“Blood vs Duty” carries on to be embraced by its outstanding cast, most especially with iconic Kapamilya actors Gerald Anderson and Baron Geisler openly discussing their productive and uplifting experiences throughout the process of filming the action-drama series in the May 9 episode of Jeepney TV’s “Stars on Stars.”
Shortly after remembering one of his first roles in the fantasy-romance series “Love Spell,” Gerald slipped in an amusing detail regarding his preparations to transform into Jalil Abubakar, his Muslim character in “Blood vs Duty.” For the jampacked pilot week of the Kapamilya teleserye, Gerald would come to the set two hours before his co-stars or production staff would arrive. This has to do with the amount of time needed to precisely wear his artificial beard.
On top of that, Jalil was also considered by Gerald to be a role that he will undoubtedly remember even as he embarks on future projects. He then categorized this character alongside his most recognizable ones in “Tayong Dalawa,” “Budoy,” and “A Soldier’s Heart.”
“We have a very big responsibility, kinukuwento natin ‘yung kultura ng [mga] Muslim,” he added, further spotlighting his nuanced portrayal of Jalil.
When it came to the fresh realizations that “Blood vs Duty” had in store for the actors, both of them declared that they were dedicating themselves to providing an entirely different flavor to their ongoing acting performances. “I always wanna bring something na iba sa ginawa ko before, and kaya kong panindigan ‘yan,” Gerald clarified.
Next to elaborate on his answer, Baron mentioned how his character as Felix Domingo was definitely an emotionally challenging one, even if the audience was already profoundly familiar with his extraordinary expertise in playing fictional antagonists or villains. “I [still] have to add a different flavor… May realism approach [for Felix] na hindi lang siya psychopath [kasi] may pinanggagalingan na wound,” he explained.
WATCH: 10 wicked tricks revealing Felix’s lethal identity in “Blood vs Duty”
Before closing the topic, Baron recalled one of his offscreen conversations with Gerald, specifically about the contrast of glamour between Gerald’s representation of Samuel Trinidad in “Sins of the Father” and Jalil in “Blood vs Duty.”
“We have an audience; ‘yung audience natin will take time out of their lives para panoorin tayo, so you always wanna give them the best [and] something different… Iba’t ibang putahe [kumbaga], sinigang last show, adobo naman ngayon,” Gerald remarked.
The two actors also voiced their appreciation for fight-sequence director Erwin Tagle, detailing the moments in which they had to efficiently learn the sophisticated movements on the filming day. “In terms of action, ang ganda kasi meron tayong bagong miyembro ng team na si Erwin Tagle, [and] he brings a different kind of action feel… ‘Yung style ni Erwin ay madali i-pick-up pero ang ganda tingnan,” Gerald conveyed.
For the kind of lesson that he wished he had known earlier in his long career in the entertainment industry, Gerald highlighted the observations he valued from watching the collective behind-the-scenes efforts for “Blood vs Duty,” particularly with working alongside the production team during the simultaneous filming for Gerald, Baron, and Richard Gutierrez’s action scenes.
“Sana mas na-realize ko before is that’s the business side of bringing a team together… Moving as a unit for the bigger goal,” Gerald stated.
Similarly, Baron was asked about which relatable experience in the show made a mark on him or gave him a crucial lesson. “I think to be more patient and grateful… Gusto kong panindigan lahat ng mga sinabi ko sa asawa ko, sa anak ko, sa produksyon, sa mga tao, at lalaban ako hanggang dulo… Never giving up is key, and dagdagan mo pa ng attitude of gratitude. How can you go wrong?” Baron said.
Once more, Baron went on to express his tireless appreciation for the whole production staff until the last minute. “[Sa] buong team ng JRB, sobrang salamat kasi naramdaman ko ‘yung laki ng yakap nila sa akin… Maraming-maraming salamat sa ABS-CBN for trusting me again,” he expressed.
Wrapping up the interview, Gerald also sweetly praised Baron’s good heart. “I’m always hoping the best para sa’yo. You are a one-in-a-generation talent; marami ka pang gagawin. Stay the path, be an inspiration para sa aming lahat, and you [already] are,” Gerald articulated.
Delight in Gerald and Baron’s passionate performances in “Blood vs Duty,” streaming on iWant and airing weeknights at 8pm on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).
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