Actor Will Ashley is booked and busy following his successful stint as the 2nd Big Placer of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition.
In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, Will shared his gratitude for the overwhelming blessings that have come his way since stepping out of the PBB house.
“Grabe, sobrang- sobrang overwhelming po ng mga pangyayari simula nung nakalabas kami sa Pinoy Big Brother House, but at the same time sobrang happy ako and grateful na maraming blessings ‘yung pumapasok kasi ito naman talaga ‘yung pinakalove kong gawin and nag-eenjoy lang po talaga ako sa mga bawat project na ginagawa ko,” he expressed.
Will is currently part of the cast of Bar Boys: After School, the sequel to the 2017 legal drama film Bar Boys. He plays Arvin, a struggling law student balancing the demands of law school, a day job, and the responsibility of supporting his extended family.
Joining him in the film is fellow Kapamilya artist and PBB housemate Klarisse De Guzman, who became close to Will during their stay in the house and who he fondly calls “mowm” (mom). Will shared how excited he was to reunite with Klarisse in her debut film.
“Nakakatuwa nga po kasi bago kami magshoot ‘yung first shoot ni Ate Klang, nagmemessage kami na kinakabahan sya na sabi nya ako na raw bahala sa kanya,” Will recalled fondly.
He praised Klarisse’s openness and eagerness to learn the craft of acting.
“Nakakatuwa naman kasi Ate Klang very open din talaga, willing siya matuto sa pag-acting, sa pag-arte. Kaya noong ginawa namin ‘yung mga eksena na nandoon sa Bar Boys, talagang smooth lang talaga,” Will expressed.
Will also commended their director, Kip Oebanda, for being hands-on and for guiding them throughout filming.
“Also, with the help of our director din, si Direk (Kip Oebanda) talagang hands on siya. ‘Di kami pinapabayaan sa mga eksenang ginagawa namin kaya maganda, sobrang ganda po. Excited na po akong mapanood ninyo itong film na ito,” he added.
In the film, Klarisse portrays the breadwinner sister of a law student, serving as the support system of a law school study group. Her character is also the fan club president of Josh Zuniga, a former teleserye leading man turned law student played by Kean Cipriano, who reprises his original role.
Will shared a funny behind-the-scenes moment when he came across Klarisse’s old fangirl tweet about Kean and showed it to their director.
“Noon kasi nasa shoot kami, may nakita akong mga fan na nagreretweet, so natawa ako. Shinare ko sa kanya tapos shinare ko sa direktor namin. Sabi ng direktor namin parang tinanong ko sya kung pwede ba iretweet, sabi nya naman okay sige, para pagtripan nga raw si Ate Klang so sakto magkakaeksena kami nila Kuya Kean,” Will recounted.
He continued, “Ayon gumawa sila video, binabasa ni Kuya Kean, sobrang tawang-tawa lang kami. Sobrang funny lang kasi nga si Ate Klang kasi sobrang random, ang dami nyang tweet. Sobrang random talaga.”
The tweet, which read “Crush ko na sana tong Kean Cipriano na ‘to eh. Kaso masyado lang rakstar umasta. #PogiBandProblems,” was eventually read aloud by Kean on set, making the entire production team — including Klarisse — burst into laughter.
“Nabasa ni Kean yung tweet ni Klares. Lmao. TIMBOG HAHAHAHAHHA,” a fan said on X.
Beyond their film, Will and Klarisse are also part of the fan-favorite Pamilya De Guzman (PDG), a family tree created inside the PBB house, where Klarisse played the mother figure to Will and housemates Esnyr, Mika Salamanca, and Shuvee Etrata. Their bond continued outside the house, with fans following their post-show get-togethers and updates.
“Hindi po talaga kami nagexpect. ‘Yung PDG kasi, ang pinakapurpose lang naman po talaga namin is gumawa ng channel para kahit papaano eh magawa pa rin po namin ‘yung mga ginagawa po namin sa loob ng bahay kahit through message lang po, and ayon para sa entertainment lang din,” Will explained.
“Ine-expect ko nga lang po, kami actually, na mga 200,000, 300,000 ‘yung sasali sa channel, pero grabe ‘yung blessing na binigay ni Lord na talagang ni-love kami ng mga tao, na sinubaybayan kami ng mga tao hanggang ngayon. Sobrang nakakataba lang ng puso,” he continued.
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Despite their busy schedules, Will said they still find time to meet up and nurture their friendship.
“Actually, ang dami naming sinet na mga lakad outside work. Kasi nagkaroon kami nitong last lang na first time naming lumabas without cameras, mic or lapel. Sobrang enjoy talaga, and dun masasabi ko na mas nakilala ko sila bilang sila. Syempre no filter, and masasabi ko na, sila talaga ‘yung mga tao na ite-treasure ko sa life ko kasi grabe impact na nabigay talaga nila sa akin,” he remarked.