JERRY OLEA
Na-overwhelm si Juan Karlos “JK” Labajo sa mediacon ng Cinemalaya 18: Breaking Through The Noise noong Hulyo 6, Miyerkules, sa Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
"Sobrang di ko alam kung ano ang nangyayari kasi…" pasakalye ng 21-anyos na singer-composer.
"I mean, I’m really focused on the music industry, and all of a sudden I find myself here in CCP with all of these amazing actors and filmmakers."
Isa si JK sa mga bida ng Cinemalaya 2022 entry na Blue Room, na idinirek ni Ma-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan. Co-stars niya rito sina Elijah Canlas, Harvey Bautista, Nourijune, at Keoni Jin.
"The story is about a band, a group of teens who are part of a band," kuwento ni JK.
"And just basically this crazy wild adventure that they had to go through, which I don’t think I can share kasi baka ma-spoil.
"I guess, what I can say is, you know, it was not as hard for me to get into, kasi it’s related to music."
Umarte pa ba siya sa Blue Room? O parang siya na rin iyong karakter niya sa movie?
"Technically siguro hindi siya malayo sa akin. Kasi, I mean, you know, there was still a character that Direk Ma-an had in mind.
"But it wasn’t far from, like, you know, hindi siya yung tipong crazy na, 'Sino iyan?! Ha?! Si JK ba 'yan?!' Yung ganun.
"My character is Anton. Dun sa movie, yung character niya, medyo free-flowing type of Mr. Wise Guy na ewan na parang hippie situation.
"So, I guess, merong difference from me in real life!" natatawang sabi ni JK.
Hindi ba siya free-flowing?
"Hindi masyado. Sakto lang," pakli ni JK.
"Hindi ako hippie! Yun, hindi ako hippie! Free-flowing, pero hindi hippie!"
First Cinemalaya entry ni JK ang Blue Room. Ito rin ang first time na isa siya sa mga bida ng pelikula.
Nakapanood na ba siya ng Cinemalaya movie sa CCP?
"No! No, no, no!" pag-iling ni JK.
"As in virgin ako dito. Yun, I haven’t, I mean… I probably watched some movies that I didn’t know were part of Cinemalaya, you know.
"But ako kasi, I mean, I just watch movies because I wanna watch movies. I mean, I don’t watch movies because of a specific reason to it."
Read: JK Labajo moves on from breakup with Maureen Wroblewitz
GORGY RULA
Musician si JK by heart. Pero love na rin ba niya ang acting?
"Sobra! Sobra actually. Kasi, it’s another way of outlet," pahayag ni JK.
"It’s another way of, you know, putting things out there. So, alam mo yun?
"I guess I can’t be stuck doing the same thing for a long time since, you know, we tend to get burned out with things.
"So, I’ll always have love for film and acting."
Kumusta si Elijah Canlas bilang co-actor?
"We became the best of friends. I mean, kami nina Nour, ni Harvey, ni Keoni. We just became tightly united after the whole shoot," lahad ni JK.
"And Elijah is something else! What an amazing actor!
"Naiinis nga kami minsan sa kanya, 'Masyado mong ginagalingan! Medyo maawa ka naman sa akin!' He’s an amazing actor."
Sumabay siya sa akting ni Elijah?
"Hindi ko kayang makisabay sa kanya!" pagpapakumbaba ni JK.
"He’s a really gifted actor, and I’m just proud.
"He’s doing this project now, Suntok sa Buwan for TV5. That’s why he’s not here now. Kasi, he’s shooting in Baguio."
NOEL FERRER
Isa si JK sa mga batang artist na grabe ang passion, sensitivity, at creativity sa ginagawa niya.
Buti na lang, na-channel niya ang kanyang heartbreak sa creative passion niya kaya excited akong marinig ang mga nabuo niyang kanta, dahil I’m sure, damang-dama niya ang mga yun!!!
Let’s not forget that JK also acted in teleserye at naging partner niyan si Andrea Brillantes, at naging anak-anakan ni Iza Calzado, kaya nahasa na rin iyan sa pag-arte.
Kaya excited akong mapanood ang kanyang Cinemalaya entry with one of the best young actors we have in the country ngayon, si Elijah Canlas, sa Blue Room!