Albert at 60: I’m still at my prime

With his ageless looks and good physique, Albert Martinez is still “desirable” at 60.

The veteran actor, who officially became a senior citizen last April, revealed his secret to maintaining a youthful appearance — “working out, eating properly and not abusing self.”

“I know for a fact na ito yung investment namin lahat kami sa industry — to make sure na we stay fit. We stay looking good. I guess that’s about it. Siguro konti about genes but then again it’s all about the discipline,” shared Albert during a virtual interview for the erotic thriller The Housemaid.

In the Philippine adaptation of the 2010 South Korean film, Albert plays the billionaire family man, William, who gets involved in a sexual relationship with their helper, Daisy (Kylie Verzosa).

Comparing his role in The Housemaid to that of Scorpio Nights 2 opposite Joyce Jimenez in 1999, Albert said he had taken care of Kylie more than Joyce in terms of the intimate scenes. “As far as the scene is concerned, mas inalagaan ko si Kylie. I was very, very careful. That’s why during the rehearsals, we talked about it. Ginawa naming precise. Kumbaga choreographed yung scene.”

“Kasi the way we did it with Joyce, it was totally different. We were given a scene, there was a camera, the director said, ‘OK do this position and the movements and the rest is yours.’ With Kylie, it’s totally orchestrated,” he added.

He also compared his current film with Segurista (1996) starring Michelle Aldana. “It was my very first sensitive role and scene. It was directed by Tikoy Aguiluz way back in the ‘90s. But with The Housemaid, it’s a collaboration with my co-actor Kylie and our director…We choreographed it well to be able to convince the public that what we’re doing is real. The pain is real and the happiness is real. Whatever we’re feeling that particular moment is real,” shared Albert.

For the actor who has been doing television series for the past 10 years, he accepted to play the role of William in the thriller The Housemaid because it was a challenge for him. “I got so interested and excited about it (when the material was presented to me). I really like the role, the character I played. Nag-usap nga kami ni direk and I said, this is a very challenging character kasi he’s a minimalist character. He doesn’t talk much.”

“But ang nuances niya, you need to feel him. You need to understand what he’s thinking. And that made me interested in the project. I know it’s a bit on the sexy side but then again as an actor, materials like this, they don’t come by that easy,” shared Albert.

For him, “this opportunity is the best vehicle for me to return to doing movies again.”

To be that “sex symbol at 60” for the film, he worked on his fitness and mentally prepared for the role. “The requirement of the physique is, compared to the original Korean actor (Lee Jung-jae of Squid Game fame), you really have to look fit for that age. Because I’m playing a younger character. I’m playing a 50-year-old, I’m 60-year-old. So it’s totally different. That was very demanding. Good thing, I was given enough time to prepare so that’s work out and diet at the same time,” disclosed Albert.

As he marks his 40th anniversary in the entertainment industry, he is still “open to more challenges.” “We’ve been in the industry for so long. Up to now I’m still challenged by the new type of material that comes in.”

“Physically, I’m still active. I just accepted a new project with action scenes. I’m OK with that. Drama, comedy, name it. I’m still at my prime,” he stated and revealed that at some point, he thought of retiring, “Then I realized, there are still a lot of good materials out there. So, bring it on.”

Albert has three children with his late wife, actress Liezel Martinez and three adorable grandchildren.

Albert will be next seen in the GMA teleserye Las Hermanas, while his ABS-CBN series The General’s Daughter is now streaming on Netflix.

The Housemaid is still streaming on Vivamax, KTX, iWant TFC and TFC IPTV. The Housemaid currently ranks No. 1 among the most-streamed titles on Vivamax.