Mon Confiado in one of his immersion trips in the mountains.
Mon Confiado’s role preparation typically involves strict character study and immersion. And it was no different for his new film, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, “Nanahimik ang Gabi,” where he plays a mysterious home intruder.
To help himself “inhabit the psyche” of his character, Mon isolated himself in the mountain forests of Pangasinan for 10 days and another five in Baguio. “That’s part of the journey that will lead my character to the secluded mansion he plans to invade,” he said at a press conference.
Not much was said about Mon’s unnamed character aside from the fact that he’s capable of violence, and that he’s out to spoil the secret rendezvous of the corrupt police officer Chief (Ian Veneracion) and his sugar baby, Me-Ann (Heaven Peralejo).
“It’s one of the best characters I have done. When our director, Shugo Praico, presented me with the script and the character, I got so excited. And when we met one-on-one, I laid down my inputs and told him about my typical preparations and the immersion I do,” the character actor said.
The suspense thriller flick—produced by Rein Entertainment—was shot in Tagaytay. And for the entirety of the production bubble, Mon made sure to stay in character—and in costume. “I didn’t remove my costume during the shoot. When I get back to the hotel to rest, I just remove the top layer of my clothing. It’s part of my method and I didn’t want to let go of my character,” related Mon, who kept his offscreen interactions to his costars to a minimum.
“Ian and Heaven have a different approach because they have to appear sweet and their characters have different motivations. So I don’t talk to them much once we start rolling. Of course, before our takes, we eat together, have a chat… But most of the time, I just stay in my room in the standby area because I was worried about going out of my zone,” he said.
Confiado in “Nanahimik ang Gabi”
Ready to face any role
Because of his acting approach, Mon said that there are times when getting out of character can get complicated. “There are a lot of layers to the character, so it was hard to shed them all. I absorbed them. And you will understand when you watch the film. It took a while before I was able to let go of the character. I looked different after,” he said.
But Mon enjoys the challenge. And at this point in his career, the 54-year-old actor can say that he’s now free of inhibitions as an actor. “Wala na akong kinakatakutan na roles. The important thing for me now is to execute my job well and deliver what my director wants,” he said.
He’s not certain whether his role would qualify for the best actor or supporting actor category. Either way, he’s not expecting anything. “I just enjoy doing the movie. It’s a privilege working with all these actors. The more important thing is for people to go watch it,” he said. “Winning is just a bonus.”
And he’s hopeful that the film would do well at the box office. “It’s different from the usual MMFF fare, which is comedy and horror. It’s a home invasion thriller. I think many people have become more acquainted with different genres of thrillers amid the pandemic. I think our film has a good chance of doing well,” he said.