Aga Muhlach finds ‘weight struggle’ limiting as an actor

Aga Muhlach —VIVA FILMS

Aga Muhlach has always been candid about his recurring struggle with his weight, and how it forces him to turn down offers to play lead roles. It’s for this very reason, he admitted, that he hasn’t been as active in show biz as he would have wanted.

This year, slowly but surely, Aga is getting back on track, giving him the much-needed push to take on projects he has lined up.

“I had to face this lingering issue in my life, which is my being overweight. I can’t really do as many good projects as I want because being overweight is very limiting [as an actor],” Aga said at a press conference for his upcoming film, “Ikaw Pa Rin ang Pipiliin Ko,” which opens in theaters on Feb. 7.

“I have been struggling … but finally, it’s (weight loss) happening for me now,” he added. “And some people have noticed it already.”

Aside from the movie, Aga alluded to “a big thing” that’s about to happen in “the next four, five months.” “It’s now or never. Like, if I don’t lose [weight], then it (work) just stops for me. Because if I can’t fix that, how will I be able to work properly? So, it’s all happening, it’s all going down this year.

“I will continue to work. I’m inspired to work,” stressed the seasoned actor and matinee idol.

Produced by Viva Films and directed by Denis O’Hara, “Ikaw Pa Rin ang Pipiliin Ko” is a romantic drama film about two strangers’ random encounter at a karaoke bar: a heartbroken Jas (Julia Barretto) sings her heart out—off-key—and Michael (Aga) bluntly tells her so.

Much to their surprise, they cross paths again—this time, at chorale practice. Jas, a choir member, finds out that Michael is their new musical conductor for an upcoming concert honoring the music of the great George Canseco.

With the memory of Jas’ dreadful singing still fresh in Michael’s mind, he can’t help but feel skeptical about her musical skills. But after seeing her passion for the craft, Michael ends up helping Jas keep up with the choir. Before long, they find themselves talking about each other’s dreams, leading their friendship into a crescendo.

While Michael is already separated from his wife, the people around him and Jas disapprove of their relationship. And this strikes a discordant note in their growing romance. Enhancing the story’s buildup and every twist and turn are Canseco’s enduring songs.

‘We just do our work’

Because of Aga and Julia’s 28-year age gap, news of the two actors’ unexpected pairing raised not a few eyebrows. But for Aga, it’s all about work—nothing more, nothing less.

“It’s a job assigned to you,” said Aga, who had been previously paired with Julia’s aunts Gretchen (“Akin Ka Magdusa Man Ako,” 1991) and Claudine (“Kailangan Kita,” 2002).

“We can’t avoid such reactions. As actors, we just do our work and do it well, and then present the product to the public. It’s their choice whether to watch it or not. Our responsibility is to come up with the best we could.”

But truth be told, Aga did feel “a bit awkward” when the project was first given to him by his bosses at Viva. “I was like, ‘What? Talaga? Talagang ako?’ … It took more than a day of discussion with Viva,” Aga said, adding that his weight concerns also had him thinking twice.

“I was like, ‘But I’m not ready.’ At the time, I was much bigger than I am now. But they told me that they would give me time. They also assured me that I was playing a character my age, which is only right. I don’t want to play someone younger—lokohan na ’yun,” he related.

When he finally agreed to do the role, he sat down with the movie creatives to make sure that the plot is foolproof. “We looked for things that may be off or alanganin, and took them out. We had to fix and fix and fix it,” he said.

Instead of dwelling on the age gap—and how other people may perceive it—Aga would rather look at the pairing as an opportunity to work with a younger generation of actors. “I’m just blessed as an actor at this point to be able to work with them,” he said.

Asked how he and Julia broke the ice and built chemistry, Aga said it all came naturally when they started filming their scenes.

“When she started acting, I was surprised at how well she did. The role really suited her well. At first, I felt awkward, but her acting made it very easy for me to just go with the flow. I had to reciprocate the nuances she gave me. When the camera started rolling, I just followed her lead,” he said.

“I play the older character, so I know where to place myself. And after our scenes, I realized how blessed I was to see the talent of this generation,” he added.

Aga is also grateful to have had the chance to talk to Julia’s mother, Marjorie Barretto—whom he has also worked with in the past—about the project. “She said, ‘Aga, Julia is a kind girl. She’s an old soul,’” he related. “I know the family, I have worked with them. So it’s nice to work with someone you know.”

Playing a conductor is something new for Aga, but he’s always up for a challenge. “When you read the script, you ask yourself, ‘Can I do this or not? Do I want a challenge or not?’ I just trust my director, always. From my experience, no matter how good you are, if your director doesn’t have the right touch and if the writers don’t have a good script, then you will end up flat,” he said.

Playing off the movie’s title, Aga was asked what about his wife, Charlene Gonzales, would make him choose her again and again.

“I will die without my wife with me. Marrying her 23 years ago was the best decision of my life. Till now, I wake up, thinking, ‘Thank you, Lord!’” Aga said. “My wife is selfless. She changed my life. Meron akong tigas ng ulo at mga buhay na binubuhay noon, [but she understood]. I’m in total surrender to my wife now. I’m just the happiest.”

And no amount of negativity in the world, he stressed, can ruin that, he said. “What the pandemic has taught me is that you need not look too far. As long as you have a family to come home to, your loved ones are complete and healthy, then we’re already lucky and blessed. Everything else is just a bonus.” INQ