Raymond says baring in the movies a part of one’s craft
RAYMOND Bagatsing won a couple of best actor awards for his role as Pres. Manuel Quezon in the historical drama, “Quezon’s Game”, then he did “Bagman” and “Probinsyano” on TV. Now, he’s back in a new movie, “The Escort Wife”, where he goes sexy again. He has love scenes with his two leading ladies, Janelle Tee and Ava Mendez. Didn’t he have second thoughts about disrobing again?
“I think going sexy is just part of one’s craft as an actor,” he says. “Ako naman, basta I like the script, okay lang. ‘The Escort Wife’ is not just a sexy film. I think that it’s script is a masterpiece written by Yam Laranas and it’s well directed by Paul Basinillo. I’m proud to say that everyone in the cast is good.”
In the story, he plays a doctor who’s been neglecting his wife, Janelle, who gets lonely and bored. When Janelle sees their neighbor across the street, Ava, making passionate love to a man, it intrigues her a lot and she stalks Ava. She discovers she’s actually a high class escort girl with rich clients. And one of them turns out to be Janelle’s own husband, Raymond. So to get even, she becomes a secret escort girl herself.
What is his opinion about escort girls? “It’s not for me to judge them. They may have their own reasons. It’s a profession they chose and it just so happened it’s in the sex industry. Siguro it’s very exciting for them, we don’t know. But I’m just happy to make a film about them for us to better understand more their psychological patterns.”
In the movie, Janelle stalks Ava. Has he ever stalked anyone in real life? “Yes, I used to stalk my crushes before, when I was much younger. There was a singer sa isang banda. I go to where they sing regularly, pero I’m very mahiyain, so tumitingin-tingin lang ako sa kanya.”
How does he find doing sexy love scenes? “It’s not easy to go bare before the camera with your co-stars. You have to be in the right frame of mind. It takes a lot of focus and concentration para hindi ka ma-distract sa set na maraming ibang tao. It’s very uncomfortable kahit nakaplaster kayo ng co-stars mo. But if it’s necessary for the story, the movie, then you have no choice but to do it.”
He says he enjoyed shooting “The Escort Wife”. “It’s an amazing set. Everyone is very professional. The director and the writer are both hands on sa set. Lagi silang nagche-check sa monitor. My leading ladies are both easy to work with. Ava is the more playful one and Janelle is more quiet kasi mabibigat ang scenes niya. She really thinks and prepares about it. I had a wonderful experience working with them all.”
“The Escort Wife” will start streaming on Vivamax on September 16.
