Nick Lizaso: From stage to teleserye

MANILA, Philippines – Eighty years young (and still playing tennis), actor-director Nick J. Lizaso is an old warrior of the stage, for a time the screen, on TV for many years as a director and finally, in recent years, as a character actor in teleseryes.

Old Nick was born in Santamaria, Bulacan, in 1935, a grandnephew of Jose Corazon de Jesus, Hari ng Balagtasan and the lyricist of Bayan Ko (his mother Natividad was a De Jesus).

It was at the University of the East that Nick started his career in theater. He founded the UE Dramatic Guild and among those who attended his workshops were the future directors Joey Gosiengfiao and Elwood Perez. And he went on to play major roles in productions by PETA and Repertory Philippines, and was cast by Fr. James Reuter as Professor Higgins, the lead male role, in the hit Broadway musical My Fair Lady.

As a stage and TV director, among those who trained under him were the late director Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Pilar Pilapil, Tetchie Agbayani, Margie Moran and the late Bert “Tawa” Marcelo.

Nick also appeared in a number of movies, and the most memorable for him was Ulo ng Gapo, starring Rudy Fernandez, Charito Solis and Eddie Garcia. It was a blockbuster hit, and No. 1 for one week in the moviehouses where it was shown.

During this period, he became close to Fernando Poe Jr., whose adopted daughter Sen. Grace Poe is very much in this news these days. He became part of FPJ’s inner circle and they would have regular drinking bouts in between shooting schedules.

“Ronnie Poe treated me like a kid brother,” the veteran actor-director recalls. “Sinubuan ako ng sabaw. Because we would drink all night. Siempre inaantok ka na, binuhat ako at nilagay ako sa sofa. Tapos nag-init ng soup, yung Campbell, at sinubuan ako. Ganun siya kabait.”

The transition from TV directing to teleserye acting was not unexpected, given there was need for a senior actor like him and the teleserye directors knew him. In fact, his first telenovela, Precious Hearts Romance Presents: Alyna, was directed by a student of his, FM Reyes. It starred Shaina Magdayao, JM de Guzman and Charie Pineda. Nick played the father of Shaina.

Then there was Be Careful with My Heart with Jodi Sta. Maria. The scenario was like this: They met in a plane bound for Manila. Jodi’s character was jobless and bent on being a stewardess. That would be difficult, Nick advised her. A few days later, they met again. The   young woman was still jobless, so the elderly man gave her a card.  And — voila! — she soon found a job.

Nick appeared in other teleseryes, including one starring Robin Padilla, Kris Aquino, Anne Curtis and Ian Veneracion. He played a kontrabida here. And there was another one all about mermaids.

His most recent assignment was Bagito, “a semi-major role” as a grandfather opposite Ariel Rivera, Angel Aquino and Agot Isidro.   

Asked to assess the teleserye industry, Nick observes: “At least the teleseryes have given good jobs for craftsmen, writers, especially actors. Kasi kung mahina ang pelikula walang pinagkakakitaan ang mga artista. I’m glad that we have a lot of teleseryes. At least, may hanapbuhay ang mga artista. But they should go beyond popularity, they should go beyond, meaning coming up with good stories.”

He adds: “When it comes to characters, whether you are a lolo or a maid, kung ano man ang dapat na character hinuhubog sa tamang tao. Hindi yung parang palamuti lang.”

Nick also suggests that “they (networks) should concentrate not on the factory of making more teleseryes but in the writing of it. Nakikita naman natin yung mga foreign... sa States, ang ganda ng pagkasulat. And we can write something like that. Pwede mong pag-aralan ang character, so that actors like Dante Rivero, Roberto Arevalo and Ronaldo Valdes can really use their talent in seeking the inner characterization.”

On a more cheerful note, Nick says ABS-CBN pays him well. And he’s back to being a full-time actor. “Once an actor always an actor,” he quips.