Jerald Napoles On His Career-Defining Role In 'Mina-Anud'

For Jerald Napoles, his acting stint in Mina-Anud—a film about an incident in 2009 when locals found tons of cocaine on the shores of Eastern Samar—is a blessing he will always be grateful for. “Parang once in a blue moon ito kasi hindi ako like Dennis Trillo and Matteo Guidicelli. I mean, hindi pa ako artista, napapanood ko na itong dalawa eh,” he humbly tells Metro.Style. “This whole project is something that I really cherish because it made me more grounded sa craft ko. Alam ko na hindi ako laging makakakuha ng ganitong role sa industry so na-inspire ako to put more effort in portraying the character so I’ll have more chances to get another role like this.”

In the movie, he plays the role of Carlo, a champion surfer who has a zest for life and is up for anything. “Hang loose ako, happy-go-lucky guy which is, in fact, bugoy ng barkada so kalog siya mismo,” he shares, adding that it’s one of the qualities he has in common with his character. “Pareho kaming makulit and I can relate to his life. I had a lola, binubuhay ko siya noon. 'Yun nga 'yung tagline na Direk Kerwin liked and used: ‘What would you do if you were given a chance to change your life in an instant?’ I’m not saying I’m going to do the same thing but I would have the same disposition with the character.”

Jerald and his character also have the same passion for surfing. “It’s like I’m hitting two birds with one stone. I get to be a part of the movie with a relevant topic and I play as a champion surfer, so it meant I was going to be at the beach the whole shoot wearing boardshorts—those kinds of things,” says the actor. “What I like about surfing is it’s never predictable. There are no same waves all the time. Every surf session is a different wave, it’s a different climate, it’s a different spot.” It makes him feel one with nature, he continues. “You can’t control the wave eh. You’re just going to ride it. 'Yun 'yung gusto ko dito, unlike other sports where you have to set things up. Ito, you just have a board, go there, and surf.”

While he has always been enthusiastic about it, he admitted he was no pro so he had to learn advanced surfing on his days off. “Shortboard kasi 'yung sinasakyan. There’s a difference between shortboard and longboard. A beginner cannot try the shortboard unless he’s going to be beside the beach the whole time,” explains Jerald. “Mahirap 'yung shortboard. It requires core training eh ayoko naman magmukhang stupid sa pelikula. Kahit paddling towards the wave, I had to learn how to do it properly and pogi.” The last part of the shoot, he adds, was the most challenging for him. “I had to ride the shortboard to an overhead wave real-time, guerrilla mode. It really made me appreciate the sport even more.”

Jerald expressed gratitude and deep appreciation for their director, Kerwin Go, who considers Mina-Anud as his baby project. “He’s been wanting to do a full-length ever since and what I love about him is he directs according to how he wants to see it but he wants to know how the actor will feel also,” he muses. “Umpisa pa lang, nalinaw na niya na collaborative ito. So umpisa pa lang, even before each take, alam na namin gagawin namin so one or two takes lang.”

The film, he promises, is one that people would want to see for its relevance. “It tackles the existing problem that we’re trying to solve these days and it shows the reality of the moment as it is. It’s not fictional eh. It’s really based on true events,” says Jerald. “It’s a must-see also because it’s black comedy. Hindi tayo nagpaka-traumatic, hindi tayo nagpaka-action packed. It’s a mixture of everything but it’s fun.”

Mina-Anud is the closing film at 2019 Cinemalaya, and will open in theaters nationwide on August 21.

Photographs by Brooke Villanueva