Cruz as Jaime Sagrado in “Pamilya Sagrado” —DREAMSCAPE ENTERTAINMENT
“It had been physically taxing,” said actor Tirso Cruz III as the main reason he decided to resign as chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) only eight months after he was appointed.
“I didn’t want to shortchange either the FDCP or the industry where I came from and which has been my source of livelihood all these years. I’ve managed to raise my family through acting. I’ve accomplished so much, and even managed to receive recognition for it. That’s why I decided to give up the other. I want to give it my 100 percent focus and attention,” Cruz told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent interview.
“Work had become too taxing for me [as FDCP chair]. I thought I would be able to balance, since I was able to do that before. Somehow, the other one suffered because my focus was split,” said Tirso, who continued to receive acting offers even as FDCP head.
“I’m very thankful to industry people because they understood my situation. There were even times when I had to back out of commitments because there were pressing matters to attend to at the FDCP. Of course, at the time, no matter how you look at it, I had to prioritize FDCP over my profession.”
‘We have no issue’
Only recently, Cruz’s name was included on the list of personalities sued by former FDCP Chair Liza Diño for cyberlibel. The complaint stemmed from a series of articles that the entertainment website PEP published about Diño in May 2023.
“Yes, I’m aware of this because I read it in the papers. I would rather not answer any questions related to it. I kept telling people, let’s leave the legal things to the legal minds,” Cruz said. “When Liza and I see each other, we would say ‘hi’ and ‘hello.’ I guess things like this happen, but in show biz, we have no issue.
Meanwhile, Cruz was also asked whether he would be open to assuming other government positions in the future. To this, he replied: “Let’s see if I get another offer—if I could, I would. It’s always something to be proud of when you’re entrusted to be a public servant. However, it’s hard to accept a job when you know you won’t be able to do well. I’m confident that I was able to leave the FDCP in the hands of a very capable person, Direk Joey (Reyes). Even when I was chair, he was already my adviser.”
He continued: “Now, politics is a different thing. I’d rather stay in my comfort zone, which is acting. If there’s something that any performer will not run out of, it’s room for improvement. I feel that I still have a lot to learn. Hopefully, I will keep receiving challenging roles.”
Fortunately, Cruz has been getting good reviews for his performance in the political drama series “Pamilya Sagrado” as patriarch Jaime Sagrado. “I’m enjoying the work. It’s challenging because I’m working with young and talented actors. In the series, I play the uncle of Piolo (Pascual as Rafael). I raise him after his father dies when he was still very young. My brother was being groomed by our father to become president, but he passed away too early,” Cruz explained.
25 main characters
Cruz said he was aware of the high ratings that the series has been receiving. He credits this to the show’s writers and three directors—Andoy Ranay, Law Fajardo and Rico Navarro. “We have 25 main characters. We each have our own subplots. How they are able to make us work as an ensemble amazes me. Also, I feel proud whenever young actors would approach me to say it’s been their dream to work with me,” the veteran actor said.
“Grae (Fernandez) plays my grandson here. We’re together in many scenes. He’s really good. I can say the same for Kyle (Echarri),” Cruz recalled. “The set is generally happy. After taping, we tell stories and joke around. We’re usually in Baguio for a week to 10 days, and then come down for at least a week to rest. Our last taping cycle lasted two weeks. We’re now on break.”
Cruz added that he still has shooting days to finish on the set of “The Bagman,” a spinoff of the hit digital series starring Arjo Atayde. The new cast includes Judy Ann Santos and John Arcilla.
Cruz was also asked to comment on the nomination of his batchmate, Vilma Santos, for National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts. For Cruz, who even attended a recent gathering to announce Santos’ nomination, “the move was long overdue.”
“She has done so many things in her life as an artist. She deserves the nomination and the title. If there’s one person who deserves it—other than my love-team partner (Nora Aunor), of course—it’s Vilma, with her achievements be it personal, industry-related, or as a public servant. This title isn’t just for actors. We’ve also recognized the works of deserving directors. They’re also worthy. As they say, everything depends on the right timing and purpose.”