Marvin: I won’t return my award

"I won’t return my award," Marvin Agustin said in the wake of the controversy that followed his proclamation as Best Actor in the Metro Manila Film Festival for his role as a psycho killer in Kutob.

Marvin glows with the aura of a winner. His smile is wider; his statements reflecting a maturity borne of fighting battles and winning them.

He knows he cannot please everybody, especially those who think he doesn’t deserve his award.

"Different people have different tastes. It’s not for me, but for the judges to say why I won over the others," he says.

But despite Kutob director (and Metro Filmfest Best Director) Joey Javier Reyes’ praises over his acting even before the awards night last Jan. 6, Marvin admits he didn’t expect to bring home the trophy.

"I kept quiet after watching Blue Moon because the actors are so good. Christopher de Leon is my idol. And so is Eddie Garcia," explains Marvin.

He admits besting actors more senior than he is has put extra pressure on him. Known for being selective about his choice of roles, Marvin now must choose his films even more carefully. The responsibility of choosing what genre his follow-up film will be, somehow overwhelms him.

Another effect his Best Actor award has on him is a heightened dedication to his craft.

"I’m now more serious about my work," he states.

He knows people look up to him more as an actor and he must live up to their expectations.

Marvin need not wait long for a follow-up project. OctoArts, producer of Kutob, has lined up a movie for him to be released middle of the year. Shooting starts in March.

This makes the ABS-CBN Star Magic talent’s 27th birthday on Jan. 29 more meaningful to him.

"I am now complete. I won’t be lonely anymore because of my twins (five-month-old Sebastian and Santiago)," smiles Marvin.

He has turned his bachelor’s pad into a virtual playground, with a slide, toys, seesaw and other things for the babies.

His New Year’s resolution even revolves around his twins. Marvin plans to spend more time with them, even if it means giving up TV assignments.

But he and Tetet, mother of his twins, have no plans of getting married. They’re special to each other, that’s all. And both want to keep it that way, especially for the twins’ sake.

Marvin and Tetet have their hands full with so many things they have agreed not to settle down yet.

Tetet has three pre-schools and Marvin wants to direct a film, now that he has put up a movie production outfit called Magus, Italian word for wise man or magician. Its first production, a digital movie entitled Donsol is expected to start production by first week of March.

But before that, Marvin looks forward to spending Valentine’s Day, not with a girlfriend (he claims to be loveless), but with the latest addition to his family: the twins.

"I don’t feel lost anymore. Life is beautiful when you enjoy the journey," he reveals.

Marvin won’t even mind being a father to another set of twins all over again.

He’s just as happy that Jolina Magdangal, his love teammate for several years, is getting married to Bebot Muñoz.

"We don’t get second chances in life. I told her that," adds Marvin.

But Marvin is certainly getting all his chances now. The doors of opportunity are opening wide for him.

"I go to meeting after meeting," he admits, while crossing his fingers that these will lead to projects he will love doing.

Whether his detractors like it or not, Marvin’s Metro Filmfest victory has raised his value (but not his asking price, he swears) as an actor who will go to great lengths to equal, if not top his acclaimed performance in Kutob.