Frankie Pangilinan said her concern for the Philippines and issues affecting the country played a key role in her decision to make her acting debut in the political drama ‘Edjop.’
Pangilinan, who joins the ensemble cast of the film inspired by the life of late student leader Edgar ‘Edjop’ Jopson, said she does not consider herself an activist, but sees filmmaking as one way of expressing her advocacy.
‘Nagsali naman din ako sa mga rallies before. I’m too shy to call myself an activist because there’s so many students and other activists,’ Pangilinan told Inquirer Entertainment on Thursday, Sept. 3 after the film’s media conference in Quezon City.
‘Parang kapal naman na mukha ko to compare myself to activists like Edjop, na wala naman akong, I don’t think that I’ve sacrificed anything nearly as big as my life,’ she added.
Still, Pangilinan said she cares deeply about the Philippines and the issues that the film tackles.
‘I care deeply about, obviously, the Philippines. I care deeply about all of those issues and that’s precisely why, in a way, creating this film is one way that this is our version of activism, this is our fight. And that’s really important,’ she said.
Frankie also said she did not need to ask her parents, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan and megastar Sharon Cuneta, for permission to take on the project.
‘There was never anything like asking for permission. There was never a discussion about whether or not, it was more of them asking, ‘Do you want to do this?” she said.
Frankie noted that her parents have always encouraged her and her siblings to form their own opinions, even when they disagree.
‘They’re always very, very supportive of what we want to do, how we feel, us, even when we disagree, they’re supportive of us having our own opinions, our own thoughts, instead of trying to convince us otherwise,’ she continued.
The project also had a personal connection for Frankie and her father. She recalled that Kiko was the one who introduced her to Jopson’s story by giving her Benjamin Pimentel’s book ‘UG’ when she was still in high school.
Frankie added that Jopson was one of her father’s idols, while her mother, who was less familiar with Jopson, also knew of him through her husband’s memories.
In ‘Edjop,’ Frankie plays the young Joy Jopson, the wife of Elijah Canlas’ titular character.
Edjop was a prominent student leader and former president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines who became known for engaging directly with students, workers and people in positions of power.
Frankie said she ‘enjoyed’ being on set and remains open to taking on more projects depending on the material.
As she began her acting career, Frankie shared she drew inspiration from her mother’s work. She admitted that she felt shy about asking Cuneta directly for acting advice, but studied her performances, including in the 1996 film ‘Madrasta.’
‘What I really admire about my mama’s acting style specifically is that she exhibits a lot of restraint, which is very, very rare, honestly. And like, tsaka, you know, it’s rare, but it’s also hard to master,’ she said.
Directed by Katski Flores, the upcoming biopic also stars Jodi Sta. Maria, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Cedrick Juan, Teroy Guzman, Gab Pangilinan, and Issa Litton, among others.