Jake Cuenca on immersing in Mandaluyong City Jail in preparation for his role as a convict in What Lies Beaneath: “So, parang sa two months dun, parang sa totoo lang, yung one month, parang crinack ko in character din. Yung isang month, parang pinerform ko sa harapan nila. So it was almost just like I’m doing theater in front of them.”
PHOTO/S: Jerry Olea
Dalawang buwan nag-immerse si Jake Cuenca sa Mandaluyong City Jail para sa Amazon Prime series na What Lies Beneath.
“First time kong magpe-play ng convict, yung parang inmate,” sabi ni Jake nitong Oktubre 26, 2024, Sabado, sa Supersam restaurant, Sct. Rallos St., Quezon City.
Ito ang unang project ni Jake matapos ang renewal ng kontrata niya sa ABS-CBN for three more years.
Pagpapatuloy ng Kapamilya actor, “Ang galing! Kasi sabi ko nga parang… sabi ko, these past two months habang nag-i-immerse ako dun, parang sabi ko, ‘When do you really find yourself in a situation like this?’
“You know what I mean? And then for me, siyempre parang those days are kinda ano for me, e.
“Kasi kung naalala niyo yung isyu ko, dun nangyari lahat yun, e. So, parang while I was immersing with this, it’s also like going through your trauma, or facing your fears.
Dalawang buwan nag-immerse si Jake Cuenca sa Mandaluyong City Jail para sa Amazon Prime series na What Lies Beneath.
“First time kong magpe-play ng convict, yung parang inmate,” sabi ni Jake nitong Oktubre 26, 2024, Sabado, sa Supersam restaurant, Sct. Rallos St., Quezon City.
Ito ang unang project ni Jake matapos ang renewal ng kontrata niya sa ABS-CBN for three more years.
Read: Jake Cuenca: “I’ve been out of alcohol for three years.”
Pagpapatuloy ng Kapamilya actor, “Ang galing! Kasi sabi ko nga parang… sabi ko, these past two months habang nag-i-immerse ako dun, parang sabi ko, ‘When do you really find yourself in a situation like this?’
“You know what I mean? And then for me, siyempre parang those days are kinda ano for me, e.
“Kasi kung naalala niyo yung isyu ko, dun nangyari lahat yun, e. So, parang while I was immersing with this, it’s also like going through your trauma, or facing your fears.
“So, sabi ko, preparation pa lang nito, talagang ano na. Parang, I did so much already.
“So can’t wait to get to the set. Can’t wait to portray this, and perform it in front of everyone.
“Tapos sabi ko nga sa Team Jake, sabi ko, ‘I put myself through these parang experiences. Kasi parang ngayon in life, parang my head is on my shoulder.’
“Kaya ko nang ilagay ang sarili ko sa mga ganitong experience na hindi ako natatakot if I lose my mind.”
Ang tinutukoy ni Jake na isyu niya ay nang masangkot siya sa police car chase noong 2021.
JAKE CUENCA IMMERSION AT MANDALUYONG CITY JAIL
Paano iyong immersion niya sa bilangguan?
“What I wanted sana, what I really wanted was to stay there. Parang mag-stay sana ako dun ng one week,” pagtatapat ng 36-anyos na si Jake.
“For one week. Pero siyempre nung nag-uusap kami nung warden, nag-uusap kami nung mga pulis, hindi nila puwedeng ibigay sa akin yon.
“Kasi responsable sila sa buhay ko, e. So I asked them, ‘Paano ako makakapagkumporme sa sistema nyo?’ Di ba?
“So, ang nangyari, binigay sa akin yung window nung 5 A.M. to 8 A.M. So 4:30 ng umaga, motor na ako papunta dun.
“Tapos mag-immerse ako dun, ire-rehearse ko yung script from 5:00 to 8:00. So yun, parang yun ang naging buhay ko for the past two months actually.”
Five days a week for two months ang nasabing immersion. May kasama o kakosa siya habang ginagawa iyon?
“Actually, dun sa 9th floor ako inilagay. Dun sa 9th floor, maximum penitentiary dun!” bulalas ni Jake.
“Dun lahat ng mga mabibigat yung kaso.”
Behind bars siya? Humimas ng rehas na bakal?
“Yeah. Ano talaga ako, like, I’m really there from 5:00 to 8:00. Tapos sinasabi ko sa guard, ‘Treat me like the inmates.’
“Kung papaano ako kausapin, papaano ako tratuhin, ‘Kumain ka!’ Ginaganyan ako, ‘Bilisan mo na diyan!’ Ginaganun ako.
“And I like that. Kasi nga, para sabi ko, coming from [What’s Wrong With] Secretary Kim, parang ang lambot ng karakter natin dun, e.
“I really have to come up with something very soft. Kasi contrary sa ginagawa natin na parang ginagawa nating Filipino yung parang mga remake na ito, di ba?
“Ako naman, parang sabi ko, gusto kong sundan yung ginagawa ng mga Koreans. May mga leading men dun, e. Di ba, they’re softer? Ganun.
“So sabi ko, coming up with that project, ‘Parang ang lambot ko, ah?! Kailangang patigasin ko sarili ko uli.’
“I had to parang be rough around the edges again. So, yun ang naisip ko.”
Ang kasa-kasama ni Jake sa immersion ay iyong guard na naka-assign sa kanya.
Jake Cuenca
Photo/s: ABS-CBN / @juancarloscuenca on Instagram
JAKE GETS TO APPRECIATE BEING AN ACTOR MORE
Dahil sa immersion sa kulungan, natanto ni Jake na napakaespesyal maging artista.
“Kasi pagpasok ko pa lang dun, parang both ways sa guards saka sa inmates, parang winelcome talaga nila ako dun,” lahad ni Jake.
“Kasi kung normal kang tao, hindi ganun yun, e. They have gangs there. Yung very territorial sila. They don’t accept one that’s not their own.
“Tapos ang nangyari, parang it’s almost like na-incorporate yung pagteteatro ko. Kasi naririnig nila ako, e.
“They can hear me doing the voice. They can hear me moving around the set.
“So, parang sa two months dun, parang sa totoo lang, yung one month, parang crinack ko in character din. Yung isang month, parang pinerform ko sa harapan nila.
“So it was almost just like I’m doing theater in front of them. Then I’m just about to post it. Parang in-invite nila ako sa ano nila, e, parang National Incarceration Day.
“Parang awareness. Kasi in fairness naman, di ba, as dark as that experience was, yung nagkukulong ka dun and doing these things, sabi ko, mare-realize mo rin na grabe rin yung humanity.
“Kasi yung tao dun, yung parang nakikita mo na masaya pa rin sila kahit ganun yung environment. Nakikita mo na may hope na magbago ang tao, e.
“So at the end of the parang Incarceration Day, nag-speech ako. Actually I’m gonna post it maybe later today pero nag-speech ako.
“Sinabi ko, parang… parang konektado na sila sa akin these past two months, e.
“So, sabi ko, I’m really gonna dedicate this performance, this portrayal to all the guards, all the inmates of Mandaluyong City Jail.
“But more importantly for all the inmates na nakulong for something they didn’t do. Mga inosente.
“Kasi that’s what this role is about, e.”
ROBIN PADILLA MOVIES
Big fan si Jake ng mga pelikula ni Robin Padilla na Anak ni Baby Ama (1991) at Hari ng Selda: Anak ni Baby Ama 2 (2002) na parehong idinirek ni Deo J. Fajardo Jr.
“Nung binigay sa akin yung project na ito, yun yung unang pumasok sa utak ko, e,” pagsisiwalat ni Jake.
“Sabi ko, it’s my opportunity to do something like that. So I dove in the best way I could, cinommit ko ang sarili ko. Dinedicate ko ang sarili ko sa project na ito.”
Kamag-anak ni Robin si Rudy Fernandez na nagbida sa 1976 movie na Bitayin si… Baby Ama! (Terror of Muntinlupa), sa direksyon ni Jun Gallardo.
Nagdalawang-isip ba si Jake na gumanap na convict?
“Actually no, I was actually so excited. Yung parang hindi pa natatapos ang pitch, umoo na ako agad,” tugon ni Jake.
“Sabi ko nga, scheduling pa ang magiging problema. Kasi andaming ginagawa.
“Pero sabi ko, gagawan natin ng paraan ito. Kasi this is something na… ako kasi, nae-excite ako when it’s a role na parang I have a hard time seeing myself in.
“Yung kailangang baguhin ko ang sarili ko para mabagayan yung project. So, nung in-explain sa akin ito, sabi ko, na-excite ako.
“And at the same time, sabi ko kasi, puro girls ang kasama ko, e. So it’s mostly ahhmmnn I can’t disclose too much yet, kasi confidential pa siya.
“But once you find out the lineup of girls that are in the show, it’s really the cream of the crop of ABS.
“So sabi ko, challenging din sa akin yon. Kasi usually pag ginagawa ko, kontrabida with guys.
“So, talagang hindi mo iniisip kung masasaktan, or like you know what I mean, just muscle through the project kasi mga lalaki kayo.
“But this time around, you have to kind of finesse it, kasi mga babae, e. So like kontrabida man ako, or kahit ano, I’m playing a dark character here, kailangan leading man ka pa rin.
“Kasi mga babae ang kasama mo.”
