Q&A: John Lloyd Cruz, lead actor in ‘Honor Thy Father’

At the press conference for the Metro Manila Film Festival entry Honor Thy Father held on Thursday at Quezon City, the cast, the press, and the film’s director Erik Matti could not stop talking about John Lloyd Cruz’s powerful performance in the movie.

“We knew all along we were going to do this movie with John Lloyd Cruz,” begins Matti. “This is the first movie that Lloydie did outside of what he’s usually doing so we wanted to push him sa kung ano yung usual niyang ginagawa sa mga pelikula. Sobrang dami ang ginawa ni John Lloyd dito, siguro yung mga fans ni Popoy, iiyak: ‘Ano ba ang mga pinagpapagawa nila kay Popoy?!’”

For the film, Cruz had to shave his head and learn how to shoot a gun and do welding. He also had to walk through thick mud — “literal, burak sa Pampanga,” he laughs about the experience — and shoot inside a mining camp. “Sa kabilang bundok, may mining talaga na nangyayari. May mga pinapasabog tapos in the cave where I am, ramdam mo na dumadagundong. Physically, it was very challenging,” Cruz shares.

The film is about a family trying to survive after the collapse of their investment business. Cruz plays Edgar the father and husband protecting his wife (Meryll Soriano) and daughter Angel (Krystal Brimner) from angry investors who are demanding their money back, death threats and all.

It’s interesting to note also that Honor Thy Father is John Lloyd Cruz’s first time to participate in the Metro Manila Film Festival. This is his first foray into producing as well. We speak to the man.

How was the experience working with Director Erik Matti?
Brand new yung experience. It’s a dream project that’s been realized. Especially with the younger generation, dapat gustuhin nila makatrabaho si Erik Matti.

Apart from Honor Thy Father being your first time in the Metro Manila Film Fest, this is also your first time to act as a producer for a film.
Nagsimula lang naman yun para ma-exercise ko yung creative say sa pelikula. Para kahit papaano, official yung voice ko sa pelikula, for collaboration lang naman. This movie is perfect [to do that] — You have Erik Matti as a director. Dondon Monteverde is a cool and lenient producer. The intention really is to exercise the creativity.

You are obviously not a father but your acting is incredible in this one.
I also once played a schizo and once I played a drug addict. I think that’s the beauty of the craft. You’re making life. Nagkakaroon ng ‘kaya ko ba isimulate yan?’ Duon lumalabas yung art. Hindi ako tatay, hindi ko naman kinakailangan na maging tatay just to feel…I don’t know where I get these feelings from, ha ha.

Did you have a hard time portraying that role then?
It’s highly challenging in terms of content. It demands physical strength. Not so much to tone-up, but you know, we used real mining camps. Earlier in the press con, I mentioned about how the cave we were shooting in was shaking because the other side of the mountain was being bombed. Sa totoo lang, puwede na kaming mamatay duon sa luob ng cave. Baliw lang gumagawa nun.

It was noted in the press statement that it was important for you to feel a certain kind of connection to the actress who will play your mother. Why is that?
In the story, part ng journey ng character ko was to leave his family behind in Bontoc. I’m starting to raise my own family na rin. [As I was doing that] hindi ko alam na, namatay na pala ang tatay ko [duon sa Bontoc]. Nung kinakailangan ko na yung tulong ng pamilya ko, when I went back to Bontoc, duon ko lang nalaman na wala na pala siya. So it was important for me to have somebody like Miss Perla Bautista to play the role of my mother. Mabigat kasi yung hinihindi ng role, and I have that connection with Tita Perla.

Would you say this is the scene people should watch out for in the movie?
I saw the movie twice already and it was more interesting on the second viewing. I think we have a beautiful ending kasi ang galing lang ni Armi [Millare]. We used two new Tagalog songs for this cut, and it’s such a beautiful way to end the journey. Pero wala rin silang choice kasi ending yun. Kailangan nila tapusin yung pelikula.

In press conferences such as these, what is the one question you wish people would stop asking you.
The simplest: Kumusta ka? It’s so superficial. Ang daming puwedeng itanong. “Kumusta ka” and then you move on to another question. I mean, did you really ask the guy how he is? Or dinaanan mo lang, [small talk] ‘hey hey’? Kasi when you really mean it, ‘kumusta ka?’ mahirap na tanong yan ha.
 

 

Honor Thy Father Trailer #1: TAO

Sa Paskong sasapit, sa patalim siya kakapit. Ano ang kaya mong gawin para sa pamilya mo? Written by Michiko Yamamoto, directed by Erik Matti and starring John Lloyd Cruz. This is “Honor Thy Father”. In cinemas December 25. #trailer #honorthyfather #htftrailer #mmff2015

Posted by Honor Thy Father on Saturday, 28 November 2015



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