“Because of my portrayal of Jules in Dekada ’70 and my recognition for that, I shifted from being insecure to becoming more relaxed as an actor. It made me more comfortable thinking I could do this for the long haul,” Pascual says. Since that early success, he chased every opportunity to learn and grow—and it’s been paying off. “Strike while the iron is hot,” he says with grit in his voice. “I’ve been taking advantage of the opportunities that come my way. But I make sure that I always bring my A game. I guess the secret there is that I’m married to my job; I love what I do.”

I asked him how it feels to be in demand at an age when most of his contemporaries are no longer visible. He smiles. “You know, I don’t compete with anybody, but I compete with myself. I always want to push the envelope, and I am happy to participate in the evolution of Philippine cinema, knowing that I have the leverage to do something different. I’m in it for the long haul, and I plan to continue doing what I do as long as we can grow.”

Pascual recognises the importance of flexibility and adapting to change, especially in the dynamic world of cinema and content, an evolving landscape in which he would like to continue to thrive. “You have all these streaming platforms coming after you, asking for content, so you want to take advantage of that. I’ve been around for 25 years, and I’m grateful to be around still,” he says, adding that this gratitude moves him to be more involved in the movement that champions Philippine content. Having been a producer early in his career, he understands and appreciates the tedious process of creating films and the value of expanding its reach. “Attending film festivals and producing for streaming platforms with global access makes me want to explore, experiment and think bigger”.

Read also: ‘My Amanda’: Is Alessandra De Rossi and Piolo Pascual’s Netflix film an anti-rom-com?

Pascual believes the proliferation of streaming platforms can help actors skip the need for “a Hollywood break” to debut globally. “Just like Korean films and shows, if you have the right material, then you can break out internationally,” he says, adding that he firmly believes Filipino content could appeal around the world.

When the opportunity came up to appear alongside his friends and fellow actors Sam Milby and Alessandra de Rossi in Replacing Chef Chico, Netflix’s first Filipino-produced series, naturally he leapt at it. “Since it was going to be the first Filipino series to be produced by Netflix on a global scale, it was an easy yes for me. It’s nice, because we get to showcase Filipino cuisine,” he says. “It’s good to be part of something that we can be proud of in terms of Philippine content … to be part of that evolution.” The eight-episode series features not only on a powerhouse Filipino cast and a perfect blend of witty yet tear-jerking storylines, but also on an all- Filipino production team.

Read also: Cooking up a storm with the cast and creators of ‘Replacing Chef Chico’

Pascual was less immediately interested in another homegrown production, Mallari. “When it was first pitched, I was rehearsing for Ibarra, a musical I did in June. I got a call from my manager saying that there was this [horror] film, Mallari, featuring [a role that encompasses] three characters [from three timelines] in one, but I was also preparing for another project after the musical, so it was a hard pass for me,” he says.

Later that day, he was chatting with his friends on set, and the topic of Philippine serial killers came up. “There was one [they referred to, but] I didn’t realise it until we checked Google and found out his name was Mallari,” Pascual says, at which point it clicked that the story being offered was based on a real person from the 1800s, the Philippines’ first documented serial killer. “I got intrigued and asked for an official pitch. That’s when I realised I could not refuse this,” he says. He sealed the deal after wrapping up Ibarra.

Mallari is a big deal. As well as being one of the official entries in last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, it is also the second of only two local films to be distributed by Hollywood movie company Warner Bros. And so it comes as no surprise that working on it was difficult. While the complexity of the characters was already challenging, the script had to be revised several times to compress the story into a single film. Fortunately, there was an acting coach on the set who guided Pascual into bringing the multifaceted character to life. At first, Pascual thought they would shoot one character at a time, but realised this was not feasible because it would mean changing the set every time. “On the first day, I had to do three characters in one scene. That’s when I asked what I’d got myself into. It’s hard enough to do one character, but three every day? I knew it was going to be tough,” he says. He credits both the coach and director Derick Cabrido with helping him get through the labyrinth of each scene. “I was properly guided … For every scene, I would talk to them about the process and where we could take it because it was my first horror film. At the same time, we wanted to make sure that we could differentiate all three characters so that there was no overlapping of all emotions. Each character is different from the others.”

Pascual is proud to be involved in local projects that are backed by international giants, and hopes this is the beginning of positive change. “In terms of the global market, there are some practices we have to abide by. With the emergence of streaming platforms and our content expanding to more international access, it’s nice to learn these things to make Philippine content more extensive in scope. We can learn from them and make our movies and content more appealing to a bigger audience.” And because there’s so much demand for content worldwide, Pascual thinks it’s “high time for Philippine cinema to explore and be more open to changes in terms of execution because we have the support of these heavyweights”. He adds, “I’m happy to be able to be part of this evolution knowing that we’re not [limited to] just catering to Filipinos anymore”.

Pascual keeps himself busy: he appears in this year’s Gomburza, a film about Roman Catholic priests during the Philippines’ Spanish colonial era, which won Second Best Picture at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival. This year alone, he went on a concert tour in the US and Canada and finished filming three more movies: the Brillante Mendoza film Moro, which competed at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea; The Ride with Kyle Echarri; and Real Life Fiction, directed by Paul Soriano in which he co-stars with Jasmine Curtis-Smith.

Read also: Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano on relationships formed, lost, and reinforced

The multihyphenate is also active in philanthropic works. Besides lending his name and working pro bono in the charity musical Ibarra—the production for which he would win the best lead actor Aliw, and which itself won nine awards—he has supported many students through the Hebreo Foundation. “My foundation, which I established 20 years ago, promotes education: we support scholars from grade school to college. We already have graduates and beneficiaries who are now working. If people want a better education, we encourage and support them,” he says.

With everything on his plate, where does this award-winning talent draw his energy and inspiration from? He says everything he does revolves around faith and family. “My Lord always inspires me. I pray upon waking up, throughout the day, and before sleeping to ensure that I am centred and doing everything for myself and others. It is all about living out your purpose, knowing that He’s backed me up. Every decision I make, I literally pray and ask the Lord if it’s the right thing to do,” he says. He combines this faith with humility, discipline and gratitude. “That’s how I remain grounded. And I’m always surrounded by my family. I don’t get overwhelmed by success or fame because it’s just your day job. My family is home.”

Read also: Iñigo Pascual on daring to dream and bringing Filipino music to the Grammys

Speaking of family, Pascual reveals how proud he is of his 26-year-old son, Inigo, who has been making his name locally and abroad. “I’m always praying that he gets to do stuff he’s passionate about. He is a better singer, a good dancer and more of an entertainer than me. I want him to be able to tap into that and not be scared of how far he can take this,” he says. “He’s seen me [working] since he was a kid [and how] I’ve been nonstop grinding. I want him to be able to carry that [discipline] and be inspired by what he’s seen growing up, and I hope he does not just surpass, but also tap into his greatness.”

Just as he is positive about the advancement of Philippine cinema and content, Pascual is also hopeful about the future of our country. His wish is to see unity in the government and for the government to show more compassion towards its citizens. “While there’s so much work to be done, I hope we become proud of our nation and who we are. There’s a chance for us to grow and be proud of our heritage. I want to be part of that. I want to be a game-changer, not just in Philippine cinema but in nation-building,” he says.

Though 2023 was busy, Pascual is determined to keep challenging himself this year. To kickstart 2024, he’ll be in a drama: “It’s a story about brotherhood, and for the first time, I’m doing a role that I’ve never played before,” he reveals, adding that there will be more films, another tour and an upcoming album. And while we, like many others before us, end the conversation by asking “Do you ever think you’ll settle down?”, he has only one response: “Only God knows.” For now, Pascual reassures us, his work is his happy place.

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