But seriously now
He’s been in show business for almost four decades now but it’s the first time for singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid to star in an independent movie
He’s been in show business for almost four decades now but it’s the first time for singersongwriter Ogie Alcasid to star in an independent movie
Ogie Alcasid stars in the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival entry “Kuya Wes” and up to now, he can hardly believe he has forayed into indie movie-making.
Kuya Wes is a timid clerk in a money transfer company, whose days only brighten up when this particular customer comes in every month. He will eventually find himself “in a relationship” with regular client Erika (played by Ina Raymundo), a married woman who has marital woes.
At the press conference, Ogie hopes the film will help him reach a wider audience, and for moviegoers to realize he can do other roles than those zany comedies he’d done earlier.
“I’m a middle-aged actor and it’s rare someone like me will be given a chance to play a role like this one,” he explained.
Ogie recalled that when he first read the script, he laughed non-stop.
“But when I got to the ending, I told myself, ‘Wow, this is different from all the scripts I read before... I love this,’” he said.
His co-producers include actor Piolo Pascual and manager Erickson Raymundo. Ogie added that it has always been his dream to be actor-producer just like Vic Sotto, Rudy Fernandez, and Bong Revilla.
“They were the lead actors and at the same time, producer. It’s nice to be like that. Little did I know it will actually happen to me,” he said.
Also in the cast are Karen Gaer- lan, Moi Bien, Iza Calzado, Nonie Buencamino, Therese Malvar, Dante Rivero, Perla Bautista, Glaiza de Castro, Dominic Roco, Celeste Legaspi, Ketchup Eusebio, Eddie Garcia, Tony Labrusca, Anna Luna, Bodjie Pascua, Joel Lamangan, Ai-Ai delas Alas, Teri Malvar, Yayo Aguila, and Rez Cortez, among others. The director, James Robin Mayo, noted that their film will put a spotlight on an intriguing topic.
“We will tackle mental health issues. Usually, people think that you are suicidal when you are depressed. But this time, in this movie, there’s a person who doesn’t know that he has a mental health disorder. He doesn’t know that he’s depressed,” he explained.
The Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival runs from Aug. 3 to 12, while the Gala night of “Kuya Wes” is on Aug. 6, 9 p.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater).
The film will be shown in select Ayala malls, as well as in Legazpi City.
I’m a middle-aged actor and it’s rare someone like me will be given a chance to play a role like this one.’