In fact, in the latest movie offering of Star Cinema, “24/7 in Love”, the 31-year-old beguiling actor had a cameo role that probably lasted for five minutes yet one couldn’t deny that his commanding presence onscreen was palpable; that though his appearance was swift, it didn’t go unnoticed, evoking shrieks and screams from the movie-going fans. That’s how popular Coco Martin is! His rise to stardom is something that Coco, Rodel Nacianceno in real life, didn’t expect to happen. Even until now, family and friends in and out of show biz can testify that he remains to be the simple guy that they know, only, he gets busier by the day with show biz commitments. Coco – whose screen name was coined from the names of international singers Coco Lee and Ricky Martin – started in show biz doing small roles, even landing a cameo role, in Judy Ann Santos’ movie “LuvTxt”. It took four years and a lead role in Brillante Mendoza’s independent film “Masahista” before his career took off. Playing the role of Iliac, a masseur in a gay massage parlor, who dealt with troubled relationships, Coco scored his best actor trophy from the Young Critics Circle for Mendoza’s 2005 film. Because of the good reception that “Masahista” received, the two collaborated in three more films, “Tirador” in 2007, “Serbis” in 2008 and “Kinatay” in 2009, which tackle social issues in the Philippines. These films brought Brillante and Coco to several international film festivals; one of them is the prestigious Cannes Film Festival where “Serbis” caught the admiration not only of the judges and foreign critics but also of the well-respected director Quentin Tarantino. Coco made a slew of other independent films such as “Tambolista”, “Nars”, “Ataul: For Rent”, “Jay”, “Daybreak”, “Condo”, and “Noy” among others. In all these indie films, Coco showed acting prowess that moviegoers noticed and admired, enough to call him “The Prince of Indie Films.” His success as an actor in independent films paved the way for Coco, who was brought up by his grandmother after his parents separated when
h e w a s a child, to conquer mainstream. His role as the half-brother of Gerald Anderson and Jake Cuenca in the primetime series “Tayong Dalawa” in 2009 left a mark to the viewing public that he landed lead roles in “Nagsimula sa Puso”, “Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo”, “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” and recently, “Walang Hanggan”, which became a phenomenal success. Although he is already considered as one of the most sought-after leading man, the Bench and Belo endorser emphatically said that he will continue doing indie films as long as he can, because he believes that whatever success he’s reaping today is the result of his being an indie actor. Show biz denizens think that Coco’s charm lies from the fact that though he has reached maximum success, he’s unaware of it. Between the adulation, screams and clamor for him, he continues to be the same person who came from humble beginnings, steadfast in not falling from the trappings of a business where fame is mostly equated with ambition and power. The thing is Coco, before show biz, has done odd jobs to help in the family coffers. He took up Hotel and Restaurant Management at the National College of Business and Arts thinking he can use it as a passport to working abroad. It was never his plan to use show biz as an answer to poverty. It was never in his dream to act much more attain such a status where he is considered as one of the most important and most talented actors of his time. All these – movie and television projects, product endorsements, mainstream success, stardom – came at a time where he least expected it. Call it destiny.
FILJAP MAGAZINE | JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2013
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