John Lloyd Cruz
What do you know of John Lloyd Cruz?
He was the teenyboppers’ ultimate crush in the 1990s who has since become an award-winning dramatic actor, with numerous top-rating TV series and blockbuster movies to his credit.
Hailed as one of local Tinseltown’s most popular stars, John Lloyd has had his fair share of intrigues that at one point he once disclosed a desire to leave the limelight to pursue a more meaningful life of anonymity and peace.
Despite the controversies, John Lloyd shows nothing but graciousness during interviews, this one in particular.
The Kapamilya superstar does not only make you laugh or feel comfortable, but he also addresses questions, even on sensitive issues, with tact and respect.
He carefully chooses what words to say in response to controversies, which other celebrities are quick to dismiss with an evasive “no
comment.”
In a casual interview before the Kapamilya Sinulog Caravan event last month, ABS-CBN’s “Home Sweetie Home” lead star talks about his new show, an upcoming movie, even the reported slapping incident involving actress Anne Curtis, and his quiet or not-so-reported advocacy for cancer patients in Cebu. All in this one fun, light and sensible chitchat.
John Lloyd Cruz has proven to be a true-blue gentleman.
How does it feel that your family sitcom with Toni Gonzaga “Home Sweetie Home” is being described as the modern-day John En Marsha?
Naiilang kami kapag kinucompare yung show sa “John En Marsha.” Nahihiya kami ni Toni. Unang-una there’s only one Pidol and one showlike “John En Marsha” eh. So parang we feel so unworthy na malapit yung show namin even to be compared sa iniwang legacy ng “John En Marsha.” Sabi nga namin ni Toni, hindi naman sa nagmamalaki kami, we want for our show to have it’s own identity.
Siguro the only reason na naku-compare siya or any sitcom na merong element na pampamilya kasi “John En Marsha” for the longest time… I think they ran for 20 years… represented the typical Pinoy household. So hindi talagang maiiwasan mangyari yun. Kami, it’s a big compliment na ma-compare, pero nakakahiya because unang-una paano kung hindi umabot ng 20 years ang show namin. Ibig sabihin hindi kami nag succeed? Unfair din naman.
Is it true that you’re leading the ratings every Sunday?
Yeah. We’ve been consistently Number One every Sunday, for the whole Sunday yun.
Toni Gonzaga and John Lloyd Cruz during their Cebu tour
What are you currently working on apart from the sitcom?
I’m doing a movie with Chito Roño… pero hindi siya yung love team ko ha!
Is this the one with Jessy Mendiola?
Yes. And Richard Gomez, Gretchen Baretto, and I don’t know if final na si Enrique Gil. It’s drama na may love angle.
Si Goma and Gretchen, mag-asawa sila. Si Enrique kung matutuloy yung anak, tapos si Jessy naman … Ako, challenging ang role ko dito kasi parang developmentally delayed (DD) ‘yung character ko. I have seen a case na meron kasing DD na hindi mo halata until mag-e-engage kayo sa conversation.
Hindi sya Budoy na alam mo at kitang-kita mo. So medyo mahirap.
When Jennylyn Mercado was interviewed on “The Ryzza Mae Show,” she revealed having a crush on you. What can you say about that, especially that she mentioned an actor outside her network?
You know, I get that a lot. (laughs) Joke lang, joke lang. Biro lang po. Eh, di na-shock ‘yung bata. Marami pa po syang ikaka-shock sa industriyang ito.
Coming from a very talented and very beautiful woman like Jennylyn, of course, any man would be flattered, noh. Parang umaangat yung balikat mo.
Have you met Jennylyn?
Alam mo, hindi ko maalala.
Ex siya ng friend kong si Luis (Manzano), pero I’m not sure if nag-meet na kami. But I would love to meet her again. Uso na ngayon ‘yung nakakatrabaho ang taga ibang… kahit hindi galing sa sariling network, nabibigyan kami ng opportunity to work with actors from other networks like sila Marian, sila Dingdong. They get to work with Angelica (Panganiban) … so pwede.
Any actress from other networks that you wish to work with?
Dati kasi ang lagi kong sinasabi si Iza Calzado nung nasa GMA pa siya, kasi we’re good friends. Pero hanggang ngayon na lumipat na siya, pareho na kami ng network, hindi pa rin kami nagkakatrabaho.
Now, Marian (Rivera) is one of them. Pati ‘yung mga boys, sila Tom (Rodriguez), gawa kami ng sequel … (Laughs)
Speaking of Marian Rivera, is it true that Star Cinema is cooking up a movie for you two?
Narinig ko na rin yan, pero ewan ko. Medyo nadala na rin ako sa mga ganyang balita kasi yung mga fans na e-excite, tapos hindi naman pala matutuloy. Parang we’re giving them false hopes. Of course, it’s a possibility.
About three years ago, you mentioned about wishing to retire early in showbiz, like going to Africa, live a private life doing some social work. Do you still feel that way?
Siguro may pinagdadaanan lang ako nun. Even my words, hindi malinaw, di ba? Minsan hindi mo alam kung gusto mong magpahinga o gusto mong magtrabaho.
Obviously it did not happen. Ngayon, after the realization na oo nga noh, parang nakakahiyang mag-retire in your 30s. I’m still thinking of early retirement, but not as young as the 30s.
What’s in your bucket list?
‘Yun nga—wala pa akong bucket list. Ngayon kasi, when you’re tied to a contract, parang it’s hard to create a bucket list, eh. Of course nandyan yung desire mo to explore different projects, different genres or different characters. Pero in reality, syempre we have to prioritize yung kontrata namin, because that’s our commitment to the network. If we prioritize other things, like yung personal namin, medyo nakakahiya naman, medyo hindi tama. So as of now, kung ano yung napag-usapan, kung ano man yung laman ng kontrata, we’ll have to prioritize that.
How are you and Anne Curtis?
Okay naman kami.
Did she apologize to you when she got sober?
‘Yung issue na yun, it would be better, especially for me, to put it to rest. Unang-una parang lahat naman ng mga taong involved nakapag-move on na and that’s without saying na lahat ng taong involved didn’t learn from it. Obviously maraming natuto. So ayun, ako naman, ang papel ko lang ay nagkataon na nandoon ako, eh. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We heard that you spoke before cancer survivors here in Cebu. Tell us about it?
In-invite si Ms. Olive Lamasan, another survivor, pero hindi sya pwedeng makapunta. Naisip ni Direk Olive na ‘yung mommy ko survivor, so baka daw gusto kong pumunta. Doon lang nagsimula ‘yun. And now I gained so many friends from that.
It’s nice to have an interaction with other survivors, kasi with cancer, hindi lang naman yung patient ang survivor eh— even yung family. Actually, yung mga estudyante yung nagtanong about coping, handling situations of having a cancer patient. Yun ang mga nagustuhan ko. It’s very interactive, and parang ano… the concern feels lighter. Sana nga nangyari siya years ago, eh. Kasi ngayon, we have moved on. It was a long time ago, even my mom, okay na naman sya eh.
Nasabi ko nga kay Tita MeAnne, kung magkakaroon pa ulit ng isang event or engagement, I’d be happy to bring her. Sobrang active nila, and sometimes I can’t keep up because of my schedule, but I’ll really try my best.
What do you usually want to achieve in giving talks about surviving cancer?
Ako kasi, yung approach ko, I want them to feel normal, na for a few moments here maybe we can make them forget about cancer, especially the patients kasi they are sick and tired of their sickness.
So I try to make it casual and light, kwentohan, ganoon lang. Parang yung lang ang gusto kong ma-achieve every time.
What other advocacies do you support?
Gusto ko yung ginagawa ng Rock Ed Philippines. And yung proactive na mga NGOs—‘yung legit ha. (laughs) Yellow Boat is also doing fantastic things. Yung Rock Ed, matagal ko ng kakilala yun, yung Yellow Boat na-meet ko through Biogesic.