It’s interesting to watch how Piolo Pascual is around his son Inigo. It’s a side to him that not a lot of people have the chance to observe since the actor has always been very protective of his private life, especially when it comes to his son. But on the afternoon of this interview, during their photo shoot for Sun Life Financial as its brand ambassadors, we were given a glimpse of how Piolo is as a father.
While Inigo is posing for lensman Raymund Isaac’s camera, Piolo watches quietly from the side, once in a while taking out his phone to take behind-the-scenes photos of his 16 year old son. While there are hundreds of tips he can give and despite the many opportunities to either praise or critique Inigo, Piolo doesn’t meddle in any way, simply letting his son be himself.
“I see myself in him,” Piolo admits. “I would’ve wanted to keep him away from showbiz, but I can see his passion and his talent. As a father, it’s my duty to support him.”
The evolution of Piolo
While he sees Inigo as a “mini me,” Piolo is quick to add that his son is a much better version of himself when he was Inigo’s age. “He’s confident, he’s eloquent, and he’s very talented. I wasn’t like that at all when I was 16,” he says. However, knowing that his son looks up to him, the actor recognizes his responsibility and always makes an effort to be a good example to Inigo in all aspects of life, be it professional or personal.
Being a committed father in real life is actually helping him tackle his latest onscreen role – that of a father to four kids in the teleserye “Hawak Kamay.” While he’s played the role many times before, this time, it seems to mark his transition into a different phase in his career: as a more mature actor. It’s a transition that he welcomes. “You can’t be a matinee idol forever,” he says. “You have to be conscious of your growth and maturity. That’s how you reinvent yourself, how you transition.”
Piolo admits that a while back, he felt as though he already hit the glass ceiling in terms of his career. He had been mulling retirement, and was actually financially ready for it. But he has realized that there are still a lot of roles to play, both in front and behind the camera. These days, he’s becoming more and more active as an executive producer of film and television projects.
“It’s all a matter of timing and wisdom,” he explains. “It’s not easy to shell out money and not get anything back, but that’s how you learn. You make mistakes, and you pick it up from there.”
And although he has renewed his contract with ABS-CBN and has his hands full with work, Piolo is still determined to further evolve and become more than the persona he has established onscreen.
“Acting is my passion, but there are still a lot of things I’d like to do as a private individual. I’d like to go on missions, compete in triathlons, explore other businesses, and of course, spend more time with my son as well,” he says. “There are still other passions to pursue.”
Inigo’s transition to showbiz
While Piolo is expanding his reach outside of showbiz, his son is slowly dipping his feet into it. Inigo is now pursuing opportunities both here in the Philippines and in the States, transitioning from his quiet life as a student to a singer/actor in the glamorous world of entertainment.
Apart from joining his father as a brand ambassador for Sun Life Financial where they advocate financial literacy, Inigo is also starring in a movie entitled “Relaks, It’s Just Pag-Ibig,” which Piolo co-produced.
“It was so scary,” Inigo says of the experience of shooting a movie for the very first time. “The pressure is definitely there because my dad is Piolo Pascual. I feel like people would expect me to as good looking or as good an actor as him. But the production team was really supportive and very helpful, and they really tried to help me do the right thing.”
Inigo is primarily into music – he writes songs and knows how to play the guitar, the ukelele, and the piano. He’s intent on making it in the recording scene, but wouldn’t mind getting acting projects as well.
Needless to say, Inigo idolizes his dad for all that Piolo has accomplished in the business. But what he admires most about Piolo goes beyond the actor’s achievements in showbiz. “It’s his faith in God,” Inigo shares. “And he’s so humble. People say he’s number and all that, but Papa always tells himself that there’s more to learn and that there’s more to achieve.”
Sharing the limelight
While it’s easy for Inigo to piggyback on his father’s popularity, both father and son wouldn’t have it that way. In fact, Piolo would rather that Inigo starts out in supporting roles and slowly but steadily achieve stardom.
Meanwhile, Inigo is eager to learn the ropes. After all, he has been raised to understand the value of hard work, and self-entitlement is not in his vocabulary. “I didn’t grow up asking for a lot of things from anyone, and I don’t feel comfortable asking for too much,” he shares. “Now that I’m in showbiz, my dad gives me tips here and there, but he encourages me to explore, to go with the flow, and to learn by myself.”
As for Piolo, he’s more than happy to step aside and watch his son soar. “We’ve instilled in him the value of being his own person,” he says. “And now, to see Inigo become his own person – it is honestly the best feeling in the world.”
(Previously published in Yes! Magazine as an advertorial for Sun Life. Photo courtesy of Sun Life.)
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