‘Lucifer’ and ‘Kingdom’ characters were JM’s pegs in new series

CEBU, Philippines —  Henry Quitain, creative manager of ABS-CBN’s new series “Init sa Magdamag,” vouched for the performance of their lead stars in what he promises to be a battle royale of thespic chops.

“Tagisan siya talaga ng aktingan ng tatlo,” says Quitain of Gerald Anderson, Yam Concepcion and JM de Guzman. “You will be surprised by Gerald. Yam in her first teleserye lead role will wow you.”

“At kung akala mo naibigay na lahat ni JM sa ibang mga teleserye niya before,” he adds, “gugulatin niya pa kayo.

Last seen in a relatable character in the drama series “Pamilya Ko,” JM in “Init sa Magdamag” is Peterson, a wayward politician’s son groomed to run for office. Her marriage to Yam’s Rita is tested with his incapability to father a child due to an accident years earlier.

The trailer alone had viewers excited with how JM will tackle his antagonist role. It’s an assignment the actor once again took pains in essaying well, looking for inspiration from other hit shows to create Peterson.

“When presented with the character, I asked them na bigyan sana ng masustanyang backstory. I asked if I can get pegs like from the character in ‘Lucifer’ in terms of body language, and the drug addict MMA fighter in ‘Kingdom’ in terms of energy and how he handles himself. Kumuha ako sa kanila ng mga peg and together with the directors, we molded my character,” JM shares.

“Lucifer” and “Kingdom” are popular American shows that can both be streamed on Netflix.

JM says complicated roles like this complement his ongoing journey of aiming for maturity. “That’s why acting is my passion because I get to confront those unknown weak parts of my being when presented with a character with this kind of conflict and dynamics.”

Whether it be an antagonist or protagonist, bida or kontrabida – JM says he treats all roles the same.

“One of the things I instill in myself is not to judge the character I’m playing. Mapa-kriminal man siya o ano…kasi mawawala yung empathy,” he explains. “For me, pareho lang yung effort. But here, it demands a deeper intensity because of the conflict and dynamics of the character, not because he is a bad boy.