Paolo Contis on being an unexpected Netflix star

CEBU, Philippines —  Pandemic Superstar. Netflix King.

Paolo Contis, 36, guffaws at the monikers coined by tabloid writers after two of his films were among the Top 10 most watched in the Philippines on the streaming platform Netflix during the months-long quarantine.

The actor, better known for his comedic flair despite accolades in drama roles, is partly responsible for the buckets of tears shed by viewers of Viva Films’ “Through Night and Day.” Duping viewers that they’re about to settle into yet another Pinoy rom-com, Paolo plays Ben – a role originally written by co-star Alessandra de Rossi for her “Kita Kita” leading man Empoy Marquez – who after proposing to childhood sweetheart Jennifer (Alessandra) gifts her a dream trip to Iceland. What was supposed to be a one-for-the-books vacation results to the unravelling of their relationship in ways unforeseen. The box-office dud became No. 1 on Netflix Philippines.

“I’m happy, firstly, because it was unexpected. I didn’t expect it to trend because it came out in 2018. For me it was a done story,” said Paolo, answering questions sent by The FREEMAN and other media. “I expected that there would be viewers, but not this much, to the point that it would be number one.”

His other movie landing on Netlix’s Top 10 was the dark comedy “Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap,” also a 2018 release that went by unnoticed amidst network-hyped flicks. Starring alongside Pepe Herrera, Jerald Napoles and Jelson Bay, Paolo here is a promotion-seeking cop who infiltrates a group of awfully inept muggers. He helps them pull off a major heist in the hopes of capturing the big fish: the legendary robber Ka Paeng, played so naturally by veteran actor Pen Medina.

Paolo said that to be a source of momentary escape in this anxiety-filled climate is a good feeling to carry around.

“Ngayong pandemic na lahat ng tao nag-aalala, malungkot, hindi na tayo okay…to be honest kahit ako medyo na-aano sa utak. Kahit safe ka sa bahay, mentally hindi madali,” he admitted. “I’m happy to be able to say that I’m one of those who made you forget your worries, even if for just one hour and 40 minutes of your life. I’m happy to be one of the positive things people remember during the pandemic.”

Not usually on the list of possible leading men, Paolo’s casting in “Through Night And Day” was a surprise for some, although not the bad kind of surprise. Seen regularly dropping punch lines on GMA-7’s “Bubble Gang,” Paolo said stepping into the shoes of Ben, who has heart-wrenching scenes, wasn’t difficult since the character’s “slightly green” humor was based on his own.

The Netflix star also did his fair share of lockdown binge-watching, and he shared that among his favorites are the Chris Hemsworth action-starrer “Extraction,” documentary series “The Staircase,” drama series “Ozark” (his “super favorite” for its dark humor), crime drama “Narcos,” and the specials of Ricky Gervais and David Chapelle (“For me, two of the most brilliant stand-up comedians alive”).

Paolo was also “man enough to admit” that he ate up hit Korean dramas “Crash Landing on You” and “Itaewon Class.”

“Aminin ko man sa hindi,” he said, “pare-pareho lang tayong kinilig, natuwa at umiyak.”

Acting offers have poured in as a result of the Netflix success. For Paolo, he leaves the nitty-gritty of sifting through these scripts and contracts to his management. His only consideration in accepting a project: safety for him and his family.

“Sa panahon ngayon, kailangan ng umikot ng mundo. Kailangan na magtrabaho. But when I get home, my family should be safe via the protocols before, during and after the shoot,” he said.

Speaking of family, among Paolo’s recent hobbies is uploading YouTube videos of his ‘acting workshops’ with one-year-and-seven-months-old Summer Ayana, his daughter with actress LJ Reyes. Aside from the two, he also lives with Aki, LJ’s son with ex-boyfriend Paulo Avelino. His daughters Xalene and Xonia with ex-wife Lian Paz, a former EB Babe, are based in Cebu. Asked if he would allow his kids to pursue acting careers, Paolo said that the pandemic-scarred industry and the spare-no-mercy nature of social media has him wary for now.

“Ayaw ko, especially sa panahon ngayon. Medyo mahirap maging artista ngayon,” he said. “The competition sometimes becomes very personal. With the rise of social media, there are more critics than ever, which I didn’t experience when I was younger. I don’t want the kids to go through that, especially at a very young age. If they really want to become actors, maybe when they are mature, so that I’m sure they can handle life in the spotlight.”