What Jake finds satisfying about playing the 3rd wheel

From left: Jake with costars Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez

It means I played my role correctly, said actor Jake Ejercito about the hateful comments that he has been receiving online in relation to portraying Cedric, his character in the romantic-comedy series “Marry Me, Marry You.”

Jake plays the third party in the love story of the lead characters portrayed by Paulo Avelino (Andrei) and Janine Gutierrez (Camille) in the series. “If I make them hate me, that’s still a compliment. When I watch the show, I get hooked to the story of Andrei and Camille myself. As their second lead, I am flattered that I was able to have this effect on the audience,” he pointed out.

Asked which scenes for him are the most memorable, Jake said these were the two times Cedric professed his love to Camille. “The first one was through a video presentation. For the second one, I had to dance. Dancing in front of Janine was the hardest part, considering who her boyfriend is,” said Jake, referring to actor-dancer Rayver Cruz. Janine and Rayver remain mum on the rumor that they have already broken up.

Jake Ejercito

Blessed for first teleserye

Jake admitted that he really had to prove himself as an actor in the series. He added that he would also like to explore different roles that would challenge him. “So yes, I’m open to doing other projects, too. I really enjoyed playing Cedric,” he declared. “As an actor, you’ll never be happy with your work. But, if anything, you’ll learn to enjoy it and that’s what’s more important.

“I’m thankful to Janine and Paulo and my other costars, because they were really helpful, encouraging, very approachable. They made me feel comfortable as a newcomer,” said Jake. “Of course, our movements on the set are restricted, because we’re forced to follow protocols, but I get to bond with them during lunch since we all eat together. I’m also used to watching Paulo and Janine tease each other. My days on the set are mostly like that.”

Jake said that whenever he gets to watch the series on TV, he still couldn’t help but pinch himself. “I still can’t believe I ended up being part of a big project like this, that I get to work with Janine, Paulo, Ms. Pie (Cherry Pie Picache) and the others. I feel blessed that this became my first teleserye,” he beamed.

“Marry Me, Marry You,” now on its second season, airs on the Kapamilya channel on weeknights. It is directed by Dwein Baltazar and Jojo Saguin.