What’s keeping Leo Consul busy in Indonesia?

Like you and me in this quarantine period, Leo Consul is holed up in his cozy place in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, where he is based for eight years now. Work literally separated him from family and friends back in the Philippines although he stressed that they would spend wonderful moments during their occasional visits.

Leo’s first few months in Indonesia saw him working as a teacher in an international school yet the wind blew in a different direction and landed him in the entertainment industry.

“I started as a member of a vocal trio but it didn’t work out due to some visa-related issues. I then started doing castings for commercials. I’ve done five commercials all in all,” narrated Leo.

Life began to turn rosy for the actor when SCTV franchised Eat Bulaga Indonesia and took Leo as one of the Sugod Bahay hosts. Two shows instantly followed — the first was Eat Bulaga and the second was a morning music show called Inbox.

“When EB was over, I moved to a new station and became a VJ for a couple of years. I also hosted one of Indo’s biggest morning variety shows called Dahsyat where I got the opportunity to work with the artists. I also did the morning talk show Seleb on News. After that, I got an offer to play in a teleserye as the leading man of one of Indonesia’s finest actresses.”

The TV series, he added, worked out well and that really catapulted his career. He also did a movie, which was supposed to air in March but put on hold due to the pandemic. Leo was also part of It’s Showtime Indonesia prior to hosting a travel show.

Last April 25, the sitcom Keluarga Santuy, where Leo is part of the cast, had its pilot airing. “Against all odds, I must say. We had to push it through as this sitcom was made for Ramadhan (fasting month). It’s pretty tricky and scary because we had to tape some episodes for the entire month amidst this pandemic but thankfully, everything went smoothly.”

Here’s the rest of the conversation:

How has life been treating you since the lockdown?

“For someone like me who loves staying at home, being in lockdown doesn’t really bother me. I’m used to just being at home unless I need to go out to work. I believe me being an introvert plays a significant role in this whole thing. But work-wise, it’s been crazily difficult given the nature of my job. The situation here and in the Philippines is pretty much the same. The only difference is that, we don’t have a curfew here.”

What’s the most productive thing you’ve done during lockdown?

“I’m a morning person and that gives me so much time to do a lot of things and be productive. I’ve been working out a lot at home. Surprisingly, I am more enthused about working out at home than I was long before this pandemic hit the world. Back then, I would just go to the gym lackadaisically and drag myself out of it after a short workout. I’ve also been busy experimenting on new recipes in the kitchen. Fun fact: My kitchen nearly caught on fire recently when I was baking some baguettes, hahahaha. I love cooking. It keeps me sane. Other than those, I’ve also started conceptualizing for my upcoming YouTube channel.”

What COVID-19-related story had the most impact on you?

“That sad story I saw on the news where a lady was left with no choice but to watch her father through video call being buried because she wasn’t allowed to come home because of the lockdown. That, for me, was just heartbreaking. Just imagine the amount of pain she must have gone through while witnessing that awful scene from her apartment through her phone screen. Not being there for our family during these trying times is one thing, but not being there in their last dying breath let alone in their burial is just utterly painful.”

What’s the first thing you wish to do when lockdown period is over?

“Aside from cooking, traveling keeps me sane. In fact, I got a couple of trips that I needed to cancel because of this unfortunate event. So, just like the other travelers out there, I guess when all this is over, first thing I’d do is to pack my bags and fly somewhere. Manila would be a good start.”

Basing from your IG and FB posts, you are taking time to have a fit body. Aside from keeping healthy, is toning your body part of your preparation for upcoming projects?

“Yeah. I’ve always been conscious about my body ever since I started working on TV. I used to be quite overweight and I am 100 percent sure that if I wouldn’t take extra care and pump up my discipline during these times, I’d probably start binging on and eating unhealthy food while I couch potato my way to my old self, and that’s a dark place I really don’t wanna bring myself back in. With or without projects in sight, I think it’s always best to take care of our body and be ready all the time, especially in this biz, where most of those rare opportunities knock in a very unexpected moment in our lives. You know what they say, ‘Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.’”

Any acting projects that had been interrupted?

“Acting, not really. Travel show, yes. Before this pandemic, I was hosting a travel show called Brownis Jalan-Jalan, which is one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done here. We had to put it on hold for some obvious reasons but I really do miss that show terribly. We’ll resume when all this is over and that’s something positive to look forward to.”

Talk about your show Keluarga Santuy, your character and what made you accept the role?

“Loosely translated, Keluarga Santuy means ‘Chill Family.’ It’s about a story of three families living in one RT (barangay). I play the role of Hans, a handsome (believe me, that’s what they wrote during the presscon) Filipino guy who got robbed while he was visiting Jakarta and ended up staying in one of the Barangay Captain’s boarding houses for free as insisted by his wife who happened to like Hans. This is actually my very first time playing in a sitcom and it’s very exciting. It’s very santuy (chill) as my character here isn’t that far off from mine. Hans and Leo are both free-spirited, positive, energetic guys. And yeah, we’re both broke. But I have to say, it’s quite different from the teleserye I did a couple of years ago as this one is more slapstick.”

Any more upcoming projects?

“Aside from my travel show and my ongoing sitcom, I also have an upcoming project in the Philippines which was also, unfortunately, put on hold. I’m pretty excited about this project and I just can’t wait to share it with you guys, soon.”