It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon when I arrived at the venue of our pocket interview with Christian Bables.
There was a sudden downpour as I crossed Tomas Morato toward Mesa, the venue of our pocket interview with Christian Bables; and though there were a lot of other scheduled events that day, I declined my other invites simply because I was a fan of “Barbs.”
I was excited to get to know more about the guy behind the character I guess everyone fell in love with in the movie “Die Beautiful,” and was curious as to when his next big project was going to be.
I remember he was sitting directly in front of us us during the MMFF Awards night that year and I could still recall how he stood up almost hesitantly when his name was called as the best supporting actor. We were all rooting for him and he really deserved the award.
I was thinking of that moment as he walked through the doors and made his way toward our small group. He was wearing a gray hoodie with ripped jeans and though he was just a few minutes late he kept apologizing because of the rain and the traffic.
As he settled down and we were about to ask our first question, Christian suddenly bowed his head and began to sob almost as unexpectedly as the rain fell from the sky that day.
Our eyes then all looked at his manager who told us that Christian was actually mourning, as his grandfather, had just passed away, and Christian was feeling guilty that he wasn’t beside him during his last hours.
“Even the heavens were mourning with him,” I thought.
He terribly misses him, because he grew up with his lolo, his manager said, buying his ward a little more time to compose himself.
Again I thought of his scenes in “Die Beautiful” and how Barbs could easily play with our emotions, but this time was different, this wasn’t Barbs in front of me, this was Christian and I really felt his sadness.
Instead of wanting to ask him why he hasn’t had another big movie after “Die Beautiful” and why he hasn’t lived up to his potential as an actor, all I wanted to do was go over to him and offer him a hug. To give him a bit of comfort as if to return the favor of how he made me feel whenever I was watching him on screen.
“Sorry po,” Christian said, before he began telling us how close he was with his lolo and how hard to see his lolo almost unresponsive during his last days.
Somehow, sharing that story helped him feel better and we were able to begin our interview.
He says he is busy taping for Halik, his upcoming series with Jericho Rosales , and that he is starring in the short film A Love Story In The Time of HIV, one of the three short films featured in A Trilogy of Love Stories.
He adds he is excited for the release of his next movie directed by no other than Chito Rono.
When also asked him about bashers and what he didn’t like in this industry. He told us that there was one article recently that really got to him because the writer of the story didn’t even bother to interview him. It got so bad he said, that he still hasn’t updated his social media platform or made any posts for the past couple of months saying he’d rather focus on improving his acting and pursuing his passion and becoming a better actor.
Christian has always been passionate about acting. "Maybe I had it in me since the day I was in my mother’s womb. But I guess it was in my college years that I learned how to use my talent properly. My first role as an actor was a hitch hiker with a girlfriend dying of leukemia. The character’s name was Rino,” Christian shares.
As an actor, Christian believes that his heart is his core. "I am not afraid to jump off a cliff and be torn into pieces. I do not act to perform. I act to be reminded how beautiful life is and that there’s a chance for me to win every chaos life may bring.”
He explains that being an actor allows him to express himself, touch other people’s lives, and express his passion. “I always believe that everything is about choices. As long as I choose to do what is right and do what satisfies my heart and God, then I know I’ll be fine. I put my trust in God and let go. His purpose is always better than the promises of this world.”
Christian takes his work seriously. “I improve my craft by making sure that I am intact with my core - who I am as a person. I prevent myself from being jaded. I observe people a lot. Most importantly, I value the importance of training and preparation.”
How does he see himself 10 years from now? “A successful artist. I envision myself to be in the international acting scene 10 years from now. I will be directing and producing movies for local and international markets. And I will be having a stable life and business. I’m claiming it!”
Christian is part of an upcoming ABS-CBN soap titled Halik (Love Will Lead You Back). In the series, Christian plays Barry Bartolome who is the boss and bestfriend of Lino Bartolome, Jericho Rosales’ character.
A Trilogy of Love Stories also stars Lorenzo Santiago and Rahcir Tan (Young Love) and Eian Rances and Bernardo Bernardo (To Love and Not Be Loved which is also Bernardo Bernardo's last work for cinema).
The premiere night on May 17 coincides with the celebration of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT).
Christian Bables is a talent of Asian Artists Agency. For inquiries, please call (02) 855-4765 or (02) 405-4423, email info@asianartistsagency.com, and visit fb.com/asianartistsagency
