The Wild Child and The Black Sheep of ‘A Family Affair’

CEBU, Philippines —  Jake Ejercito and Jameson Blake are showcasing their acting chops in the Kapamilya drama “A Family Affair” – the former portraying wild child Seb Estrella, the latter playing Drew, the black sheep among the Estrella brothers.

Before landing roles in the series, Jake was in two consecutive shows: “Marry Me, Marry You” and “The Broken Marriage Vow.”

“I’ve just been really blessed by the network. I’ve been fortunate na sunod-sunod, very grateful,” Jake said during a joint virtual conference with Jameson.

Jameson felt that portraying someone mentally challenged was draining. “I have to really focus lang talaga to stay in the moment. I get distracted easy, so gusto ko talaga na I just wanna stay at the moment as much as possible pero at the same time, enjoy. I enjoy playing roles like this actually,” he said.

Sure, he encountered difficulties, but those are what develops him as an actor. “I would say na this isn’t the first time I did a role na medyo mentally challenging,” he said. “Buti medyo may background din ako doing roles like that. Ine-enjoy ko nalang.”

Asked how he makes sure that there is a clear distinction between his past portrayals, Jameson explained that it will always be different as his characters are faced with different situations.

“It always has something to do with where you’re coming from. You always have to go back to the root, so that’s what’s gonna make a difference,” said Jameson.

Jake, for his part, admitted that this is his most daring role to date. It is also more emotionally demanding.

“If we compare from the previous shows I did, ibang-iba kasi doon, love triangle, third party. Dito ibang-iba. It’s my first time portraying a character na may family, na may mga kapatid. What I really enjoy about our material is lahat talaga kami nabibigyan ng spotlight. It’s really enjoyable to do.”

There was something compelling about the script that made him say yes when the part was pitched to him.

“The first week was really a page-turner. Hanggang ngayon pag nagbabasa kami ni Jameson, because we’re roomates sa lock-in, kapag dumadating yung scripts namin, grabe ang lala. Every week there’s something kaabang-abang, kahit kami nagugulat,” said Jake.

Another reason Jake accepted the role was the prospect of working with Gerald Anderson and Sam Milby, both of whom are already on their 16th year in the industry. Working with them inspires Jake to elevate his acting.

Jake, a member of one of the most prominent families in Philippine politics, shared that his steamy scenes in “A Family Affair” came as a surprise to his mother.

“Yung reaction ng mom ko lalo na sa trailer, nagulat siya kasi I didn’t tell her about it, kung paano yung character ko, Sabi ko lang playboy, so when she saw that specific scene na nasama sa trailer, talagang nagulat siya. But she’s excited kasi nga talagang kakaiba ito si Seb Estrella.”

“A Family Affair” airs weekdays at 9:20 pm on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, Jeepney TV, TFC IPTV, and TV5. It can also be streamed on iWantTFC. - Syril Gemida