David Chua (left) with Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan in “Mano Po Legacy”
These days, gayness is never just one predictable interpretation,” said actor David Chua, who added that he was “careful not to be stereotypical” in his portrayal of Philip Lo, the gay henchman and coconspirator of Valerie Lim (Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan) in the series “Mano Po Legacy: The Family Fortune.”
“My take on Philip is that he is semicloseted. The low voice is betrayed by his feminine hand gestures. He wears business suits but leans toward loud colors,” David explained. “There are other layers to the role, which I don’t want to preempt so you’ll have to watch how it evolves.”
David claimed to be “feeling flattered for having been anointed as an unwitting flag bearer of the LGBTQ community” and for good reason. “Some people say I’ve broken new ground, for taking the gay role to a deeper level,” David pointed out.
“I can’t take sole credit for all that, since all I’m doing is really fleshing out a role. The LGBTQ community is diverse, and there is not one person and expression that’s exactly the same for all. There’s always different sensitivities. In fact, some call it being ‘genderless,’” the actor said.
Positive feedback
David also gives due credit to Maricel for bringing out his best throughout most of their scenes together. “Acting-wise, bigayan kami—hatakan, tulakan. She’s such an incredible actress, and I’m very lucky to have her as my ‘sparring partner.’ I’m also amazed at how she can glam up like that for every new scene and still act, well, like her wig is not that high,” said David, laughing.
Barely a month since the Regal Entertainment-produced series began airing on GMA 7, David has already received his fair share of positive feedback for playing Philip. “I’m happy when, for example, I’m in a mall and people call me by my character’s name. Some say, ‘Nakakagigil ka!’ or ‘Grabe kayo ni Valerie!’ or ‘Ang galing mo, idol!’ The validation can be elating. It tells me that I’m doing justice to my role.”
David Chua
Chinese traditions
For David, who is “half-Chinese, half German/Filipino,” the depiction of Filipino-Chinese practices in the program is quite clear-cut.
“The story of ‘Mano Po’ happens in real life, especially the battle for inheritance or legacy in a powerful family. Traditionally, only Chinese males receive inheritance from their ancestors. The series, in a way, reflects the situation of a lot of Chinese Filipino families in the Philippines,” he observed.
David himself comes from a family that still practices Chinese traditions up to now. “Buddhism is the main religion in my mom’s side. In fact, I even went to a Buddhist school in Binondo from kindergarten to high school. Also, I grew up in a family that practices old traditions, like fixed marriage, for example,” he explained. David had earned his stripes as an actor when he was still under ABS-CBN, where he did over 30 TV shows, including “My Girl” (2008), “Imortal” (2010), “My Binondo Girl” (2011), “Dyesebel” (2014) and “Love Thy Woman” (2019). He was also part of “Saturday Night Chills” (2013), where he won best supporting actor at the 2013 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival.
Aside from acting, David has also established himself as a credible director, this time, of the long-running magazine TV show, “Rated Korina,” as well as of numerous TV commercials and advertising gigs under his Dark Carnival Productions.
From a director’s perspective, David is all praise for Ian Loreños’ cinematic treatment. “It’s quite impressive,” David admitted. “I hear this from people who watch the show—that it looks like a movie. It’s like bringing the movies to people’s homes. Malayo pa ako kay Direk Ian, who is award-winning, that’s why I always listen to him and watch how he directs.”