THERE is always so much pride in seeing actors
from the Philippines take on huge roles in foreign projects. That pride expands further and develops
into priceless joy when the performances of these Filipino actors earn praises from critics and audiences alike.
Such is the case when esteemed local actor Art Acuña landed the big role of Ernesto Alamares in the widely followed series Almost Paradise, now on Amazon Freevee for its second season.
We spoke to Acuña recently and he has remained the same person we have known from many years back—warm, calm, straight forward, passionate, and sincere.
For the sake of those who have not seen the series, Acuña gave a condensed description of his character in relation to the narrative.
“Ernesto Alamares is a serious no-nonsense detective in the Mactan Police Department, a skilled officer with the backbone of a gritty street cop,” he said. “Along with detective Kai Mendoza [Samantha Richelle], they are the best crime-fighting duo on the island of Cebu, under the leadership of chief Ike Ocampo [Nonie Buencamino]. While on a sting operation, they inadvertently meet ex-Drugs Enforcement Administration [DEA] agent Alex Walker [Christian Kane] who got involved because he tried to save Kai and Ernesto from a really bad outcome. Chief Ocampo, after assessing the former agent’s skills, persuades and coerces Alex to lend the department a hand, and, along with Kai and Ernesto, help take down the crime syndicate. Alex agrees to this one-time gig, after which he goes back to his new life of peace and quiet on the island running a tourist gift shop. But…things don’t quite go as he planned, more situations arise, and the three just have to deal with it.”
The back-to-back Urian acting winner (2012 and 2013) and an International Emmy Award best actor nominee (2012, for The Kitchen Musical), Acuña told us that the thing he likes most about Ernesto is his “calm center, even when things take a dark and dangerous turn.” Acuña lauds his character’s empathy as well, saying that playing Ernesto has “actually made me a better human.”
Filming the new season took four months in the island of Cebu, wherein Acuña formed beautiful friendships with his coactors.
“Working with Christian Kane is like I’m studying for my Master’s Degree in Acting,” he said. “I’ve been learning from him since day one of Season 1 and he has become an inspiration for my never-ending goal to becoming a better actor. I admire his passion for the craft, and the honesty of his portrayal. And we’ve become really close friends since the first season outside of work. Probably sounds dramatic but, without a doubt, we’d both take a bullet to save each other. Yes, we’re that close.”
Acuña added, “Samantha Richelle is the jewel of the gang—beauty inside and out. We’d do anything for her. And Nonie Buencamino is a friend from way back, a playmate and fellow musketeer that I can always count on. The four of us have developed a very strong bond.”
Earlier this year, Acuña was flown to Los Angeles by the producers for the promotional shoot of the series. It was a quick and lovely stay.
“Everything was smooth and no time wasted on the interviews, photo shoot and all the activities. Their hospitality was first class. West Hollywood had beautiful sunlight on it every single day I was there,” he recalled.
We tried to dig a little deeper on what would make Acuña happy and fulfilled in terms of work and career, and we easily got what we wanted.
“More work would make me even happier,” said Acuña. “That’s all I want. I love to work. It’s ‘play’ for me, and always has been. It’s when I feel most ‘present’—no past, no future. I live for the ’now’ of these acting moments. Plus, I have limitless energy, so the glee has to go somewhere.”
He added, “I really get jazzed about the roles I get locally. Roles which are actually variations of roles in literature I’ve always wanted to play. I mean a King in a Shakespearean piece, has parallels in a couple of teleserye roles I’ve done here. So keep those dream roles coming because I’m hungry for more.”
On why people should watch Almost Paradise, Acuña’s reply was quick and profound.
“Almost Paradise has ‘heart.’ And truth, sacrifice, friendship, empathy…all the stuff that make humanity more interesting and admirable,” he said. “And both the stories and portrayals are grounded in reality, peppered with light and heavy moments, just like life. Everyone can appreciate a show with so much heart because there seems to be too little of it going around in the real world these days.”
For someone like Art Acuña who’s an A-list actor with a huge heart for his craft, acting is indeed a true paradise.