September 5 ------ Of the handful of villain roles he has had in his career, Dennis Trillo senses that Yuta Saito, the Japanese Imperial Army officer that he plays in the war drama “Pulang Araw,” could very well end up being the viewers’ most-hated. “For sure, people will be angry at him. Because he really is shameless. He has no redeeming factors so far. The kindness he shows is just a facade. But deep inside, he has dark secrets and evil plans,” Dennis said at a press conference.
“But that’s how you gauge how effective you are. If they find your portrayal good, then they will get affected,” he pointed out. A story about the plight of Filipinos during World War II wouldn’t be complete without delving into the horrors comfort women endured at the hands of Japanese soldiers. It goes without saying that depicting sexual abuse has been the toughest for Dennis yet. “It was difficult because it was my first time doing something like that for a scene. It was a very sensitive scene. And before we shot it, we had to rehearse it carefully in a safe space where we could be comfortable,” the GMA 7 star said.
Dennis typically plays the hero or romantic lead. But portraying the antagonist is just as crucial for Dennis, who approaches his role as Saito with the same dedication he gives to his other roles. “The protagonists wouldn’t be as effective if there were no villains to challenge them,” he pointed out. “They also draw anger, emotions from the villains.”
Aside from the depravity of his character’s actions, language posed the next biggest challenge for Dennis. He needs to sound fluent in Japanese and, at the same time, speak Tagalog and English with a thick accent. Thankfully, he has access to Japanese language tutors who guide him along the way. “There are a lot of Japanese lines I have to study. It’s information overload. We’re telling important stories, so we can’t afford to make mistakes. That’s why our director, Dominic Zapata, checks every detail,” said Dennis, who did his own research about World War II and watched films related to the subject, like “Pearl Harbor” and “Letters from Iwo Jima.”
Source: inquirer.net
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