“No, sanay akong sumisid, may tubig man o wala,” he laughs. “What I did is to train in the gym to lose weight para maging lean and fit ang dating ko on screen. I lost 10 lbs. Nawala na yung excess fats sa katawan ko kaya credible na akong maging expert swimmer. I waited so long for this chance to play a lead role at gusto kong ipakitang kaya ko ito para hindi ako mapahiya sa GMA for giving me this biggest break of mine after doing support roles in ‘Zorro’, ‘Basahang Ginto’ and ‘Darna’.”
He obviously also worked out so as not look fat beside the other actors in the cast, JC Tiuseco and Ian Batherson who both sport athletic physiques. “Siempre naman, patatalbog ba ko sa kanila? When it comes to acting, I’m confident I can deliver what will be required of me. Ngayon, kahit sa hubaran, ready na rin ako with our roles as divers na laging naka-topless in most of our scenes.”
When it comes to pedigree, no doubt he has real actor’s blood running in his veins since his dad is the award-winning Bembol Roco, who just shone in his gay role in “Beauty Queen”. “I’m proud of my dad, he inspires me, but I want to establish my own identity as an actor. I’m hoping mapansin ako on my own, not just because anak ako ni Bembol.
