JC Santos
With five films under his belt and a stage play to produce and direct, actor JC Santos remains at his busiest this year.
Santos’ films in the can are the historical biopic of "Quezon" with Jericho Rosales in the title role, and the sequel to "100 Awit Para Kay Stella" opposite Bela Padilla.
Now showing is his movie "I Remember You" with Valeen Montenegro, which also marks the directorial debut of Boboy Yonzon.
On top of these, Santos and Rhian Ramos team up for the first time in the romantic-comedy "Meg and Ryan," directed by Catherine Camarillo from a script by Gina Marissa Tagasa. It will be screened in local cinemas starting August 6.
"We did 'Meg and Ryan' in 2023 even before Cedrick Juan won Best Actor in the MMFF [Metro Manila Film Festival] for Pepe Diokno's 'GomBurZa," said Santos. "Now, Cedrick is married with a kid. He's part of the movie."
"Baby steps in movies. But the nice part is that there are still many producers who want to make films and support Philippine movies."
Santos never looks back at the profession he started with way back in his college years at the University of the Philippines, where he did plays for Dulaang UP. Today, he is even into theater production.
His first production venture was Guelan Luarca's "Tatlong Upuan," staged at the Arete Theater in Ateneo early this year. He acted in the play with Jojit Lorenzo and Martha Comia as his siblings.
Now, Santos presents "Dagitab" with a five-member cast – Agot Isidro, Elijah Canlas, Benedix Ramos, Jojit Lorenzo and Sam Samarita. It was originally a Cinemalaya film directed by Giancarlo Abrahan (2014) and was turned into a play.
"Napakaganda ng play namin," he said. "Napakaganda ng script. It's something new with a script by Guelan Luarca, a genius in our group, Palanca awardee. We have a really good technical director."
"We are all creatives. Ang kulang namin ay isang business manager. So far, the challenge in producing a play is getting the audience. We are enjoying as collaborative partners and creatives," Santos added.
"We are given voices how to do the plays, write new ones. We want to write original Filipino plays. It's hard to get audiences in theater. 'Dagitab' is a hard play," he went on. "It's hard to sell straight and serious acting plays right now, with an intimate audience. We only have 60 or 70 for an audience. And the play is political."
It was the late Floy Quintos who inspired Santos to direct, write a play, and eventually produce. He starred in Quintos' musical play, "Isang Panaginip na Fili" (2008), where he played Basilio, with JM de Guzman as his alternate.
"We need the help of mainstream media to let the people know that there are new plays to watch," said Santos.
JC Santos with Rhian Ramos
In "Meg and Ryan," which Santos is now promoting, he plays a 35-year-old virgin who sticks to his morals since he maintains a standard that he's proud of with his parents.
He meets Meg (Rhian) and realizes that love is a "good and chaotic" thing.
Working with Ramos was an enjoyable experience for Santos. "It was so effortless working with her," he said. "I'm really glad I was able to work with her and buti na lang she's okay with me."
"I am not an A-list actor. I'm one of those who's too mainstream for indie and too indie for mainstream. Sometimes, I think what my leading lady would think when she's with me," Santos added.
"I'm happy and glad that I got to work with Rhian. She's been in the business for a while. She knows her medium. But I know being her leading man, I still need to take care of her, support her, and make her look good. That's still my responsibility."
"Meg and Ryan" is not a rom-com, as Santos pointed out. "There are funny moments and there are dramatic moments," he said.
The actor is married to Shyleena Herrera with whom he has a daughter, now five. "She's now testing the grounds," Santos said of his daughter. "She tries to fight with me, just to love me."
Santos brings his daughter to school and raises her without a nanny. His partner and him want to be present, as much as possible.
"So far, in the past five years, we've been successful," he said. "I want to be always around for her. I think I'm managing."
"I do my work that's 12 hours straight then I get to go home, enjoy and play with her. The last lock in I did, I brought my daughter and her mom."
Admittedly, parenting for Santos was patterned after his dad, whom he emulated when he was growing up in Angeles, Pampanga. His dad, though, was never lured into acting.
"There are no artists in the family," Santos said. "My dad and I were both storytellers. He loved telling me stories. He loved reading me books. Even my reactions when I act, came from my dad."
RELATED VIDEOS: