Award-winning actor Roderick Paulate has made a name for himself playing iconic gay characters on film and television—but he revealed that he hasn’t said yes to every role offered to him.
“Marami yun. Marami akong tinanggihan na gay roles. Kung tutuusin kailangan ko rin naman ng pera. Sana nag-oo na lang ako lahat dun,” said Roderick during the recent press conference for his upcoming movie Mudrasta under CreaZion Studio, held in Quezon City.
The 65-year-old actor admitted that at one point, he regretted turning them down.
“Sayang talaga yung talent fee. Makakatulong din yun sa marami. Pero kasi hindi kailangan na tatanggapin mo yun tapos sisirain mo lang yung pinaghirapan mong journey sa showbiz. Kung kaya mo pa naman magtiis, magtiis na lang muna.
“Hindi naman tayo pababayaan ng Diyos eh. Pero dahil lang sa project na yun, pipilitin mong gawin ang isang role kahit labag sa’yo. Puwede rin namang pikit mata na lang ang lahat dahil sa pera at tanggapin yung role. Kaso hindi dapat ganun.”
On why he turned them down, he explained: “Feeling ko wala akong mai-ko-contribute sa pelikula na yun kaya hindi ko na rin tinanggap.”
Paulate added that in doing comedy, the story must always come first.
“Sinasabi ko sa kanila, gawa muna kayo ng storya. Huwag yung mag-iisip muna kayo ng katatawanan pero wala naman palang storya. Para yung tao, pagkatapos nilang manood ng pelikula, hindi sila maiinis sa amin at sasabihin na wala namang katuturan ang pelikula namin. Natawa sila pero ano ang nangyari? Kaya kung sino man ang makaka-collab ko dapat magkakasundo kami sa script.”
When asked about dream roles, Roderick said he doesn’t have one.
“Naisip ko rin yan pero wala talaga akong naiisip na dream role. Tulad ng Mudrasta, never ko naisip na maging ‘Mudrasta’ sa pelikula. Binato lang ito sa akin. Sa akin kung ano yung dumating at naramdaman mo, pwede mo ng ma-enhance yun.”
In ‘Mudrasta’, Paulate plays Victor “Beki” Labrador, a flamboyant ex-lover who reenters his former flame’s life after inheriting half of his estate—and is forced to live with the family he left behind.
“Maganda ang Mudrasta. I’ve never been a ‘Mudrasta,’ first ‘Mudrasta’ role ko ito at challenging na agad. I asked myself, ‘Paano ako magiging ‘Mudrasta?’ Tapos sabi ko pagkatapos n’on, kaya kong gawin, kaya gusto ko makita ‘yong script. Do’n na kami nagsimula ng proseso. Involved ako sa bawat sequence, at na-excite ako. Maraming factors, at sigurado ako hindi ako nagkamali na ito ‘yong napili ko para mag-comedy ulit.”
The film, directed by Julius Ruslin Alfonso (Deadma Walking) and produced by the team behind ‘Patay Na Si Jesus’, also stars Tonton Gutierrez, Carmi Martin, Sunshine Teodoro, and Debbie Garcia.
Carmi, a longtime friend of Roderick and one of the film’s leads, clarified their relationship: “Ang friendship namin is more than sa pagiging mag-asawa. Sobrang respeto namin sa isa’t isa. Madalas si Roderick ang namimili ng isasama niya sa movies at salamat at isinama rin niya ako rito.”
The ‘Mudrasta’ trailer has already gone viral with over 6.35 million views across platforms, currently ranking #11 on YouTube’s Top 30 Trailers in the Philippines. It will open in cinemas nationwide on August 20.
