With the drama thriller series It’s Okay To Not Be Okay nearing its end, actor Carlo Aquino couldn’t help but get emotional during their finale press conference held last September 25 inside the ABS-CBN compound. The talented actor shared just how attached he has grown to be with his co-stars, Anne Curtis and Joshua Garcia, as well as the rest of the cast ever since they started working on the show last year.
“Maraming, marami pong salamat. Sinasabi ko kasi last year dito rin ‘yung pinakilala kami. Hindi ako sanay mag-goodbye. Sobrang mahal na mahal ko kasi itong mga ito. Sobrang mahal ko ‘yung show, lahat ng staff, ng crew at saka sobrang laki nung binigay ko sa show na ‘to kasi mahal na mahal ko kayo. Thank you sa support at thank you rin kasi sinamahan niyo ‘yung bawat isa sa amin mag-heal. Kayo din sana naghe-heal kayo sa inyong mga bahay, sa inyong mga puso, sa inyong mga kaluluwa at marami pa po kayong aabangan,” he shared during the presscon.
Having to play a complex role that affects the two lead characters deeply, Carlo shared that his approach to creating his character Matmat was to build a genuine connection with Joshua and Anne in real life as well.
“Tinuring ko silang kapatid, ‘yun talaga. Nung opening pa lang, ‘yung sinasabi ko na unang beses kaming pinag-meet nila ni Direk Mae (Cruz Alviar) dito sa taas (ng ABS-CBN), sa 13th floor, nag-open up na ako sa kanila ng mga hindi ko usually sinasabi. Kailangan kong i-strip down lahat — ‘yung ego ko, lahat. So nag-open up ako kay Joshua, nag-open up ako kay Anne. Tapos tinuring ko talaga silang kapatid. Tinuring ko silang kapatid na i-ga-guide ko sila kahit na may pagkukulang ako sa isip. Ganun,” he explained.
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Playing the role of a person with autism was a big challenge for Carlo, who admitted that Matmat’s emotionally charged scenes made a huge impact on him. “Yung sa’kin talaga ‘yung pillow fight (with Anne), at saka every time na pumapasok si Matmat sa cabinet kapag nakatalukbong, kasi sobrang pawis na pawis ako sa lahat ng shoot na ’yon eh. Talagang ’yun ang mga core memories sa akin,” he recalled.
When asked if he was pressured by the expectations from him playing a key role in the series, Carlo shared that he himself wanted to give it his all. “Sa akin talaga galing, kasi gustong-gusto ko rin ‘yung character. Kahit sobrang pressure ‘yung binigay sa akin ni Manong Matmat, naniniwala akong deserve niyang gumaling at maghilom sa lahat ng pinagdaanan niya,” he said.
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The It’s Okay To Not Be Okay star also addressed the fans of the show during the end of the event to remind them how much their support helped him make his role even more convincing and impressive to watch onscreen. “Sa lahat po ng sumuporta sa It's Okay To Not Be Okay, maraming maraming maraming salamat. Mahal na mahal ko kayo. Alam niyo ‘yan. Salamat sa pagiging inspirasyon, salamat sa fire, salamat sa passion! Salamat sa trabaho. At sana po huwag kayong bibitaw. Marami pa po kaming episodes, mga ilang linggo pa po kaya sana huwag kayong bumitaw,” he said.