Before entering the ‘Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): Celebrity Collab Edition’ house, Will Ashley had already auditioned for his role in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2025 entry ‘Bar Boys: After School’.
And the moment he stepped out of Kuya’s house, he was immediately sent to the film’s set to begin shooting.
According to Will, his ‘PBB’ journey played a huge part in strengthening his emotional depth and performance—especially in the heavy scenes featured in the film’s trailer.
During the movie’s mediacon on December 3, 2025, held at Matrix Creation Events Venue in Quezon City, Will shared that director Kip Oebanda himself noticed his improved acting range.
“’Yun nga po ang pinag-usapan namin ni Direk Kip paglabas ko ng Bahay,” Will said. “Nung nagwo-workshop po kami, laging sinasabi sa akin ni Direk na parang lumalim nga raw po ako, lumawak yung range ko.”
Will credited his time in ‘PBB’ for this growth: “Feeling ko rin po, kasi nga ang tagal ko rin po nakulong dun sa Bahay ni Kuya. Ang dami ko rin pong realizations. Ang dami kong na-improve sa sarili ko. Ang dami kong toxic traits na nabitawan. Malaki po talaga yung natulong.”
Fresh off his win as New Movie Actor of the Year at the 41st Star Awards for Movies for ‘Balota’—also directed by Oebanda—Will is now gaining buzz for a possible Best Supporting Actor nomination at the MMFF for his performance in ‘Bar Boys: After School’.
The film marks one of his first major projects after finishing as the Kapuso Second Big Placer in ‘PBB Celebrity Collab Edition’. Since then, opportunities have been pouring in, and Will admitted he is still overwhelmed by the pace of his career.
“Hindi po ako makapaniwala sa dami ng ginagawa ko ngayon. Sobrang puno ng schedule ko,” he said.
Aside from promoting two MMFF films—’Bar Boys: After School’ and ‘Love You So Bad’—Will also worked on a series with fellow ‘PBB’ ex-housemates titled ‘The Secrets of Hotel 88’.
With his career accelerating, the young actor said he’s choosing to prioritize work over romance.
“Focus talaga ako sa work,” he shared. “Gusto ko pong makapagpatayo ng bahay, makapagpatayo ng business. Gusto ko pong mabigyan ng magandang buhay yung family ko… Gusto ko po talaga mag-work to entertain other people, mag-inspire. Yun po yung focus ko ngayon.”
In the MMFF 2025 sequel to the 2017 hit ‘Bar Boys’, the original characters—played by Carlo Aquino (Atty. Erik Vicencio), Rocco Nacino (Atty. Torran Garcia), Enzo Pineda (Atty. Chris Carlson), and Kean Cipriano (Josh Zuñiga)—have now become lawyers.
The sequel introduces a new batch of law students: Will Ashley as Arvin, Sassa Gurl as Trisha and Therese Malvar as CJ. The cast also includes Glaiza de Castro, Emilio Daez, Klarisse de Guzman, and Odette Khan, who reprises her role as Judge Hernandez. (with reports from Lau Balocos)
