New Child Actor Plays Dual Roles In 'Elemento' As Son Of Cristine Reyes And The Doppelganger Who Copies Him

PLAYING CRISTINE REYES’ son in the horror movie “Elemento” that opens today is new child actor Albert Silos, who started acting in theatre doing musicals like “The King and I”, “Cinderella”, “Scrooge” and “Secret Garden”. The film’s director, Mark Meily, says the role was originally for a girl, but they chose to get a boy for the Oedipal angle in the story. (If you don’t know what Oedipal means, google Oedipus complex.)

“Sa audition, he struck me as someone looking so innocent. Good boy talaga ang dating niya,” says Direk Mark. “So yun nga ang mahirap paniwalaan, di ba? How can this innocent-looking good boy be evil or demonic? So we tested him and asked him to do look scary, mean and menacing. I told him, isipin mong gusto mo akong saktan pero yung mga mata mo lang ang pagagalawin mo. In fairness to him, nagawa niya, he delivered, so siya ang kinuha namin. And during the actual shoot, ang dami pa niyang ibang surprises na na-deliver. Kasi parang dual ang roles niya. Una, as Lucas, yung totoong anak ni Cristine Reyes. Then as the tambal or doppelganger, yung elementong kumopya sa anyo ni Lucas. Magaling siya in both roles.”

Albert says he wants to give credit to Cristine as his mom. “Napakabait po ni Ate Cristine,” he says. “Talagang very supportive siya at gina-guide niya ako kapag nakikita niyang nahihirapan ako sa mga eksena naming magkasama kami. May scenes din na sinasaktan niya ako at alalay lang siya. Siempre, thank you rin kay Direk Mark dahil naging patient siya sa akin. Hindi ko magagawa nang tama ang role ko kung hindi sa tulong nila ni Ate Cristine.”

Has he seen a lamang-lupa called tambal in real life? “Ay hindi pa po. At sana po, kahit kelan, hindi ako makakita. Nakakatakot siguro, parang itong movie namin.”