Eric Ejercito fulfills global acting dream with ‘The Guardian’

September 6 ------ Filipino and Korean stars join forces in “The Guardian,” an action thriller filmed entirely in the Philippines and set to bring a mix of Korean and Filipino talent to cinemas nationwide.

Directed by Jeong Jang-hwan, whose credits include “Steel Rain” and “Save the Green Planet!,” the film stars K-Pop idol and Infinite vocalist Nam Woo-hyun as Do Jun, alongside Korean actress Park Eun-hye, and Filipino actors Wilbert Ross, Yassi Pressman, Ashtine Olviga and Eric Ejercito.

For Ejercito who plays Coco, the film marks his first international movie and his return to the big screen after a lengthy break. “It’s my first international film. Actually, my first movie in a long time. The first one I did was ‘Asiong Salonga Story,’” Ejercito said.

Ambition

The international project also represents a realization of a long-held ambition for Ejercito, who said he has always been interested in reaching audiences beyond the Philippines. “I’m a fan of K-drama. As an actor, I want to reach international heights like Hollywood and K-drama. I can’t imagine this was in my bingo card two years ago,” he said. “I’m just so overwhelmed because it’s been released by Lionsgate, I heard. “As an actor, that’s really the dream — you want people all over the world to see your work, and it actually happened. I’m just so grateful, guys.”

The film also gives Ejercito the opportunity to work alongside Korean performers. He said the production was specifically looking for a local lead actor to complement its Korean lead. “I’m the local lead here. I play Coco. He’s the best friend of Nao Muni, the K-Pop star,” he added.

Parallel characters

The actor also drew a parallel between his character and his Korean co-star, noting their shared backgrounds in the entertainment industry. “So, it kind of matched. He’s K-Pop, I’m P-Pop; he’s an actor, and I’m also an actor,” he said.

Ejercito said working with his Korean co-stars was not particularly difficult because the production had translators available on set. “Nothing drastic. There’s a translator naman on set,” he said. “The Guardian” follows Do Jun, a college dropout and skilled Taekwondo practitioner whose dream of becoming a national athlete is put on hold when he chooses to stay by his mother’s side in the Philippines.

Source: manilatimes.net