Close shave for John Lloyd Cruz

JOHN Lloyd Cruz in “Honor Thy Father”

JOHN Lloyd Cruz’s latest film, Erik Matti’s “Honor Thy Father,” is quite a departure for the popular actor renowned for romantic comedies and light-hearted fare.

For starters, Cruz ventures into the dark side (as a family man who gets unwittingly entangled in a web of criminality) and shaves his head in a pivotal moment in the movie.

Cruz, however, was the first to assert that going bold (and bald) was no big deal for him. “Shaving my head wasn’t that difficult of a decision,” he told the Inquirer in an exclusive interview.

He admitted, however, that he had to seek approval from a multinational corporation whose shampoo brand he is currently endorsing.

“To its credit, the company didn’t give us a hard time and gave us permission right away,” he recalled. “That’s why before I sign a contract for any endorsement deal, I make sure that I won’t be limited as an actor. After all, my only goal is to grow in my craft. That’s all I want.”

SCENE from “Honor Thy Father”

Working with Matti allowed John Lloyd to stretch his thespic muscles.

“I love Erik,” he enthused. “He gave me the right amount of freedom and guidance to achieve what was required in every scene. It was a good experience for me. Erik was so collaborative.”

Said Matti of Cruz: “Knowing his caliber, I was really excited to work with John Lloyd. And I wasn’t disappointed. He’s easy to work with, reserved off-cam, but very collaborative. Walang arte (not fussy). He doesn’t shy away from getting his hands dirty if it means giving the best performance for the scene.”

Collaborating with a director who’s open and generous was crucial for Cruz, who is venturing out of the safe confines of his home studio, Star Cinema, for the first time with “Honor Thy Father,” an entry in this month’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

“It was a totally different work environment,” he recounted. “Even when it came to the technical side, the shots and the coverage.”

“Honor Thy Father” likewise allowed Cruz to attend his first international film festival last September.

Cruz spent two days at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada, where “Honor Thy Father” received encouraging reviews from critics, including Harry Windsor of the Hollywood Reporter.

Steve Gravestock of the Toronto fest called Cruz’s performance “tightly wound” and summed up his character Edgar as a man “who is disgusted by the greed and hypocrisy he encounters… [and] seems always on the verge of exploding.”

“We had good screenings in Canada,” Cruz recounted. “There was a healthy mix of Filipinos and foreigners in the audience.”

Pure Filipino

His initial apprehension melted away upon attending a weekend screening. “Our film is completely different. The storytelling is more intimate and very Filipino. We thought foreigners wouldn’t be able to relate to the material, but they understood what Erik was trying to convey. Pasok na pasok ang style niya sa kanila. (The foreigners were so into Erik’s style.)”

After Matti, Cruz got to work with another indie stalwart, Lav Diaz, in “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis.”

“Lav is one of a kind. His approach to cinema is unique,” Cruz said. “Getting to work with Lav is the closest to what you can consider pure joy.”
On the set, Cruz felt totally liberated. “The fact that Lav has hired you says… that he believes you can pull off the job.”

Since “Hele” is a historical film, Cruz still hopes to reunite with Diaz in a modern-day movie. “I am still waiting and longing for the day when Lav and I would do a contemporary film. When that time comes, I can die a happy man!”