Asuncion’s ascent

He’s running security for Coldplay this weekend. But if you’re a longtime PBA fan, you’ll know this smiling, burly bear of a man from the sidelines of the Araneta Coliseum from the early 1990s. And if you’re a TV buff, you’ll have glimpsed him playing the part of some bad guy’s hired muscle in American TV series like Bates Motel, Minority Report, and a whole string of others. In fact, he recently finished a Hollywood film with Michelle Rodriguez. For the past seven years, he’s portrayed monsters, Oriental fighters, and goons of every description. But the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” is a loving husband and father, basketball coach, mentor, and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

I first met Jason Asuncion when I was a young producer and on-camera talent doing the PBA broadcasts on the early 1990’s. He was bodyguard and man Friday to our boss, Bobong Velez. Jason was one of the pioneers of professional security services in the country. Almost every major public sports or entertainment event you’ll see in Metro Manila, with those huge, yellow- or black-clad event security personnel roaming intently, bear his influence. His group, APS, has provided protection for majority of international celebrities to come to the Philippines.

After working with Velez, Jason put up APS to help his fellow security agents who needed a more professional environment, and someone to get them work. Soon, one from Katy Perry to Justin Bieber to the NBA came calling. APS Security was thriving, particularly with all the international acts coming to the Philippines, and all the new venues being constructed. Jason’s group was covering almost every single band, singer and live performance group from the Mall of Asia Arena to the Araneta Coliseum to every major event venue in Metro Manila. Life was good, his family was growing, he had his own. Life was perfect.

One day in 2006, while Jason was on duty providing security for an international pop singer, he received a call from his daughter’s school. A strange man was there to fetch the Grade 2 student, claiming he had been sent by her parents. Alarmed, Jason left his post, called the police, and headed to the school.

“It was a kidnapper,” Jason told The STAR. “Because I was at all these big concerts and was on television, they probably thought I had a lot of money.”

Jason’s wife, who is British, was understandably alarmed, so the family started making plans to migrate. Eventually, they settled on Canada, and in 2009, with no job waiting and little support, the family packed up and left the Philippines, eventually landing in Vancouver, one of the most expensive places in western Canada.

“When we landed, we went straight to the hotel,” Asuncion recalls. “I left to apply for my security license, and my wife and kids went looking for a house.”

Luckily for Jason, opportunities abounded in Vancouver. And with the Winter Olympics in 2010, he had a great chance to make a mark for his professionalism and ease of working with people. Getting a mortgage on a two-bedroom condo since houses were prohibitively expensive, he also started getting work providing security for a chain of bars, large venues in the city, and personal security for Hollywood celebrities. This opened the door to a most unexpected opportunity: acting in Hollywood productions. One day, Asuncion was asked if he wanted to have a small role in a television show. He would have one speaking line. Reluctantly, he said yes, knowing that extras were paid only $11 an hour. Little did he know that a minor character received about $1200 for eight hours, and double if shooting went past 12 hours. Everything changed since then.

The timing was perfect, as the exodus of Hollywood productions from the US to Canada peaked, taking advantage of lower taxes and production costs. Jason’s agency, LLA, was able to place the surprisingly versatile new actor in a variety of film, theatre, commercial and music video roles covering almost every non-Caucasian persuasion. And he got along well with everyone. 

“It’s actually easy,” Jason admits. “If you forget your lines, there’s someone to prompt you. Some of the most famous actors count on that a lot.”

Being around all these productions also benefitted his family in other ways. His daughters were invited to audition for other television shows, and have gotten to work with celebrities like Julia Roberts. Their parents have set aside most of their talent fees for their college tuition, allowing them the occasional luxury of new gadgets and the like. With his security ventures growing and a steady stream of acting jobs, Jason has made the most of the abundant opportunities for immigrants in Canada.

The promoters of Coldplay’s concert heard that Jason was back in town, and contacted him, hiring a whopping 420 bouncers for protection detail and crowd control. It was a very welcome blessing for this humble, gentle giant of a man who may play brutes onscreen, but doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.