Matinee Idol - John Lloyd Cruz
S Magazine, September 2003
John Lloyd Cruz at 20 is a picture of a full-grown fine young man. Far from when he started as a member of Star Circle Batch 5 and then with the trio, Koolits, but still very much oozing with that young man's zest for life. Having spent six years in the entertainment business, his enthusiasm for his chosen career as an actor has not waned down a bit. In fact, he feels he is just beginning his trek and a long road is laid in front of him waiting to be explored.
Screen Sweethearts
BUT what he lacks, he says is career planning on his part. "I know I should have that. Wala ako nu'ng five or ten years from now, how do I see myself. I tend to depend on people who are handling my career. Siguro dahil may tiwala ako sa kanila and I know that they know what to do with my career. Kaya siguro ganu'n."
But the young actor stresses that his mother studio, ABS-CBN 2, is very open to suggestions coming from him. "Sometimes, I tell them (Talent Center people) what I really want to do, pero alam kong hindi lahat puwede ko nang gawin agad. Mas alam nila 'yun dahil matagal na sila sa industriya. They know how to handle things, kaya ako, sumusunod lang."
Like being paired to young actresses as screen sweethearts, First there was Kaye Abad in the teen oriented TV series Tabing Ilog, and now there's Bea Alonzo in the soap Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay.
John Lloyd recognizes the advantages as well as the disadvantages of having a screen love teammate. "I think it's advantageous in the sense that madali kayong makilala dahil nandu'n yung kilig factor. Ang dami kaagad na mga kaedad n'yo ang nakaka-identify sa inyo. And I think it's part of the culture in the Philippines movies, eh. Parang lahat dumadaan sa mga loveteam-loveteam.
"And not only you become 'saleable', but with the team-up, natututo kang makipagtrabaho sa iba; nagkakaroon ka ng kaibigan; nagkakaroon ka ng responsibilidad na kailangan okay kayo ng ka-partner mo, which leads to helping each other."
But the downside is, "it limits you in doing roles that you really want to do. Like ako, nag-iisip ako ng something na importante talaga; 'yung marerecognize ako. Dati hindi ko pa 'yun naiisip dahil bata pa ako, pero ngayon, I feel that it's important na.
"With a love teammate, parang may hindrance na I can't do the roles pa that I really want to do, kasi baka hindi bumagay. Baka mag-conflict sa image ko because I'm maintaining pa a loveteam," explains John Lloyd, and then adds, "But I'm 20 pa lang naman. Marami pa akong time. And as I said nga, alam naman ng mga nag-aalaga sa career ko kung ano ang dapat gawin sa akin."
Personal Life
Does having a screen sweetheart not get in the way of his personal life? Everybody knows that he and young actress Ciara Sotta is very much on at the moment.
"Sa akin, what's personal is personal," he answeres. "I can say na hindi naaapektuhan ng trabaho ang personal life ko because I don't allow my personal life to get into my work. Ganu'n lang naman 'yun. Kung hahayaan mo, mangyayari talaga 'yun."
Exactly the reason why he quickly begs off to answer queries concerning him and Ciara. "Whatever we have, sa amin nalang 'yun," he explains. "It's more than enough that we know the truth. Kasi, the more we publicly talk about our relationship, the more people will intrude or start intruding. Kaya nga I've been saying to everyone, it's a matter of respect na lang."
"Celebrities are public property" is an aphorism that John Lloyd isn't buying. "It's not true na 'pag artista ka, public property ka. Nobody owns you. You have your right," he philosophies. "Ako, I strongly believe na nasa akin pa rin 'yun. Kung ano 'yung napi-feel kong dapat sa akin lang muna, puwede kong lagyan ng wall. Ikaw ang magdidikta kung hanggang saan lang ang puwede kang pakialaman. Ikaw ang magdu-draw ng line kung hanggang saan lang."
John Lloyd is much comfortable talking about his screen sweetheart, Bea. He has nice words for her although they are quite new as a love tandem. "She is nice to work with dahil from the very beginning, hindi ko siya nakitaan ng kung anumang negative trait," he says. "She's very hardworking and very patient. In fact she's more patient that I am."
"One thing good about her is she's very eager to learn. She takes criticisms positively and never gives up. Ang tiyaga niya."
Of course he finds her pretty. "Maganda siya dahil she has different feature. Half-Brit, half-Pinay kasi sya. She grew up here with her mom kaya very Filipina ang upbringing."
Las August, he and Bea have started shooting for a flick under Star Cinema, their first big screen exposure as a loveteam. "It's a twin bill featuring us (him and Bea) and the loveteam of John Pratts and Heart Evangelista," he enthuses.
John Lloyd smiles when asked how it feels to be young and sikat. "I'm not sikat," he humbly objects. But sikat or not, he admits that there are things that he missed as a teenager having started in showbusiness at an early age of 14.
"Na-miss ko 'yung high school life dahil I have to make do with home studies because of my schedules," he says. "Eh, 'pag ganu'n naman, you easily get bored dahil mag-isa ka lang, kaya hininto ko rin."
If his schedule would let him, he still plans to carry on with his studies, hopefully in a "normal" school this time. "Gusto ko pa rin makatapos ng kurso," he reveals. "Hindi ko pa alam kung anong course basta gusto ko lang may matapos."