Having been a theater veteran with more than four decades of experience on stage, Jamie Wilson admits he is not the type to get easily scared by the supernatural. In this exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, the Shrek the Musical star reveals his hidden ability and his innate love for all things Halloween.
“I love Halloween and I love now how more kids are now into Halloween because for the longest time, pagdating ng ber months, Christmas na kagad eh. Teka, may Halloween pa. And it’s such an amazing holiday kasi we get to go out dressed in our favorite horror characters. Whether vampire ka or werewolf ka or zombie ka,” he told PUSH ABS-CBN in an exclusive interview at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
Jamie admitted that he is extra sensistive when it comes to things paranormal. “I sense and I hear but I don’t really see (them). Being a Filipino, it’s really funny when I talk to my foreigner friends about is, because they’ll be like, ‘What are you talking about? This sounds crazy.’ But to us Filipinos, it’s very close to us. Just the other night, may nagparamdam sa akin and hindi ko kabisado ‘yung energy. Kasi minsan nagpaparamdam si Mommy, nagpaparamdam si Daddy. Yan kilala ko ‘yung energy eh. May nagparamdam na hindi ko kilala. So automatically, teka lang, sino ‘yan. And then nung tinuloy niya ‘yung pagpaparamdam, hindi naman masama. So baka dasal lang ‘yung kailangan niya. Or nagpaparamdam kasi may ginagawa ka na gusto niya,” he shared.
The talented stage veteran also revealed his ritual whenever he steps into a theater for a new show. “Also being in theater, lahat ng teatro may multo. So sanay na sanay ako na pagpasok sa isang theater, nagpapaalam na ako, nag-he-hello na ako, nagpapaalam ako na maglalaro lang tayo, kung gusto mo sumama, ‘di ba? I guess they’re attracted to all the energy that we’re putting out on stage. Marami akong encounters sa lahat ng theaters dito sa Manila. Some are good, some are scary. With some talaga, kailangan mo mag-alay,” he revealed.
READ: 'Shrek the Musical' returns onstage this October
The Shrek the Musical star explained why he sometimes informs his co-actors of the presence of the unseen beings around them in the theater. “Minsan kung kailangan. Magtatanong sila minsan, ‘Jamie, anong ginagawa mo? Bakit may bigas kang dala?’ Nag-aalay ako. And I have the explain the whole concept ng alay. It’s an offering. It’s respect. Because one, we can’t see them. And two, they’re there. They’re there more often than we are. So I make paalam and I make alay. It’s respecting the gods. Because I firmly believe that in theater, there’s magic in it, there’s energy in it. If we’re tapping into magic or energy with what we do as performers, as creators, as artists, then there are other spirits around us that may want to join, that you might need to make paalam to because we’re encroaching into their territory. It doesn’t cost you anything naman to make alay or to make paalam. This is their house. Ako yung guest sa bahay nila,” he added.
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During the interview, Jamie also revealed which performance venues are inhabited by the most ghosts in Metro Manila that he’s experienced. “UP (theater) definitely. CCP is okay pero their ghosts are old, from the Spanish times ‘yung mga may nararamdaman ko. Sa Meralco (theater) may lima na kilala. Pero since dun ako lumaki, kasi I was seven years old when I did my first professional play, it was in Meralco theater. So parang they’ve seen me grow up. So lahat ng mga multo dun kilala ako. So okay lang ‘di ba.”
“But I believe that every theater needs a ghost. Because it’s reflection of our connection to magic, to the supernatural, to larger than life. I firmly believe in that,” he said.
Watch Shrek The Musical starting October 31, 2025, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets are available at Ticketworld, Newport World Resorts Box Office, and Helixpay: ₱4,500 (SVIP), ₱4,000 (VIP), ₱3,000 (GOLD), ₱2,000 (SILVER), and ₱1,500 (BRONZE).