Leo Consul topbills Indonesia film

Pinoy heartthrob Leo Consul is certified big in Indonesia. After a string of hosting stints, a teleserye and an award-winning book about his personal journey (A Thousand Miles In Broken Slippers which won him the Best Author and Best Book awards), Leo is debuting as lead actor in a movie, Bukan Jodoh Biasa, an Indonesian movie shot entirely in Indonesia. The title loosely translated in Filipino means, Hindi Ordinaryong Kwento ng Pag-Ibig. The film, which is a story of friendship and adventure, is in Bahasa but Leo has Tagalog speaking lines.

Leo plays a Filipino guy who is studying in Indonesia. There, he meets his three best friends and the love of his life, Marsya (played by half-Indonesian, half-German actress Nina Kozok).

Leo shares, “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I’d get to play as a lead actor in a movie, let alone an international film! It just feels surreal. When they offered me the movie, initially, I thought they were just gonna give me a minor role as I had no experience at all aside from my teleserye stint, but God is really good. I’m so grateful.”

He is the only Pinoy in the movie which made it even more exciting for him. And he speaks in Tagalog. “I asked our producers and director if I could do so and they gladly agreed — my simple way of showing how proud I am of being a Filipino,” Leo says.

Shooting the movie was a breeze. Leo established good rapport with his director, co-actors and the crew while working on the movie. He is all praises for the whole team. “We have so much respect and trust for each other to the point that my director asked me if I could tweak some of the script a little for one specific scene we shot. For them to trust me to play this role and to amend some parts of the script was just humbling and overwhelming at the same time. We created this kind of atmosphere that was so light and breezy which, in turn, encouraged us to work harder while sharing our creative ideas to make the film even better.”

Leo got along pretty well with his leading lady who shares the same brand of humor as his. He also bonded well with the crew and extras. They were amazed that an actor like Leo would take some time to share a cup of tea with them during breaks and talk about their families, life experiences and work.

The Pinoy heartthrob takes a selfie with his leading lady Nina Kozok in the Indonesian film Bukan Jodoh Biasa (roughly translated in Filipino as Hindi Ordinaryong Kwento ng Pag-Ibig)
 

His unassuming ways have endeared Leo to his Pinoy and Indonesian fans. He has remained humble and grounded. He goes out of his way to make his fans feel extra special. He shares stories with them and openly embraces them. His fans, also called the Leonatics, have shown devotion to their idol, following Leo wherever he goes. 

He remembers the story of a girl named Cindy Wang. “She’s one of my fans who happened to be there during the shoot. I took some time to chat with her, shared stories and all that which inspired her a lot, according to her. She appreciated the fact that I spent some of my time just to accommodate her. When we left the location, which was quite far from our hotel, I didn’t realize I left my perfume on the chair where we had a chat. I told myself it’s fine, someone probably needs it more. The following day, to my surprise, Cindy showed up at the hotel holding my perfume. She said she went back to the location to search for it. It’s amazing how people would go out of their way just to make you happy.”

Leo has found his star rising in Indonesia. However, even with the celebrity status he enjoys in Indonesia, Leo longs to be with his kababayan. It is in the Philippines where all his dreams started. And his journey continues. He signed a contract with Star Music as a recording artist. His much-awaited album will be released soon in the Philippines and Indonesia. His carrier single is a cover version of Yeng Constantino’s hit song Ikaw rendered in a mix of Filipino and Bahasa. 

The blessings coming Leo’s way are just overwhelming, he says. “I am ecstatic! To be given these wonderful opportunities is a rarity in this business. Big opportunities entail big responsibilities and I believe I’m at this point in my life where I feel most content so nothing is ever so big and difficult for someone who goes through all of it with a grateful heart.”