Will Ashley counts blessings with Urian win, ‘Delivery Boi’ lead role

MANILA, Philippines — Will Ashley is among the GMA homegrown talents who have an innate and undeniable gift for acting. His work on TV and in the movie, as well as the acting nominations and awards he has thus far received, can attest to that.

The Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino recently recognized his performance in “Bar Boys: After School” with the Gawad Urian Best Supporting Actor trophy.

“(I’m) super happy,” said Will in a group interview after the presscon for his inspirational, light afternoon drama titled “Delivery Boi.” “It’s my dream to win such an award, and ngayon, nasa kamay ko na po (now, I have one).”

An Urian is a welcome addition to his The Eddys Best Supporting Actor award, which he shared with Rico Blanco, star of “Manila’s Finest.”

Asked if he’s more inspired to do more projects, especially in films, after the latest win?

“Yes,” answered Will, “Nung pagkauwi ko ng bahay, sabi ko talaga sa sarili ko (when I got home, I told myself) that I’m excited to make good movies. So, I’m really more inspired.”

Is he going to be more intentional in choosing future projects?

“Ako po kasi parang ever since binigay sa akin yung ‘Balota,’ parang mas na nangibabaw na po sa akin na mas gusto kong gumawa ng makabuluhang pelikula (ever since I did the movie ‘Balota,’ it has been, like, I wanted to do more meaningful films),” shared he, “na mag-iwan ng magandang aral sa mga tao (the ones that will leave the audience valuable lessons).”

As for the characters that he would like to explore in the future, he said that he had none in mind during the interview, but Will was enthusiastic about roles that might be given to him.

Prior to coming to the awards’ venue, did he have an inkling of winning an Urian?

“Hindi ko po kasi magawang mag-assume, eh, kasi ayoko rin ma-hurt (I couldn’t assume that because I didn’t want to get hurt). So, parang doon na lang ako nag-base nung tinawag na talaga yung pangalan ko (I only knew it when my name was called),” said he.

Will’s character Boi shows the sacrifices and hard work every Filipino makes to support the family in the drama series.

With his Best Supporting Actor awards, is he dreaming of a Best Actor win?

“Let’s see po,” said he, “pero hindi natin masabi po, eh, di ba, since marami rin po talaga tayong mga magagaling na actor dito sa Pinas, eh (but we can’t say since we have very good actors in the country). Ako po ginagawa ko lang naman po yung love kong gawin (for me, I’m just doing what I love).”

And that is acting, which allows him to inhabit someone else’s world.

Speaking of which, Will takes on the titular role of the Kapuso afternoon drama series “Delivery Boi.” His character Boi shows the tale about “every Filipino sacrificing and working hard to make ends meet for the family,” as its publicity team said. “Just like every Filipino worker, Boi faces daily struggles as a delivery rider but must endure them to provide for his loved ones. On the other hand, Boi also takes the role of one of the modern heroes today, delivering convenience and service to customers.” The character also learns “a thing or two from the people” through his work, added it.

Will, on the other hand, is paired with fellow “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition” housemate and Big Winner, Mika Salamanca. Fans will surely follow the characters of the stars.

“Well, in our industry, one can’t avoid it,” said he about dealing with detractors. “So, Mika and I, as much as possible, we just focus on the positive things, kung ano yung meron kami (on what we have) at kung ano yung mga opportunities na ginagawa ngayon (and on the opportunities we’re doing).”

Will has many reasons to smile and be grateful for, and again two of them are the Urian award and “Delivery Boi.”

“Nakakatuwa po… parang araw-araw talaga si-nu-surpresa ako ng Panginoon, sa mga dating pangarap lang na natutupad na (it’s delightful that every day the Lord surprises me with things that I used to dream of, which are coming true),” said he.

Looking back on his life, encompassing his showbiz career, he said, “Malaki po talaga pinagbago ng buhay ko (my life has changed a lot)... ‘pag nag-lo-look back po ako, lagi ko lang sinasabi is masaya akong nilaban ko (when I look back, I always say that I’m happy that I’ve fought for (my dream of being part of the entertainment industry), yan lang po talaga.”

He continued, “Masaya ako na nilaban ko kahit na napakaraming rejections na natanggap ko, pero ngayon, unti-unti na pong natutupad (I’m happy that I’ve fought for them despite many rejections, but now all my dreams are slowly coming true).”

Airing weekdays at 2:30 p.m. on GMA, “Delivery Boi” is also available on Kapuso Stream, GMA Play app and GMA Pinoy TV.