From being a bad boy campus crush to portraying the charming childhood best friend, Kapamilya star Brent Manalo is now set to show a new side of himself as he takes on the role of Shawn Lucas Dela Fuente in the upcoming film adaptation of The Four Bad Boys and Me.
In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, Brent shared his excitement about playing a more wholesome character for the first time.
“Noong nalaman ko na si Shawn yung parang good boy sa story, it is something different 'cause I’ve always played yung mga bad boy, yung mga nonchalant. Pero ito, talagang lover boy na childhood best friend kumbaga. So bago, kaya masarap i-play,” Brent said.
Although Brent joked that the “good boy” role is closer to his real-life personality, he admitted that shifting to this new character wasn’t entirely easy.
“Medyo naging challenging din kahit papaano kasi nga may mga nakasanayan akong roles before. But yun nga, with the guidance of our director, si Direk Bene (Benedict Mique), talagang ang galing niya. Sa script reading pa lang, talagang gina-guide niya na 'ko ng maayos. So hopefully, natawid ko naman,” he added.
Brent revealed that he took inspiration from Korean dramas, particularly Kim Seon-Ho’s “Mr. Good Boy” character Han Ji Pyeong of Start-Up.
“Siguro ang inspiration ko ay mga K-Drama na napapanood ko,” Brent said. “Yung sa Start-Up, si Mr. Good Boy, si Kim Seon-Ho yun siya, yun. Medyo I would say peg ko sa role ko rito.”
He also revealed that landing this role was extra special because it was his first-ever successful audition for ABS-CBN.
“Actually, ito yung very first na in-auditionan ko sa ABS-CBN na nakuha ko siya. Ang haba ng audition process, I think 3 auditions yung pinagdaanan ko rito para lang makuha yung role ko rito and I would say sobrang worth it kasi ang ganda ng material, ang ganda nung character,” he recalled.
Fresh from his win as the first-ever Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition Big Winner alongside Mika Salamanca, Brent is now focused on promoting the film. Despite the quick transition from PBB to the film project, he remained grateful and enthusiastic.
“Ang galing nga kasi ang dami naming mga galing sa PBB sa project na ‘to, kaya nakakatuwa. Actually, sa loob pa lang ng bahay, kami nila River (Joseph), nila AC (Bonifacio), pinag-uusapan na namin na kaka-excite na lumabas at magkakasama na kami sa promo for this one and right now it’s happening!” Brent said.
He went on: “Fresh from PBB, nagpo-promote kami ngayon na parang ilang araw lang, andito na naman kami, ibang project na naman yung gawa namin. Kaya ang saya—masaya makita ulit yung mga kasama ko sa bahay ni Kuya.”
Brent is also working closely with PBB Kumunity Season 10 Big Winner Anji Salvacion, who plays the lead role of Candice Gonzales. Although it’s their first film together, Brent said their previous projects helped build a strong working dynamic.
“Sa film, first time naming magkatrabaho ni Anji. May mga nagawa na kami before, pero yun nga—first movie ever, kaya very exciting working with her again,” Brent remarked. “It was so easy kasi nga may mga past projects na kami together. So na-establish na namin kung paano makipagtrabaho sa isa’t isa.”
Brent also shared that their biggest challenge is doing justice to beloved characters from the original Wattpad book.
“Siguro yung naging challenge lang sa amin was really the portrayal of the characters, kasi nga very well-loved tong book na ‘to. We want to do the roles justice, kaya yun,” he admitted.
Based on the hit Wattpad novel by Tina Lata, The Four Bad Boys and Me follows Candice, an awkward bookworm whose life turns upside down after crossing paths with four notorious bad boys.
The Four Bad Boys and Me is set to premiere on July 31 via ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel.