Donny Pangilinan is ready to show a new side of himself as he takes on his first-ever action role in the upcoming ABS-CBN action-drama series ‘Roja’, where he stars alongside Kyle Echarri.
During the red-carpet premiere and mediacon held last Friday, Donny shared how much effort and preparation went into his physically demanding role.
“Aside from martial arts and jiu jitsu training, saka arnis, o ‘yung holding up a gun and how to fight, one of the most challenging things for me was really the endurance and being sure that I was ready to go through those scenes over and over again,” he said.
“Kasi ilang takes ‘yan, ilang anggulo. First time kong gawin din ‘to, eh. I think Kyle has some action scenes already na sinyut niya before, pero ako kasi, first time ko talaga na gumawa ng serye na ‘yun talaga ‘yung focus, so I really had to make sure na my body was prepared, and it really took a lot,” he added.
Donny admitted that his siblings initially expressed concern over the risky stunts he had to perform, but his dedication to the role pushed him to continue.
“Kinaya namin kahit may mga sugat at pasa. Part na talaga ’yon ng trabaho,” he shared.
In ‘Roja’, Donny plays Liam, the head chef of a luxury island resort, while Kyle portrays Olsen, a member of the resort’s security team. The two start out as close friends, but their relationship turns bitter after Liam discovers that his father (played by Raymond Bagatsing) has a secret affair — something Olsen has long known about.
The story escalates when the lavish La Playa Roja resort is seized by an armed group led by Yassi Pressman and Joel Torre, forcing Liam and Olsen to set aside their conflict and work together to save the hostages.
The star-studded cast also includes Maymay Entrata, Janice de Belen, Lorna Tolentino, Sandy Andolong, Robert Seña, Nikki Valdez, Cris Villanueva, Zia Grace, Bernard Palanca, Marc Abaya, Gello Marquez, Harvey Bautista, Lou Yanong, Kobie Brown, Benedict Cua, AC Bonifacio, Xilhouete, and more.
Directed by Lawrence Fajardo, Rico Navarro, Andoy Ranay, and Raymund Ocampo, the series was shot on location at Misibis Bay, Bicol, adding to its cinematic scale and realism.
‘Roja’ premieres on Netflix on November 21, followed by iWantTFC on November 22, and will air on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, and TV5 starting November 24 at 8:45 p.m.
