An actor’s dedication knows no bounds, and these Filipino stars prove it as they went the extra mile for a character and project they felt strongly about.
Related: All The Times Janella Salvador Went All Out For Her Role As Valentina
We often harp on how their careers are, a lot of the time, glitz and glam with all the fame and everything, but an actor’s job can truly be very difficult. Often, a movie or series requires more than just them talking, gesturing, and emoting in front of a camera—whether the project itself requires it, or because they, as actors, believe it’s the best way to create something great.
Not every actor is Tom Cruise, who will do anything—no matter how difficult or dangerous or both—for realism, but some actors truly will push to do their best for a project, even if it means taking on more responsibilities or taking extra hours to train and learn something totally new to them. Just ask these Pinoy stars! From Maris Racal to Manny Jacinto, whether it’s because of their dedication to realism or commitment to relating to their character or both, these Filipino actors went above and beyond for a role—and their hard work paid off.
MARIS RACAL
@project8projects It’s @Maris Racal’s second day of gymnastics training! 🤸🏻♀️ Yes, second day pa lang yarn bilang fast learner si ate, sandali! #fyp #foryoupagе #gymnastics #gymnast #gymnasticstiktok #gymnasticstraining #buhaypelikula #buhayserye #film #worktok #behindthescenes #marisracal #marisracalchallenge ♬ BORN FOR THIS – Foxxi
Maris Racal is currently a hot topic, what with her role as Olympic-bound gymnast Sunshine on the already-viral upcoming film Sunshine. The film delves into the story of a young woman who finds out she’s pregnant right before national team tryouts—her life changing in more ways than one. Despite her busy schedule working on at least two projects (Can’t Buy Me Love and Sunshine) at once, Maris underwent gymnastics training for the past year as she took on the role of Sunshine, overcoming the physical and mental strain of being an athlete.
ELIJAH CANLAS
Elijah Canlas stands out as one of this generation’s more versatile actors, his acting training, commitment to his characters, and love for cinema showing through every one of his roles. He also loves a challenge. So it’s no surprise that the young actor also puts his all into characters that require more physicality, such as when he trained as a boxer for his role as Dos in sports drama series Suntok sa Buwan (2022). During the series, Elijah trained with coaches as well as his fellow actors, picking up tips here and there that he found “very useful during shooting.”
RYZA CENON
Adding herself to the roster of actors who shaved their heads for a role, Ryza Cenon pulled out the razor and buzzed her hair off in preparation for upcoming film Lihim. Though hair does grow back, changing it drastically, like shaving it all off, is a huge commitment—just ask any girl from America’s/Asia’s Next Top Model. But the actress was fully committed to her role. “Mas makakatulong siya sa karakter ko,” she said in an interview.
MANNY JACINTO
From training to be a fighter pilot in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) (he deserved more screen time!) to learning how to wield a lightsaber in The Acolyte (2023) (which ended too early), Manny Jacinto has pushed the limits of his physicality and mental ability—because that’s how dedicated he is.
JANELLA SALVADOR
While we think we’re above the anti-snake propaganda (like sharks, they’re not as bad as the media makes them out to be!), we probably still wouldn’t casually handle snakes and have them in our home. Janella Salvador, on the other hand, wanted to really channel Valentina—her character in Darna (2022)—and got herself a pet snake!
The actress and singer adopted a ball python to celebrate getting the role and also to be able to feel more comfortable with them as snakes are a big part of the character. Janella used to have snakes as a pet, so it’s nothing new for her, but the Valentina character really meant a lot to the actress, and her love and dedication for the role showed through.
Continue Reading: Stars On The Rise: These 10 Young Actors Are The New Generation of Leading Men
