To say that John Arcilla was a late bloomer is an understatement. In Philippine entertainment where the young is revered, a male star usually reaches the peak of his popularity in his teens.
It’s the reverse for John who became in demand as an actor when he was nearing his 50s. The route he took before becoming big-time as a performer was more arduous than the trip to Baler in Aurora, which is his hometown.
He was actually born in Manila, but the family had to relocate to Aurora at the onset of martial law in 1972. His dad was involved in labor issues until the early 1970s and so the family decided it was better for them to move to faraway Aurora, which was then still part of Quezon Province.
As I was to find out later, he is related to the late President Manuel Luis Quezon. He traces that to his mother’s side.
During my interview with John for This is Showbiz, I therefore couldn’t stop myself from making the actor choose between Quezon and Antonio Luna. As we all know, the coveted lead part he played in Heneral Luna is the greatest role of his career. It’s a hard decision to make, he insists, and tries to find a way out of that difficult question.
Leaving picturesque Baler, however, wasn’t all that hard a decision for him when it was time to return to Manila for college. For one, Baler back then wasn’t the tourist destination that it is now. Besides, he was really looking forward to college life in the city where there are more opportunities to pursue his passion – acting.
True enough, he joined the prestigious Tanghalang Pilipino even while he was still in school. Whatever little money he earned doing theater afforded him the luxury of living alone.
On the side, he auditioned for parts in television commercials – even if it was forbidden by his theater company. His mentors in theater thought that doing outside work was a source of distraction since TV ads often take two days to shoot – time taken away from rigorous rehearsals that are required when mounting stage plays.
But at a certain point of his life, he had to leave his theater group and find another source of income. What prompted him to make this decision was when he observed how even the best actors in theater often ended up in dire financial straits despite a long and successful career on the legitimate stage.
Take the case of Adul de Leon, one of the best talents in the history of Philippine theater. When the actress got sick, a major fund-raising drive had to be organized to cover her medical bills. That incident opened John’s eyes to the reality that one cannot live on theater income alone.
That was when he decided to embrace mainstream show business full-time. Of course, the income there isn’t exactly all that steady. But one movie or TV project surely was still bigger than what a stage actor would earn for an entire season.
Oh, it was a long and hard climb to where he is now. Things turned around thanks to his bacon commercial. Surely, you remember that: “Coffee na lang, dear.” The public suddenly took notice of him and producers began casting him in important roles in the movies.
It didn’t take long before he was able to prove his worth. He started winning acting awards right away. There was the Manila Film Festival best actor trophy for Mulanay in 1996. At the more competitive Gawad Urian of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, he was named 1997 best supporting actor for the blockbuster Ligaya ang Itawag Mo sa Akin – opposite Rosanna Roces.
More awards came after that, but nothing can top the acting honors he received this year – bestowed by no less than the judges in the Venice International Film Festival. He won for On the Job: The Missing 8.
In the recently-concluded 47th Metro Manila Film Festival, he was up against himself. There were only three nominees in his category, which was for best supporting actor. Nominee No. 1 was Nico Antonio (for Big Night!). John got the two remaining spots – for A Hard Day and for Big Night!
The truth is, he was up against himself. The judges even had a difficult time deciding between John in A Hard Day and John in Big Night! But he could only win for one. In the end, he got the award for his part in Big Night!
That is how good an actor John Arcilla is. He actually lives up to his surname because arcilla means clay in Spanish. Clay is malleable, which is what John is as an actor.
He is also a chameleon because he can take in so many different roles and be perfect at each one. He can do both drama and comedy and, why, even action – as seen in his fight scenes with Dingdong Dantes in A Hard Day. To think that he did most of his stunts himself – quite a feat for somebody past 50.
There are so many excellent actors in Philippine showbiz. But maybe it is safe to say that John is the only one who can transcend different media with ease.
He is well-accomplished in theater. No one can dispute that. Of course, he has mastered the medium that is cinema. On television, his character in FPJ’s Ang Probinsiyano has its own following.
Of course, he will always be Heneral Luna to the public and will forever be remembered for giving life to the controversial hero on the big screen. But let me tell you this: He was actually a bit quite old for the part. The great actor that he is, however, John managed to get away with it.
At some point in our interview, I asked him if he has any secret as to how he became such a brilliant actor. He reluctantly tells me that he draws from past hurts in his life.
I daresay that his talent is God-given. And yes, he puts in a lot of hard work, too. There’s also the passion. Not too long ago, he was said to have had a breakdown on the set because he couldn’t nail the emotions he wanted to convey in a particular scene.
That’s how dedicated John Arcilla is to his craft. No wonder he gets to reap so many rewards.
Time actually goes fast. In about half a decade, he’d be a senior citizen. But I bet, he’d still be much sought-after as an actor. While most actors past 50 are put to pasture, John Arcilla’s prime has just begun.
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