David Chua ready to tackle ‘brave roles, dark story lines’

David Chua

With the passing of his mom Lucy in 2019, actor David Chua has designated himself the family breadwinner.

David has a younger brother to take care of “so if there are small roles offered to me, of course, I will consider and will not just say ‘no’ to them,” the actor told Inquirer Entertainment on Wednesday.

David recently signed a talent management contract with Arnold Vegafria’s ALV Talent Circuit, after being part of Star Magic (ABS-CBN’s talent management arm) for the past decade.

This was why David couldn’t contain his excitement. “He (Vegafria) knows my work from the smaller roles that ABS-CBN gave me in about 30 ‘teleseryes’ through the past decade. [It was Vega­fria who said] I’m ready to take on bigger and more stimula­ting roles. I’m certain that I can do so much more, so let’s see where it goes,” said the cast member of the drama series “Love Thy Woman.”

“We’ve been talking about brave roles, dark story lines, unusual plots that may not necessarily be commercial but surely for critical conside­ration here and abroad. We also talked about digital content like short movies and limited series. It’s quite exciting,” David beamed. “It should be challenging especially now that the world is on lockdown, but I believe we will all open up sooner or later. Art cannot be killed. It will refuse to die.”

Like everyone else, David said he felt “a bit confused and uncertain” when the government first ordered a lockdown in March to help stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19. “I didn’t know what to do. I kept asking myself, ‘What’s next? Until when will this be?’”

Things started to get better for him when he was able to establish a routine at home. “Without my mom now, my younger brother (Emmanuel) and I became the house managers. In short, kami ang mga taga—tagalinis, tagalaba at tagaluto. That kept us busy.”

David also regarded the quarantine period as a time to bond with Emmanuel. “I am his steward now and I feel responsible for him,” the 31-year-old actor declared. “The lockdown also enabled me to focus on my health and body. I targeted to lose 10 pounds. Good thing I invested in just the right equipment to work out daily. I bike, I box and I do weights. I eat mostly steamed food—I’m an expert now on anything steamed! I’m also asleep by 9 or 10 p.m.”

Asked for his observations on how most Filipinos handled the lockdown, David noted that “how people behaved in the Philippines is not that different from people in other countries who were forced to stay home. Look at Rome or New York!”

The actor pointed out: “People are naturally social. I guess it’s really difficult for everyone to be suddenly kept from going out of their homes; or to be forced to wear masks, which really makes breathing and talking difficult. Let’s not even talk about all those who lost their jobs because of the pandemic.”

As to whether or not he is ready to go back to work, David said: “I say we ride on! Just like in the time of the Spanish flu pandemic, wherein 500 million people got infected, people eventually found a way to live normally again. At this point in time, the industry is at risk of losing a lot if we simply shut down operations of networks and content producers and providers. There are many other platforms digitally.”

He surmised that “this could be nature’s way of moving worldwide culture forward. Let’s just be careful—wear masks, practice social distan­cing, (and when there’s no way to wash hands with soap and water), use alcohol. Hopefully, we won’t get infected.”

These days, David said that aside from praying for a vaccine for COVID-19 to finally be developed, he would also pray for his health and safety, as well as for the people he cares for.

“I also pray to my mom in heaven to watch over my brother and me, and to guide me in my career moves,” David shared with Inquirer Entertainment. “She was my No. 1 fan and supporter. At least, before she passed on she was able to see me win an acting award for ‘Saturday Night Chill’ (as best supporting actor at the 2013 Cinema One Originals Film Festival). I just want to make her proud of me as a good actor, person, brother, friend and a Christian.”

“That’s it for now, really,” David added. “I don’t demand; even to God, I try to be reasonable with what I ask for.”—Marinel Cruz INQ