng kapatid ng tatay ko, kasi hindi ko raw s’ya tinutulungan sa kulungan – which wasn’t true. Digging up that story was deliberate. They wanted to provoke me – so, I blew up! Basta namatay na lang ang issue, kasi hindi naman totoo!”

The last quarter of the year has been a busy time for Mark: He wrapped up the dance teleserye, “Time of My Life,” and “Hitman,” his big-screen starrer with Cesar Montano, is hitting theaters in January. He says he’s grateful for the blessings.

But, 2011 didn’t start out right for the Kapuso heartthrob: The roller-coaster ride began two weeks after his 24th birthday (Dec. 14) last year, when his beloved grandmother passed away: “I was very close to my lola, so Christmas this year will be the loneliest yet. Her passing was the reason for my depression, which lasted for almost a year – but, I’m OK now.”

What was his happiest Christmas? Mark lights up, “It happened four years ago, when I spent the holidays sa bahay ko sa Commonwealth na pinagsikapan kong ipagawa – it gave me a sense of fulfillment! It was actually a double celebration, because it was also my first year with Ynna (Asistio, his girlfriend)!” Indeed, it’s a bittersweet Christmas for Mark.

What qualities does he find attractive in a girl? He replies, “Weakness ko ang babaeng sweet – gusto ko ‘yung maalaga at mapang-unawa, because show biz is full of intrigues. In this business, that’s the only way for a relationship to survive! So, when there are rumors about me and other girls, sinasabi ko agad kay Ynna, para hindi s’ya magulat.”

Naughty or nice

Yes, Mark admits that girls hit on him. Is he naughty or nice to them? He laughs, “During my first four years as an actor, pinapatulan ko. I used to go to clubs and bars with my best friend, Rainier Castillo –inom dito, inom doon. Pero, nagsasawa ka rin pala. Minsan, Pareng Aljur (Abrenica) would say, ‘Labas tayo, dude!’ Nagugulat na lang ako dahil ang sagot ko: ‘Pass ako!’”

If there’s one acting assignment that excites the actor these days, it’s his role in Montano’s drama-actioner. He explains, “The character I play in ‘Hitman’ is something new to me. I portray the nerdy and weak-looking member of a crime syndicate whose dark side unfurls toward the end. I have a long monologue that requires me to display a wide range of emotions while a coactor is dying!”

Mark swears he’s ready for the challenge: “I’ve always wanted to portray disturbed characters, because viewers have to understand how he became who he is – like the serial killer Kuya Aga [Muhlach] played in Rory Quintos’ dramatic thriller, ‘Sa Aking Mga Kamay.’ Just the thought of biting into such a fully realized role excites me!”